 Fans and players alike were denied a natural resolution in Madras |
Although rain spoiled what was set up to be a classic deciding day in the second Test between India and Australia, the series between these two cricket heavyweights is still tantalisingly poised. Australia lead 1-0 following their victory in Bangalore, but it would be a brave person who bet on the winner as the teams head to Nagpur for the third of four Tests.
Both teams would have fancied their chances on Monday's final day in Madras, Australia to take a 2-0 lead and India to square the series.
But perhaps the washout suited Australia best. After all, two more draws and they will achieve their aim of a first Test series win in India since 1969.
What is more, on a pitch that broke up on the first two days but later flattened out, India were the most likely winners despite being faced with a record fourth-innings chase.
In truth, the hosts were in control of this match, save for a session and a bit on the opening day when Australia's first wicket realised 136 runs.
Even on day four, when the hugely impressive Damien Martyn and Jason Gillespie batted for two sessions to give Australia a handy lead, the game the visitors were playing was catch-up.
Had India gone on to win, they would have pointed to Anil Kumble as the difference between the two sides.
 Kumble cashed in on favourable conditions and excelled himself |
Two five-wicket hauls, match figures of 13-181 and an elevation to seventh place on the all-time Test list confirm his extreme quality.
There have been only 41 better match returns in 1,714 Tests and just six bowlers in history have bagged more 10-wicket hauls.
Aussie openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer looked to have set the tone for the match on the opening day, but, after they were removed by Harbhajan Singh, Kumble moved into overdrive.
The hard, dry pitch suited his style down to the ground, and with plenty of bounce on offer he clicked the pace of his already swift leg-spinners up a notch to bamboozle the visitors.
When wickets started to fall, Australia's middle-order engaged in a game of Russian roulette by playing forwardly defensive to the turning ball. India crowded the bat with catchers and the rest is history.
Virender Sehwag bounced back to form with a cathartic century, and Mohammad Kaif and Parthiv Patel exposed some uncomfortable truths about the Australian attack with half-centuries down the order.
 Martyn produced a Test century straight from the top drawer |
Australian teams of recent years have been expert in finishing the job, but as in Bangalore India's tail made the current attack seem rather toothless, even if individually it retains its lustre.
Reducing India to 233-6 on day two was Australia's cue to re-assert, and we will never know how dearly they could have paid for allowing India's seventh wicket to reach triple figures.
Nevertheless, Test cricket's new leading wicket-taker Shane Warne will claim to have tossed the Indian monkey off his back with a first ever five-wicket haul against them.
That just four of the 30 wickets fell to pacemen tells the story of the pitch, but Warne was still very good value for his six wickets.
Adam Gilchrist's decision to bat at three in the second innings was as brave as they come.
The hard-working keeper-batsman-captain has never liked spin much, but he overcame a torrid period on the third evening to hit 49 runs the equal of most he has scored for his country.
It put Australia in sight of their first-innings deficit, and for almost two sessions the following day India were dominated as comprehensively as they can be on home soil.
The unlikely couple of Martyn and Gillespie showed what the Aussies had learned from the first dig, with fleet-of-foot movement from the former and stonewall defence from the latter.
 Like most pacemen McGrath had a Test to forget with figures of 0-92 |
It will not be lost on Martyn, once banished from the national team for being soft under pressure, that he saved his best Test knock for when Australia needed it most.
As for Gillespie, he showed Australia what they were missing during Steve Waugh's reign when nightwatchmen were outlawed.
Although Waugh's legacy will rage on for a long time, the traits which marked his brand of cricket are slowly vanishing from Australia's play.
Australia paid for being too gung-ho when last in India three years ago, and this time around they are scoring slower, setting more defensive fields and leaving risky pace propositions like Brett Lee in the dressing room.
And what of the walking? A player's place would have been on the line had he walked under Waugh, but with stand-in skipper Gilchrist showing the way who knows where it could lead?
The competitive spirit is still there in abundance, but time will be the judge if this more conservative approach is the right one for Australia.
Neither team hit top gear for long in Madras despite the game's overall high quality.
Both dropped too many catches, both were prone to lapses at the crease and in Patel the keeping headaches that have plagued India for years are showing no signs of abating.
But what a fine match to watch. There is nothing like it at the moment for the neutral cricket observer and who is to say day five would not have been a classic?
MMIX
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