Clarke, Katich Guide Australia

As his moment of truth arrived, batting prodigy Michael Clarke showed maturity beyond his years to guide Australia to safety on a day in which Anil Kumble claimed Test wicket number 400.

Before the match had started, there was a somewhat disappointing appetizer in the pre-series news that Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Indian master batsman Sachin Tendulkar would miss at least the opening Test of the series.

This, however, allowed for a fresh injection into both sides - Michael Clarke for a long awaited Test debut some 2 years in the making, and the return of Aakash Chopra for the Indians.

Upon winning the toss stand-in Australian captain Adam Gilchrist immediately elected to bat on a dry and cracking Bangalore surface that looked specially catered for the Indian spin duo of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, who entered the day on 397 Test wickets.

The Australian opening duo of Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden took a circumspect approach in facing the new ball, allowing themselves some time to sight Irfan Pathan and the unimpressive Zaheer Khan.

While Langer struggled in typically dogged fashion, Hayden looked polished in his return to the country of his finest hours in 2001. On 26, however, he was well caught at deep square by an outstretched Yuvraj to open Harbhajan Singh's wicket account for the series.

At 1/50, Simon Katich joined Langer at the wicket and immediately looked the part, controlling the spin of Harbhajan and Kumble with calm authority.

Batting past lunch, the pair added 74 before Pathan returned and knocked over Langer for 52 with an inswinging delivery that clipped the pad - and made a mess of the stumps. For all his tutoring from Wasim, this was a truly Akram like delivery. With Kumble claiming Damien Martyn at short leg a short time later, the Indians had crept back into the contest at 3/129.

With cricketing experience beyond his 20 Test matches Darren Lehmann became the man who Australia pinned their middle session hopes on as the Indians began to fight back. Yet the Australian vice-captain proved uncharacteristically edgy, glowing to Rahul Dravid at first slip only to survive and a ball later skying a straight drive through the hands of Pathan.

Despite a quickfire 17, the left-hander never really settled before falling to Kumble at first slip attempting a slog sweep. Enter the prodigy.

Since his first-class debut as a teenager Michael Clarke had been branded as a special cricketer. In nearly 50 ODI matches he has maintained an average over 40 despite a modest first-class record.

With the selectors gambling on the next big thing, much of Australia's cricketing future breathed a sigh of relief as he made his first Test run from a Kumble goolgy.

Slowly but surely, Katich and Clarke rebuilt the innings in the period before tea. The left hander in particular continued his masterful play of the spin attack as Clarke gained his confidence, finding his Test match wings.

An extremely well compiled half-century was completed by Katich shortly after tea as the fifth wicket pair continued to flourish. Despite his two wickets, Kumble struggled to master the conditions as the pair used their feet with particular confidence to unsettle the topspin bowler.

The duo reached their 100 partnership as Clarke repaid the selectors faith in completing a half-century on debut. As his confidence grew, so did his shot range, bombing Kumble straight down the ground for six.

Just as the Australians began to cruise again, however, did Kumble strike back in unusual fashion. After completing the 100 partnership a short time earlier, Katich pressed towards a second Test century and in attempting to pull a short delivery, the ball ricocheted off his pad onto the top of leg stump - a most unfortunate dismissal for 81.

The wicket, however, saw the Bangalore crowd erupt as the leg spinner completed his 400th Test wicket on the same ground in which he claimed 100 and 300. Few had been more timely.

Clarke continued to show a steady head in supporting his captain Adam Gilchrist towards stumps. The Australia side upped the tempo in the final hour of play as Sourav Ganguly, struggling with a groin problem, called for the second new ball.

Gilchrist ended the day unbeaten on 35 from as many deliveries, taking full toll of the tired attack in the twilight.

Clarke himself was most impressive. Showing maturity beyond his years and a cavalier instinct he punished the bowling for much of the afternoon to finish the day unbeaten on 76 and 24 short of a century on Test debut.

For the Indians, meanwhile, Kumble finished with 3/86 without bowling particularly well. Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh claimed a wicket each, while Zaheer Khan looked pedestrian and failed to trouble.

Progress Scores: Stumps Day 1

Australia 5/316
S Katich 81, M Clarke 76*, J Langer 52.
A Kumble 3/86.

Posted by Andre