Double or Nothing

What a one-sided treat they got. Laxman rattled off 200 of the best, his second double-century after the unforgettable 281 in Kolkata seven years ago, and local boy Gautam Gambhir racked up a career-best 206.

The first-innings total of 613 for seven may not be India8217;s highest against their new arch-rivals, but the questions raised in Mohali about Australia8217;s position as leaders of cricket8217;s world order were answered once and for all at the Kotla, regardless of how the match pans out over the next three days.

The Aussie bowlers were subjected to what could be the worst onslaught they8217;ve suffered in over two decades. The extent of their helplessness can be summed in a simple statistic 8212; in 131 years of Test cricket, never before have two batsmen scored double-centuries against them in the same innings.

Very, Very Strange

India has shared a strange relationship with Laxman over the last decade. Just one match away from his 100th Test, the Hyderabadi must wonder what he needs to do to capture the hearts and minds of the country8217;s famously zealous cricket fans.

He8217;s scored 6,000 runs, has an average of 45 with 13 centuries, and his three best innings have all come against world champions Australia, but somehow, a sword has been hanging over his head for the bulk of his 99 matches.

It8217;s only on days like Thursday, when there is no option but to get mesmerised by the wide range of his elegant stroke-play, that India remembers him as Very, Very Special. At most other times, despite never being attacked directly, he8217;s a soft target in the star-studded middle-order, someone who could be done away with if needed.

Though he8217;s almost a couple of years younger than Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, Laxman has been clubbed in the so-called Fab-Four that some critics so eagerly want to see the back of. And even before this Delhi Test, there had been suggestions that he be left out in favour of an extra bowler.

When he reached his century, Laxman rolled his left arm over in the direction of the dressing-room, immediately interpreted as some sort of thank-you message to seamer Zaheer Khan. 8220;What I was telling him is a secret,8221; a smiling Laxman said later. When he got to his double-century in the final session, the delight on his face was almost infectious as he walked off the ground.

Other end

While Laxman was making magic from one end, Gambhir ensured for the most part of the day that there were no mishaps at the other as he carefully grafted his way to the 200-mark despite the Australians trying to first pepper him with short bowling, and later lure him with deliveries wide outside the off-stump.

It was only after he8217;d raised his bat for a second time that the 27-year-old late bloomer from Delhi lost concentration. Trying to cut a delivery from Shane Watson, he dragged it back to the stumps to end a record 278-run partnership with Laxman. The match had become so one-sided by then that there was almost a cheer at his dismissal 8212; something different had finally happened after more than three sessions of Indian domination.

There were little bits of excitement after that. Sourav Ganguly spooned a catch to cover in his final Test at the Kotla, failing the capitalise on the flat track, and then lingered on in the middle for a few seconds longer than he should8217;ve; MS Dhoni almost took off umpire Aleem Dar8217;s head with what looked like a square-cut but, incredibly, went straight back in the direction of the bowler; and Anil Kumble danced down the track like he8217;s rarely done before in an entertaining cameo of 45.

When it was Australia8217;s turn to bat, Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich expertly soaked in all the pressure. They kept things tight in the last hour to take Australia to 50 without loss at stumps. But there were a couple of deliveries that suddenly kept low, and the odd one that turned sharply, to indicate that things may not be all that easy for the batsmen as this Test wears on.