Was it better than Strauss in 2005?

Close call as both were amazing,i lean slightly towards Strauss because he plays for England.

Dravid might be looking for some ice tonite on the toes on his left foot after copping that Mitchell Johnson mid 140 kph sand shoe crusher that was surprisingly turned down from Billy Bowden for LBW.

Cripes what are these umpires learning at LBW school, that was on the crease in line and hit the undersole of his boot and no LBW.

Lee's to Tendulkar hit the top corner of his pad and was rising and got LBW.

No wonder spectators raise their eyebrows.

My memory is a bit hazy on Strauss

If you have a youtube link please remind me Greg

Well... should be stumps in 40 minutes and that have been a good day of Test cricket, with bowling, batting and fielding to talk about after all the nonsense since the Harbhajan-Symonds nonsense.

Ah, but it will not be all over in 40 minutes will it? Has that possibly got something to do with a underhand tactics by an Aussie attack dawdling through their overs so they stay bright and fresh and don't give the Indian batsmen their rightful reward for making the attack toil?

Ian Chappell finally hits the nail on the head that seems to flown around or over the head of every other commentator.

Mitchell Johnson seems to hold his pace all day.

Now consistantly bowling still in the high 140's kph while Tait is struggling to get to 140 kph.

Average speed for Johnson today all deliveries 145.8 kph all bowled into the wind except his first 2 overs.

Day one Thommo's lad versus Lillee's lad

Thommo 1 Lillee 0

P.S Johnson has bowled a lot more overs than Tait and a lot more economical.

No

It's back to bowlers with long run ups taking time.

Welcome back to circa late 70's early 80's West Indies style.

I think the 4 pronged pace attack will come out again. Probably at the MCG boxing day test 2008 with a usual preparation without the deluge they had prior to the match this year.

Big winner today Mitchell Johnson

Dravid c Ponting b Symonds 93 ..India 5-278

Why Rahul ?

After all the struggle regaining form, Symonds only filling in time 2 overs before the new ball.

Rahul suddenly forgets where he is and what type of format of the game he is playing and plays an ill fated slog that fly's upwards instead of outwards to Ponting at extra cover.

Obviously Rahul has supressed his attacking game so long, that his one day memories bubbled to the surface.

But I must admit ..I think pleasingly the old Rahul Dravid is back. And that over defensive abberation we witnessed over the past 12-18 months may have been buried finally (thank god or vishnu) at the WACA.

Laxman c Tait b Lee 27 ..India 6-284

Guess who will be sitting in a quite lonely corner of the restaurant having dinner tonite with Jaffer. More than likely a long way away from Kumble.

Another needless dismissal by a batsmen thinking way to far ahead to the limited overs matches and forgetting he was in a test match.

Holed out at mid off to Tait with a partially committed slog.

I can forgive Dravid due to where he started his innings and where he finished plus he committed himself to his ill-fated shot. But their is no forgiving Laxman it was just a slack shot half committed and has turned what should have been a good day for India into an average one.

Laxman too got out to an uncharacteristic stroke towards the end of the day, although in this case the bowler was Lee.

Stumps day 1