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Having slaved for two days in the field under a hot subcontinental sun, arguably Australia’s greatest battle to save the third Test against India will be the one between the ears.
Mental as much as physical fatigue will play on the techniques of the tourists as they fight for survival against an Indian attack able to place many men around the bat as spinners Anil Kumble and Amit Mishra probe away on a deteriorating surface.
India declared at 7-613 after double centuries to Gautam Gambhir (206) and VVS Laxman (200no), leaving Australia to reach 0-50 at stumps.
Australian quick Stuart Clark said that after two days of largely fruitless toil at the Feroz Shah Kotla it would be up to the batsmen to live up to their handsome records.
“(The mental struggle) is going to be a big thing, but I think our guys are capable, they put the averages up on the board today and we’ve got three or four guys averaging over or close to 50 and a couple in the high 40s,” he said tonight.
“So there will be a mental struggle but I think we’re more than capable.”
Clark said the team was not yet thinking in terms of saving the match, but rather would try just to bat well tomorrow and re-assess the contest from there.
“The attitude tomorrow is to bat well, I’m not sure whether we’ve even thought about saving or not saving, we just need to bat well,” he said.
“If we have a good day tomorrow and if we can post a reasonable total and still have some wickets in hand, bat again the next day and see what happens.”
Ricky Ponting’s tourists are the latest Australian combination to fall foul of VVS Laxman and Clark explained the difficulties of bowling to a player with an exceptionally wristy technique.
“He’s very wristy and he hits balls just outside off stump through midwicket and things like that,” Clark said.
“We did plan for that, he was just very good today and it was not through a lack of trying or a lack of preparation he just played really well, he got on top of us and once the momentum went it was hard to wrestle back.”
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