Watson's swing warning to India

Crucial day in second Test ahead as the Australians plan to pile on more runs then unleash bowlers.

Australia’s Ricky Ponting drives on his way to making 77 against India yesterday.

BANGALORE // Shane Watson expects Australia's new-ball bowlers to pose plenty of problems to India's vaunted batting line-up today in what could a defining day in the second Test.

Australia will resume on 285 for five and Watson, the opening batsman, expects Marcus North (43 not out) and Tim Paine (eight not out) to orchestrate a lower-order flourish before the visitors' bowlers are unleashed on the likes of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

"Hopefully we can get a few more partnerships going," Watson, who made 57 yesterday, said. "Marcus is looking very good. He started his innings very well. It's always great to see Marcus in full flight because he's a beautiful batsman to watch when he's going. "We know how important the lower order is, especially in Indian conditions. There's going to be a fair bit of swing out there. It's going to play into Ben Hilfenhaus's hands, also Peter George swings a new ball, and it looks like the ball stayed fairly new the whole day as well.

"We're going to have to make the most of those conditions because that is when we're at our best - when we're swinging the ball and the ball is carrying through." It was innocuous spin, as opposed to swing, that accounted for Ricky Ponting yesterday. The Australia captain was eyeing a 40th Test match century when he missed the second ball of Suresh Raina's spell and was trapped lbw for 77. The scalp of Ponting, the second highest run scorer in Test cricket, was Raina's first in the longest form of the game.

"There's no doubt he'll be frustrated to bat as well as he has been and not be able to get the big scores everyone knows he can get," Watson said of Ponting. "Internally, he'll be very frustrated. But it's an important innings for him, to be able to set up a few nice partnerships with Mike Hussey and Marcus North. The disappointing thing, no doubt, is not one of us was able to go on and get a hundred or a big score because it is a beautiful batting wicket."

Having lost four wickets in the second session, Australia recovered to reach 256 for four before Ponting was out just after tea. Australia had reached 95 without loss at lunch but lost Simon Katich four runs later for 43, then Watson was out with the total on 113. Nineteen runs later, Michael Clarke was on his way for 14, and Michael Hussey was dismissed for 34 to make it 198 for four. Having won the toss, Australia's decision to bat under heavy skies paid off initially as India's bowlers failed to make use of the moisture in the pitch.

Katich took a while to get his eye in but showed his class against the spinners. However, he was out when he slashed at a delivery from Harbhajan Singh and was comfortably caught by Dravid at first slip. Seven overs later, Watson was caught behind off a beauty from Pragyan Ojha. There was more trouble for Australia when Clarke was brilliantly caught off his bat and pad by Raina at backward short leg off Harbhajan. At 132 for three, Australia seemed to be in trouble but a defiant Ponting and Hussey mixed aggression with caution to put on 66 runs.

India lead 1-0 in the two-match series thanks to a thrilling one-wicket victory in the first Test at Mohali.

Scorecard

Australia 1st innings
Watson c Dhoni b Ojha 57
Katich c Dravid b Harbhajan 43
Ponting lbw b Raina 77
Clarke c Raina b Harbhajan 14
Hussey c Sehwag b Zaheer 34
North not out 43
Paine not out 8
Extras 5lb, 4 nb 9
Total (5 wkts, 85.5 overs) 285
Fall of wickets: 1-99; 2-113; 3-132; 4-198; 5-256
Bowling: Zaheer 13.5-1-61-1; Sreesanth 12-1-37-0; Ojha 25-5-63-1; Harbhajan 26-0-100-2; Sehwag 4-1-7-0; Raina 5-1-12-1