Chennai Test: The three positives for Australia

Sure, Australia were outplayed in the Chennai Test, but not all was lost for the visitors, says Bikash Mohapatra.

Australia's defeat in the opening Test can be attributed as a collective failure, but a couple of players played to their potential.

Unfortunately for the visitors, these performances were undone by those who didn't come to the party.

Captain Superb

Michael Clarke has been in wonderful form since he took over as the Aussie captain and the Chennai Test was no different.

Coming into the match, 'Pup' needed 11 runs to become the 10th Australian batsman to score 7,000 Test runs. On the opening day, he achieved the landmark, going past The Don.

On Day 2, he moved up to ninth on the list eclipsing no less the elegant Greg Chappell.

Clarke's 130 was his 23rd Test hundred, his sixth against India. Remember he made his debut in Bangalore in 2004 with a stage-setting 151.

His early dismissal in the second innings made victory inevitable for India, but anyone who thinks Pup won't have a great series needs to book an early appointment with a shrink.

The last time India played him Down Under, Pup scored 626 runs, including a triple hundred.

Any wagers that he is going to do better this series?

Dream Debut!

Moises Henriques made possibly the biggest impression in Chennai.

The 26 year old is only the fifth Australian to score half centuries in both innings on debut.

While his gritty 68 in the first innings made folks take notice of the lad, his defiant unbeaten 81 in the second ensured that he will be a cert for the other three Tests in India at the very least.

Henriques showed typical Aussie character during his second knock, adding 66 runs for the last wicket with Nathan Lyon (11), a partnership that ensured Australia avoided the ignominy of an innings defeat.

Announcing his team a day ahead of the Chennai Test, Michael Clarke explained it was so so that Henriques's family could get to India to watch their boy wear the baggy green for the first time.

Dunno if the Henriques clan did get to Chennai, but they needn't worry. There will be many, many, Tests that they can watch Moises in.

Pacey James

Soon after making an impressive debut against New Zealand, in October 2011 -- he took 14 wickets in two Tests and was the player of the series -- James Pattinson had India in all sorts of trouble when M S Dhoni's side flew Down Under.

The 22-year-old paceman had 11 Indian scalps in the opening two Tests, before injury knocked him out for the other two games.

In Chennai, Pattinson continued from where he left off.

In the first innings he notched up his third five-f#8744 he then accounted for Murali Vijay early in the Indian second innings.