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Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Rediff.com presents how the day unfolded for India and Australia in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The Aussie captain Michael Clarke, once again came to his team's rescue and anchored the batting line-up.
For the Men in Blue, the blowers made an impact.
Australian captain Michael Clarke stood tall amid the ruins with a classy 91 even as India took early control of the second cricket Test with a dominating display by the bowlers on the opening day in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Clarke continued his rich vein of form as he started from where he had left off during his superb knock in the first match in Chennai.
He missed out on what could have been his 24th Test hundred by just nine runs as he lost his patience with wickets falling at the other end.
Clarke and wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade (62) added 145 runs for the fifth wicket to bail Australia out of trouble.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Wade played with a fractured cheekbone but that did not dent his confidence as he comfortably negotiated the spinners during his three-hour stay at the wicket.
The duo had their anxious moments but overall they handled the spin troika of Ashwin, Harbhajan and Jadeja with ease.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Indian bowlers produced clinical performances in the opening and the final sessions on a track which had variable bounce before Australia surprisingly decided to declare their first innings at 237 for nine, wanting to have a go at Indian openers for three overs.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
If Bhuvneshwar Kumar ran through the top-order during an incisive first spell, Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh wreaked havoc in the post-tea session when Australia lost five wickets for only 28 runs as they slumped to 237 for nine from a relatively comfortable 208 for four.
At stumps, India were five for no loss with openers Virender Sehwag and Murali Vijay batting on four and zero respectively as they survived the brief period.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Earlier in the day, Michael Clarke got it right with the coin for a second time in the series and had no hesitation in asking the home team to field first.
There were a couple of changes in the Australian team, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon made way for Glenn Maxwell and Xavier Doherty.
The home team preferred not to tinker with a winning combination. That meant, Pragyan Ojha didn't get an opportunity to play on his home ground.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
After a luckless first Test in Chennai, where the Indian spinners got all the 20 Australian wickets, India's new ball duo of Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar, especially the latter, gave a much better account of themselves, hitting the right areas consistently.
Australian top-order played their shots during the first session but were often troubled by the deliveries that were keeping low.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
While Bhuvneshwar got three for 36, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got the other wicket. Australian top-order played shots during the first session but the batsmen were often troubled by the deliveries that were keeping low.
Phillip Hughes (19) and Watson (23) tried to make amends with a 42-run partnership. But they ran out of patience.
Clarke and Wade then came together to start the repair job.
Photos: Total recall of India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 1
Hughes, under pressure to get a big knock, caved in when Ashwin bowled a typical off-break and the batsman went for a cut-shot.
Dhoni fumbled on the first attempt but held on to the catch to make it 63 for four.