In first over,a first by an Indian spinner

“I was very surprised to see Ojha with the ball,to be honest. I had prepared mentally for Zaheer,” said Guptill at the end of a satisfying day’s play for him. “I got some interesting balls early on,but we managed to see through it.”

Interesting,it sure was. With five more dot balls the following Ojha over,Guptill looked edgy,if not worried. Then,off the last ball,the seam snicked the big Kiwi’s bat and he managed to open his account with a streaky two.

“I found out after they chose to bat,and Dhoni bhai was very clear that I was going to open the bowling. I was ready for it,” Ojha said. And how did he go about it? “I was just sticking to the basics and making him play every ball.”

He did. Now clearly desperate,Guptill played,missed,plodded and blocked at four more in Ojha’s third,with his score now reading 2 off 16,all to spin. But as push came to shove,Guptill danced down the track and picked a tossed up one to hammer inside-out over extra-covers. Four runs had broken a very tight leash.

“It was a good challenge to tick off first up,” said Guptill. It must have been,for from there on he was unstoppable. After that rashness for four,Guptill stroked seven more in his exhilarating innings of 53. Likewise Ojha,who powered by the success of the new ball spell,finished with four out six wickets that fell on Day One. And an all new experience.

“The ball was new and it could have been difficult to hold. But there was of course moisture on the pitch,which made the ball grip. We made use of that,” he said.