Australia recover after shaky start

Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich struck half-centuries as Australia recovered on day one of the first Test against India.

Australia had reached 166 for the loss their openers, Matthew Hayden and Katich, at tea after Ponting had won the toss and elected to bat in Bangalore.

After losing Hayden to the third ball of the day Ponting and Katich took command with a stand of 166 for the second wicket before the left-handed opener fell for 66 just before the tea break.

That left Ponting at the crease, and closing on his first Test century in India, unbeaten on 94 while new batsman Mike Hussey was yet to open his account.

The two teams had ended the first session on par, with Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan turning in sharp spells with the new ball.

Zaheer had removed the burly Hayden for a duck just three deliveries into the day, when he was given out caught behind by umpire Asad Rauf after some consideration.

The Queenslander initially refused to walk and replays suggested he had cause to feel aggrieved as he appeared to hit his pad rather than the ball.

But Ponting and Katich put Australia firmly in command as they realised 166 runs for the second wicket.

Katich, unobtrusive and far more sedate, had held up one end after seeing the shine off the new ball.

But he fell just before tea, opening the door for India to make a comeback. The left-handed opener walked off in disgust after half-heartedly prodded at a delivery from Ishant, only to produce a faint edge which Dhoni held.

Ishant then had three appeals for leg before against Ponting, but he was turned down by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen on each occasion.

The little assistance which Zaheer and Ishant had gleaned from the wicket in the morning had ended as the first session drew to a close.

By then, Ponting and Katich had begun to assert some authority, although runs initially came at a crawl.

Ponting was far more fluent with his stroke play in the session after lunch, hitting 12 boundaries, most of them drives through the cover region.

Leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who had constantly switched ends in the hope of ending the partnership, and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was introduced into the attack as early as in the 13th over, bowled a total of 32 overs without success.