This is nasty niggling backbiting war that has been running for over 30 years.

Now they will have their two boy's bowling in the same test for Australia.

The stakes for bragging rights are high.

In Lillee's corner : Shaun Tait trained by D.Lillee and T.Cooley

In Thommo's corner : Mitchell Johnson once trained by D.Lillee until Thommo ran into him at Brisbane club cricket where Johnson was languishing and uttered those famous words "Mitchell forget all that crap Dennis taught you"

India won toss and will bat.

Sehwag c Gilly b Johnson

India 1-58

India looked a lot better with Sehwag opening.

Johnson's consistant pace above 145 kph 90% of the time with some balls touching 151-2 is impressive.

Stuart Clark applied great pressure at the other end and has been unlucky so far.

Jaffer c Gilchrist b Lee India 2-59

After an ordinary start where Sehwag gave him a bit of a touch up Lee replaces Clark at the opposite end to where he started and get Jaffer out nicking a drive.

India batting very well

2-177 at tea Tendulkar 56 and Dravid 52

Tendulkar his usual brilliant best, hard to beleive it has been 16-17 years since he last batted in Perth in a test and scored a great century that he still rates as one of his favorites as a 17 year old.
I think he has look in his eye that he is going to make another prior to stumps tonite to celebrate his belated homecoming to the WACA.

Dravid after a scratchy start and a big lucky break due to Michael Clarke's dropping of a straight forward chance at first slip off Brett Lee. Appears over the course of the last hour to have shaken off a few of the cobwebs that have hindered his batting over the past year or so and is actualy looking like he is enjoying himself and finally is playing some shots.

Hard luck story's so far Brett Lee getting straight forward chances dropped by slips (M.Clarke) Stuart Clark in the morning session but later he was on and off the ground with some unknown complaint, and did not bowl anywhere near as well in the second session. Other hard luck story Symonds who learnt the hard way that LBW's are few and far between at Perth because umpires almost always expect the ball to bounce over the wicket.

Mitchell Johnson has bowled good long spells at sustained pace, in fact I would not be surprised if his overall match speed average is higher than Tait's. Johnson bowls consistantly around 145-150kph and most of his bowling has been into the wind.

Tait is hit and miss, and today I reckon it is miss. I have a question mark over his fitness I dont think he can sustain his pace to the extent Lee and Johnson can, hence if Australia do get to the new ball tonite I think those two will get it.

I am a bit mystified about Ponting using Tait into the wind ?

Quick balls so far Tait 154.8 kph followed by Johnson 152.8 kph

Good luck India great start and good consolidation

188-2 with Dravid and Tendulkar scoring 50's and the Aussie attack looking pretty ordinary apart from Clark.Possibly because they have 3 guys who just rely on speed and don't have any back up plan,Tait has looked the same as always,quick but ragged.

How nice to see India doing well after the farcical scenes in Sydney.

One thing,i hope Ponting gets disciplined for the pathetic over rate.Only 24 overs in the opening session is disgusting.

Tendulkar triggered on 71,ball was going over the top.198-3.

Tendulkar lbw b Lee 71..India 3-199

Unjust decision clearly going to bounce over the wicket.
How can umpire Rauf justify that LBW hitting the top of the pad from Lee at 140 odd kph when a bit over an hour ago he turned down a much more justifiable appeal from Symonds that hit the le leg roll on the pad at 120 odd kph.

Rule of thumb LBW's will be extremely rare occurances on this pitch. And if they occur they will be more than likely from a slower bowler such as Symonds or in Indias case Ganguly.

Umpires are digging a deep hole for themselves with this type of inconsistancy.

How quickly the game can turn,214-4 with Ganguly out to a great catch by Hussey.Poor shot.

Ganguly c Hussey b Johnson 9 ..India 4-214

Pick the bones out of that catch, I dont think that will be beaten for catch of the year.

Hussey gully diving right caught it low mid air another 0.25 of a second and it would have been smashing into the boundary rope at backward square for 4.

That catch is up their Greg and partially makes up for Clarkes dropped sitter.

But still the big all time television classics of John Dyson and Derek Randall remain unchallenged.