Indian batsmen tread cautiously

FE Team | Published: July 08, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

It wasn't the most exciting passage of play by any stretch of imagination but the Indian batsmen were content with getting their eye in and playing out the first session of their warm-up match against Sussex at Hove. At lunch, on a day when play started an hour late than usual because Sussex had played a Twenty20 match on Friday, the Indians reached 69 for the loss of Wasim Jaffer, with Dinesh Karthik once again showing promise as an opener, reports Cricinfo.
Rahul Dravid had no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss - the Indian XI included Jaffer and VVS Laxman, who had joined the Test squad after the one-dayers, and it was the ideal opportunity to get them acclimatised. India also chose to play three prospective Test openers in Karthik, Jaffer and Gambhir and give Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly a break.
It had been raining at Hove in the past few days and conditions were windy at the start, with the sun playing hide and seek behind the clouds. India opened with Karthik and Jaffer and both began cautiously. The pitch had bounce and some lateral movement and Sussex's opening bowlers - James Kirtley and Jason Lewry - sent down five maidens before Karthik scored the first runs off the bat.
Both openers were content with leaving the ball outside the off stump before Karthik decided to take on Lewry, who was consistently moving the ball away from the right-hander. He slashed his first boundary over point and then followed up with a square drive for four. He hit another well-timed straight drive for four off Kirtley but, after that bright patch, he returned to his shell with defence being the order of the day.
Jaffer was circumspect at the start and played out 20 balls before scoring his first single. He made 4 off 37 balls before doubling his score with a cut through point off Robin Martin-Jenkins. The openers added 37 in 16 overs before Jaffer pushed tentatively forward to a delivery from Martin-Jenkins, which went away from him off the pitch, and feathered an edge through to Andy Hodd behind the stumps.
Gambhir, who is vying for a Test opening spot, joined Karthik and played a composed innings, hitting two fours through cover point off Chris Liddle. The medium-pacers hardly posed any problems and Gambhir and Karthik saw off Saqlain Mushtaq's wily offspinners mixed with doosras to take India to 69 for 1. In what was just his sixth first-class game in three years, Saqlain sent down a steady spell, conceding just 10 in his five overs.
Sussex had rested several key players for this game, including Murray Goodwin, who's been in excellent form this season. Chris Adams, their regular captain, was replaced by Michael Yardy, who was yet to arrive at the ground but was on his way from Edgbaston, where he was part of the England ODI squad.
Scorecard
Indians 1st innings Run KD Karthik not out 73
W Jaffer c Hodd b Martin-Jenkins 12
G Gambhir not out 65
Extras: (b 6, lb 3, w 1) 10
Total: (1 wicket; 53.5 overs) 160
To bat: captainR Dravid, VVS Laxman, S Sreesanth, A Kumble, Yuvraj Singh, wicket-keeperMS Dhoni, RP Singh, RR Bose
Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Jaffer, 16.2 ov)
Sussex squad :
OP Rayner, JD Lewry, wicket-keeperAJ Hodd, MA Thornely, captainMH Yardy, RR Montgomerie, RSC Martin-Jenkins, RJ Kirtley, CD Hopkinson, Saqlain Mushtaq, CD Nash, CJ Liddle
Toss: Indians, who chose to bat first