Cheteshwar Pujara. Picture: REUTERS
CRICKET
Australia was thrashed out of the first Test spectacularly, now its opponent has shown itself just as content with the slow burn.
In a stark contrast of the free-swinging, brutal treatment that India captain M.S. Dhoni dished out to Michael Clarke's attack in Chennai, the hosts' next generation of batsmen made the visitors sweat it out in a test of patience on the second day at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
The Wall - aka Rahul Dravid - may be gone but in Cheteshwar Pujara, India has the makings of a clone of its tireless former accumulator at No. 3. The 25-year-old played a Test in Bangalore against Australia in 2010 but that was in the first incarnation of an international career lasting only three Tests and in which he made barely 100 runs.
The second segment, now seven Tests old, is turning out entirely different. Since his recall in August, Pujara has three centuries, including an unbeaten 206 against England last November, and his average has subsequently climbed within range of 60.
His studious partnership with opener Murali Vijay, with both registering carefully constructed 50s by early afternoon on Sunday, was a frustration this time for Australia, which was able to make only one breakthrough to that point in the day, despite containing a steady flow of runs.
The visitors, defending their modest total of 9(dec)-237, were left with few answers in the first half of the day, with seamers James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Moises Henriques, and spinners Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell, unable to strike a blow as India progressed to 1-160 at tea.
India's eight-wicket victory in Chennai had been marked by ferocious scoring by double centurion Dhoni, but in the first session on Sunday it travelled at a comparative standstill. Only 49 runs were added by lunch on day two and more than 80 minutes passed at one point between boundaries.
There were two ways to look at the crawl of a run-rate. One, the dearth of runs was an effective build-up of pressure on the hosts.
Two, it was an equally effective way to wear out Australia's bowlers.
The former seemed right on the money when Pujara was almost run out by Australia's leading sharpshooter in the field, David Warner.
Pujara's temperament is such that he would not ordinarily break out of a comfortable stride unless he was about to miss the team bus.
On this occasion, though, he was made to scamper wildly like a pitch invader with a half -dozen security guards on his tail.
He made his ground, fractionally, despite a Warner direct hit and a closer inspection by the third umpire.
While Australia had tightened the screws it had removed only the batsman formerly known as Virender Sehwag, given out edging to Siddle despite the fact the Australian quick had not even appealed.
Sehwag, who has made only a solitary Test century in the past 20 months, stood his ground for a moment but even through diminished sight - he is wearing spectacles in this series - the declining bludgeoner of attacks saw clearly the raised finger of umpire Kumar Dharmasena.
Doherty, playing his first Test in more than two years and third overall, was introduced with half an hour remaining until lunch. Before his first over had even begun, the ball had gone to the rope - a warm-up delivery aimed at Siddle turned beyond the paceman and raced away towards the fence.
The Tasmanian then wheeled out two full tosses to Pujara with his first two balls but improved quickly thereafter in his first spell, chalking up a maiden in his second over - something the dumped Nathan Lyon could manage only once in 52.3 overs in Chennai.
Doherty's next stint, in the early afternoon, did not start as well, smacked over mid-off for six with his second ball as Vijay brought up his 50 in style. Within the first hour after lunch Pujara and Vijay had doubled their meagre output of the morning session.
Australia (1st innings) 9-237 decl. India (1st Innings - overnight 0-5)M VIJAY not out 73V SEHWAG c Wade b Siddle 6C PUJARA not out 73 Sundries (1b, 6lb, 1w) 8 Total (1 wkt - tea) 160 Fall of wickets: 17 (Sehwag) Bowling: J Pattinson 14-6-33-0 (1w), P Siddle 15-3-41-1, M Henriques 11-5-13-0, X Doherty 16-6-35-0, G Maxwell 7-1-31-0
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