Indians draw confidence

In that sense, Monday, the pitch kissed by the sun, was no different as Australia produced a bruising reminder that they believe ‘‘draw’’ is something best suited to art school. No result looked remotely possible, but Steve Waugh has never been inclined to think with the pack. His team is not littered across record books, and won 16 Tests in a row, without being able to sniff victory out of improbable situations.

Having bowled out India for 409 yesterday, Australia slapped the Indian attack around the park, raced to 284-3 at an average of 4.5 an over, and then declared, leaving India to get 199 in 23 overs. As Waugh asserted: ‘‘We try to make something out of nothing, that’s the way we play’’. Ganguly concurred, adding: ‘‘we were expecting something like that from Steve’’.

Of course, when India’s bewildered openers were back in the pavilion and India 2-4, lazing spectators had overturned their beers in surprise and the Indian dressing room was alive with fidgeting. Said Waugh: ‘‘One or two more wickets and anything could have happened’’.

Eventually Rahul Dravid, 43, and VVS Laxman, 24, the former especially producing drives of some handsomeness, held their nerve and the Australians at bay, and at 73-2, with seven overs remaining, the fight was left for another day, another city.

Waugh called it a ‘‘50-50 Test match’’ with both teams gaining equally, yet a draw will please the visitors more than the hosts, for it reflects better on them. Australia has scarcely lost its authority, indeed it stamped some of it brutally yesterday, but the ambition of the travellers has been the true revelation.

Confidence is the most precious of sporting elixirs and Ganguly’s men have bravely earned some for themselves. But they will be wary of a somewhat scorned Australia, for Waugh’s team is used to applause and has not enjoyed the harsh scrutiny of past days.

Good teams are defined by consistency and, in that context, Adelaide, presumably over five full days of cricket, will provide a more testing examination. Australia’s bowling battalion may be feeling the absence of senior men, but will be focused on puncturing Ganguly’s expectation of 400 runs from his batsmen. India’s bowling pack, while high on commitment, is on occasion so blunt it could not pierce paper, and will need a collective lift in form to slice apart the Australians twice for cheap scores.

This afternoon, Ajit Agarkar sent Justin Langer home early, and Zaheer Khan, far smarter with the new ball, had Ricky Ponting fumbling at the crease initially. But once Zaheer left the field with a tight hamstring, the Indian fielders spent most of the day getting familiar with the boundary ropes. After all, Ponting (50), Matthew Hayden (99), Waugh (56 not out) and Damien Martyn (66 not out) between them sent the ball over it 30 times.

Harbhajan Singh, the young illusionist, has been conspicuously short of trickery, the Australians negotiating his overs with a discomforting ease. He returned again with disappointing figures of 21-1-101-1, the numbers partially misleading for when he switched ends, he bowled with more zest.

He had Hayden caught in the deep, and then slipped in a straighter one that left Waugh baffled, but Parthiv Patel’s stumping effort will make no wicketkeeping textook. Waugh then was on 8, and admitted later he was ‘‘nervous coming off a duck’’, and India’s gift of a life to him was a substantial error. A captain under pressure, which he would have been, is an advantage to be cherished.

Ganguly, meanwhile, accepted bowlers, like batsmen, are not immune to days and matches when they are deserted by their art. Harbhajan he knows is a ‘‘class act’’, yet he did not retreat from the truth, admitting ‘‘I don’t think Harbhajan is bowling well enough’’. India travel to Adelaide today and soon, at nets, Anil Kumble will be advertising the fact an option exists. It is perhaps too early to abandon Harbhajan, but it is scarcely a bad thing for a team to have competition for places.