Cricket: Paine for India but test remains in the balance

Young Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine stood firm as his team ground their way to 390 for eight against India at tea on day two of the first test at Mohali yesterday.

After losing Shane Watson (126), Paine (75no) averted the quick collapse of their innings and helped the Australians to a decent total on a pitch offering more turn but remaining safe for batting.

Harbhajan Singh (3 for 114) was the most dangerous of the Indian bowlers, and it was he who accounted for Watson.

Watson and Paine resumed at 224 for five with plenty of work to build a substantial first innings after a poor conclusion to day one. As on the first evening, runs accrued extremely slowly, but a trickle of singles kept the pair from atrophying.

A few boundaries helped and Watson was beginning to regain the fluency he exhibited earlier in his innings when Harbhajan delivered a prancing off-break that looped off glove and pad into the hands of short leg.

That opened up the Australian tail, for paceman Mitchell Johnson's average had slipped from almost 35, after making his first test century in South Africa last year, to a less assured 23.

But he showed promise in the minutes before lunch, while Paine survived a frenzied appeal by Harbhajan for a catch at short leg after the ball flicked pad and maybe glove.

However, Johnson was snared by Zaheer Khan three short of a half-century and Singh accounted for Hauritz for nine.

Harbhajan, meanwhile, told the host broadcasters that he was playing through the pain of several niggling injuries.

He also offered a novel explanation for Zaheer Khan's first-day dust-up with Ricky Ponting, after the bowler appeared to say something to the departing batsman.

"Zaheer told [VVS] Laxman that 'you are Usain Bolt' and maybe Ponting thought it was for him, so he came back," said Harbhajan.

Khan has been a source of irritation to Australia for some years. But his advance from flighty young tearaway to accomplished swing and seam artisan only seems to have made it worse.

Zaheer's first day exchange with Ponting has been described in various terms. Most agree he mentioned the Australian, just run out, was not as quick as he used to be.

Ponting responded by telling Zaheer to mind his own business and, perhaps, to "improve your bowling". He certainly has.

For a long time Zaheer was the sort of player the Australians felt they had the measure of.

In the 2003 World Cup final, he gave up 15 nervous first-over runs to Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, the first blow in a humiliating day for India. Still, Zaheer maintained his aggressive postures, and over time he improved as a bowler while the Australians lost a little of their superiority.

- AAP