Two atrocious strokes, made to look even worse because they came within 20 minutes of each other, and both inside the last half-hour, ruined what would otherwise have been an exceptional day for India at the WACA.

It’s debatable which of Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman will sleep less peacefully in the night. The former threw away a 25th century with a slog-sweep that went horribly wrong, while his partner in many an Australia-bashing association conjured a strange flat-batted half-pull that picked out mid-off.

India could so easily have been in a position of great strength had even one of these two experienced right-handers, if not both, seen Wednesday’s first day of the third Test through. Instead, by dovetailing to 297 for six, the Indians conceded a lot of the initiative so meticulously wrested throughout a blustery, sweltering day.

That Dravid fell two overs to the second new ball and Laxman in the second over with it would have frustrated Anil Kumble — who unhesitatingly chose to bat on winning his first toss of the series — even more. The platform had been set, the base established through equal parts of adventure and industry before those two moments of madness allowed Ricky Ponting’s men a look-in. What a tragedy!

Positive approach

India dominated for large parts, armed with a brand-new positive approach — was it that mindset which evoked such strokes from two classy batsmen? — and steely determination. For the first time in three Tests, the openers got the team off to a reasonably impressive start with Virender Sehwag predictably in the vanguard and Wasim Jaffer an able ally before falling for the fifth time on the trot to Brett Lee. Sachin Tendulkar showcased his mastery of the conditions as well as Australia’s four-pronged pace attack with another sublime innings cut short in full fury by a marginal call from Asad Rauf. But it was Dravid who was the most impressive and important cog in the wheel, never mind that eventual expensive misadventure.

Restored to his beloved number three slot, the 35-year-old had the luxury of walking in at 57 for one in the 17th over, thanks to Sehwag’s blistering assault. Between prolonged periods of swish and miss, the Delhi opener smacked the ball with telling finality, feeding off the additional bounce of the WACA with intelligent slash-cuts that Tendulkar took to a new level later in the day.

Much of the hype regarding the WACA strip remained just that — hype. There was more bounce and pace than at the MCG and the SCG, but it was far from alarming. The ball gushing on to the bat meant the batsmen could play their strokes with freedom; they could also trust the bounce, which was true without being untenable. Seam movement was less pronounced than swing, and Australia’s pacers barring Lee struggled to make an impact, thrown off rhythm by swirling winds.

Dravid in particular enjoyed the ball thudding on to the bat. Bogged down totally at the MCG before battling on at the SCG, he was at his fluent best on Wednesday. Lee brooked careful watching, and Dravid handled that threat with aplomb, either with a broad vertical bat or a scything horizontal blade. He should have been caught by Michael Clarke off a distant waft at Mitchell Johnson when only 11, but the unfamiliar first-slipper grabbed at the ball. Until he fell in ungainly fashion, it was Dravid’s only false stroke.

The high proportion of boundaries which dotted the Dravid innings resulted from pace off the track, and therefore off the bat, helped along by a lightning quick outfield. Dravid chose to keep faith in the orthodox, even if his partner in an entertaining 139-run (162m, 232b) third-wicket stand adopted unconventional means prompted by the nature of the surface.

Cold storage

The much touted Shaun Tait didn’t come on till the 21st over, and Tendulkar immediately pulled the upper cut out of cold storage. There were brutal slashes, just as there were also delicate steers as the little man swayed out of the way and caressed the ball over the slip cordon.

It was Tendulkar at his innovative, inventive best; few strokes were played in front of the stumps, but that didn't put a brake on the scoring or take away from the quality of his wondrous innings, until Rauf upheld a Lee leg before shout with the ball headed above the stumps.

After Sourav Ganguy’s cheap dismissal, Laxman and Dravid added 64 for the fifth. Then came the madness.