Hours before the first ball was bowled, the Chinnaswamy stadium wore an electric atmosphere. The stadium was almost filled to the rafters and it was a sea of tri-colours. When India's spearhead Zaheer Khan ran into bowl, the screams reached a crescendo. The first ball after pitching on the outside off-stump deviated further for umpire Steve Bucknor to signal a wide. The memories of 2003 World Cup final disaster in South Africa must have come flooding back for thousands watching at the ground and millions watching in their homes.

Zaheer, who had had a memorable World Cup till then, went to pieces after starting with a wide ball and then exchanging a few words with the Aussie batsmen.

The left-arm seamer seems to have developed a habit of starting with a wide in almost every encounter after that. It was no different the last time Aussies played here at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. The Mumbai pacer got off with a wide and India went on to concede 300-plus runs.

Having re-established his numero uno status in the side on the back of stupendous show on the England tour, Zaheer on a hot Saturday afternoon started the proceedings with a wide, the next ball was cut for four by Adam Gilchrist. It was déjà vu again. But the left-arm paceman quickly regained his composure and even managed to dismiss the Aussie skipper.  That, however, didn't stop the visitors from stacking up another 300-plus total.