The touring Indians had an indifferent start to their three-day cricket match against Australia A, who dominated the opening day here today. The hosts won the toss and piled up a score of 311/5 in 74-odd overs before declaring their innings and gave an early jolt to the Indians by removing opener Sadagopan Ramesh in the remaining 13 overs. India finished the day at 37/1 with Aakash Chopra and Deep Dasgupta at the crease on 12 and 18 respectively. Ramesh (4) was dismissed when he took his eyes off a lifting delivery from Matt Nicholson and lobbed it in the gully region where Damien Wright took a neat catch. Speedster Shaun Tait, whose pace is in the news in recent days, bowled a couple of overs but the pitch did not seem an ally to his kind of methods. The home team was given a good kick start by openers Michael Hussey (67) and Chris Rogers (70) who put on 119 runs for the first wicket. Then Martin Love, the Test hopeful further staked his claims with a strokeful knock of 94 which caught the attention of a smattering of spectators on a grayish, cold damp day at Bellerive Oval. After the match Love praised left-arm spinner Murali Kartik saying ‘‘showed good control.’’ ‘‘Kartik was good. His control is good but it wasn’t an ideal wicket for him, especially on the first day,’’ Love said. Love said his side would look to force the issue against the Indians over the next two days. ‘‘We are keen to force the issue. That’s why the declaration came late in the day. I’m disappointed for not getting the hundred but then we were pushing for runs at that point. Still the shot wasn’t good and I paid the consequence.’’ Indian captain Saurav Ganguly too came in for praise for his bowling by home team opener Chris Rogers. ‘‘Actually, he (Ganguly) was the pick of the bowlers early on. Conditions suited him and he got more movement than other new ball bowlers,’’ Rogers said after the first day’s play which was dominated by the home team. ‘‘He nipped the ball around both ways. We were conscious of watching him and in the end he got us,’’ said Rogers, who made 70 off 94 balls before he edged Ganguly behind the stumps. Rogers had a good word for other medium-fast bowlers also, saying they all bowled in good areas. ‘‘They swung it well, the pitch was a little bit slow at times. That might not have helped them but they got the ball in good areas.’’ (PTI)
