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Chandigarh: Australia's top order geared up for the Tests with a formidable batting performance on the opening day of the three-day warm-up tie against Board President's XI on Saturday. Calling correctly and deciding to bat first, Australia finished the day at 319 for 1 with openers Shane Watson (115; 199b, 16x4) and Simon Katich (104 retired out; 178b, 15x4) slamming sparkling tons.
India's Test bowlers Sreesanth and Pragyan Ojha failed to make any inroads as Watson and Katich stitched together a 207-run partnership for the first wicket, a record at this ground. All five selectors watched Sreesanth making yet another comeback after an injury layoff but the temperamental bowler looked rusty, straying in line and length and being largely ineffective. Taking little time to get accustomed to the pace and bounce of the slowish wicket, Watson and Katich played cautiously but didn't spare the loose offerings.
Rookie left-arm seamer Jaidev Unadkat, making his first-class debut on Indian soil, was the only bowler who troubled the Aussie batsmen, despite yielding 65 runs in his 16 overs. He extracted good bounce from the dead track in the morning session and later, was unlucky not to get a wicket as Shikhar Dhawan dropped Simon Katich at second slip in the 33rd over, when the southpaw was batting on 61.
Katich was dropped again in the 38th over, with Ajinkya Rahane failing to latch on to a sitter at short leg off Pragyan Ojha's bowling. Though Ojha conceded just 23 in 21 overs, he hardly looked threatening and bowled too flat.
Katich retired out after tea to give the others an opportunity and Watson and Ricky Ponting added 32 runs before leggie Piyush Chawla, on whom the Aussies were particularly severe, cleaned up Watson, with the Queenslander trying to play across the line.
After the fall of Watson's wicket, Ponting (batting on 42; 83b, 4x4) and deputy Michael Clarke (batting on 43; 88b, 5x4) spent some quality time in the middle till stumps.
Brief score
Australians 319 for 1 (Watson 115, Katich 104)
