Day 2: India vs Australia 2011: Bumpy Sehewag Gives India a Smooth Start

The first instance of it immediately raked up images from the controversial India Australia test series of 2007. I am talking about Sehewag bumping into Pattinson, the young Aussie bowler, and Sehewag verbally and animatedly asking Pattinson to mind himself, raising his bat in the air. However, soon things became calmer when Gautam Gambhir played what can be best described as a horrible, unnecessary poke outside his off-stump to give Australia their first breakthrough. However, at this moment, Dravid has joined forces with Sehewag who seems to be continuing from his 190+ score at this same venue a few years ago. Yes, he had his usual share of almost-out instance, but most Sehewag followers have now become accustomed to it.
A Sehewag innings without some anxiety and panic attacks among the Indian fans just wouldn't have its natural flavor. The second bump from Sehewag was a bit harder but didn't flare the tempers in either camp when he accidentally bumped into Peter Siddle. Sehewag apologized immediately and Siddle just seemed too busy thinking about his next delivery to exchange any verbal volleys. Sehewag is nearing another test half century as I write this, and hopefully, he can convert into another test ton. As long as he is at the crease, things seem a bit undemanding for the Indian batsmen. His daredevil method of batting seems to have rubbed on Rahul Dravid too who is batting with much more freedom than what we usually witness during the early part of his test match batting.  

Dravid: The Falling Wall?

Often quoted as the Great Wall of India, Rahul Dravid just cannot get himself out of what cannot be referred to as a dry patch or being out-of-form but a strange phase wherein he just cannot occupy the crease long enough to justify such adjectives. It seems that the great batsman is either losing his reflexes or just playing a few test matches in a year simply means that he isn't getting enough international cricket to make him flourish at the crease in the manner that saw him conquer the best of South African and Australian bowling attacks. He is getting out to rather soft deliveries, none of them looking threatening enough for someone of Dravid's stature. Further, what is worrying is that his body seems to be moving a bit too much when playing the on-drives. A small but exaggerated shuffle towards the off-side seems to be the undoing in this case. Just imagine a team that is on the verge of losing Dravid and Laxman in the very near future.....any worthy new stars in the Indian batting line-up to vouch for such profiles??