The teams have now come to Sydney and are ready to do battle. Our top order batsmen Warner, Cowan, Marsh, Ponting and Hussy are all considered just one more failure short of replacement. Media speculation remains about whether or not the fast bowlers Pattinson, Hilfenhaus and Siddle can reprise their outstanding Melbourne performance or was it just a flash in the pan.
We made a night before decision to go the Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. We had never been to the SCG (there is only one Test here a year after all), who knows when will be in Sydney for New Year again, it is the 100th Test to be played at the SCG and the "little master" Tendulka is searching for his 100th Test century. Enough reason to forget about the money and just do it!
The cheapest tickets we could buy online were $115 each for two seats in gold section of something called the Berwongle Stand...
The seats may have been a bit expensive by our frugal standards, but we were totally over the moon with the position. Lucked in again, just like our little adventure to Lords a few years ago when we bought tickets from scalpers on the first day of the Test between England and South Africa. The Lords seats were just a few rows back from the boundary. What a day that was at the home of Cricket. Will today be just as memorable?...
The formalities over, Australia is having a bowl first up...
The scoreboard is a fresh page. None for none. First ball to be bowled by James Pattinson the find of the season so far. Bring it on...
Pattinson takes a wicket in his first over. How good is this...
The game is just a quarter of an hour old and the members are transfixed...
The second Indian wicket falls...
How's that! In no time at all India are 3 wickets down for not very much at all...
The whole ground stands to give Tendulka a standing ovation as he walks to the wicket. If ever Tendulka needed a ton, today is the day. He hopes so for India's sake...
Watching Tendulka bat brings back memories of the great Sir Donald Bradman. Will we ever see another batsman to rival "The Don" or "The Little Master"?...
The Aussie fielding is exceptional...
Siddle gets his first wicket as the Indian situation goes from bad to worse...
The crowd is totally enthralled...
It is not Tendulka's day, he is out for 41 runs, although he can hold his head high compared to his team mates runs. By lunch the Indians are in disarray. Six down for 124. What a session for Australia. What a session for James Pattinson who has already got a 4 for...
After lunch Pattinson is back into the swing...
The punters get the Mexican wave going...
The spectators in the members and ladies stands are riveted to their seats...
This is turning into a rout for India. What a day out the Australian bowlers are having...
Hilfenhaus chimes in to clean up the tail...
Not be out done Siddle gets his second and third wickets and it is good night India. All out for 191...
It is not even the end of the second session and the ground staff are preparing the wicket for the start of the Australian first innings...
The pink wickets await the Aussie batsmen and the Indian bowlers...
The young firebrands Australian batsmen Warner and Cowan make their way to the crease...
The camera man on his segway get the on field atmosphere from close up...
David Warner makes a quick fire 8 and he is out...
Warner's dismissal is followed almost instantly by the dismissal of Sean Marsh. Australia is two down for not much. Is this MCG, Hobart, Cape Town deja vu. This brings the out of sorts Ponting to the crease. If he fails here... it might be curtains for his career...
Ponting has a lot riding on this innings and this match...
Ponting is getting his groove back...
But with Cowan's dismissal the Australia top three have failed; again...
Oh dear! Now it is up to the new batsman Clarke with the old stager Ponting to save Australia's bacon. Can they do it?...
They get their heads down and together slowly begin to get on top of the Indian bowling...
Drinks in the third session and Clarke and Ponting are entrenched...
With a bit of luck, some praying and a lot of determination....
Australia end the day on top at 3 for 116. What a day of test match cricket. In absolutely stunning weather, from incredible seats, we witness 300 runs scored and 13 wickets fall. Test Cricket does not get any better than that..
Unbelievably there were even better days to come in this Test. Ponting went on to score 134, Clarke made the record books swoon on his way to a score of 329, Mike Hussey made 150 and Australia won by a innings and 68 runs. Really from an Australian point of view the only thing that could make it better would be to achieve that result against the old foe, England.
