Capitulation

The Indian cricket team is a fickle beast. But yesterday must have been one of its worst days in recent memory as it capitulated meekly with both bat and ball to the Australians in Perth; Cricinfo reports:

David Warner smote a magnificently brazen century to rush Australia to 0 for 149 after their quartet of fast bowlers dismantled India for 161 in dishearteningly familiar scenes for the visitors on day one of the third Test at the WACA ground.

In what was the joint fourth-fastest century in Tests, Warner utterly demoralised India in the company of the relatively obdurate but still free-scoring Ed Cowan. Warner was momentarily stopped by a blow to the head from Umesh Yadav, but recovered to clout his next two deliveries to the fence and moved from 95 to 101 with a rasping club over wide long-on from the bowling of the debutant Vinay Kumar. Unbeaten at the close, he did not give a chance.

The match is now streaking away from the tourists, who had placed themselves in a position of peril with another abject batting display. Sent in to bat by Michael Clarke on a pitch promising early movement in addition to its customary bounce and pace, India were 4 for 63 at lunch, and subsided not long after tea to undo the grafting of Virat Kohli and VVS Laxman, who added 68 in the afternoon to momentarily blunt the hosts.

That partnership aside, India once again failed to cope with the swing, seam and disciplined line of the home attack, comprising Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc. Upon his dismissal of Laxman, Siddle sank to his haunches, in a sign of how much a hot day in Perth had drained Australia's bowlers despite their regular wickets, and he did not re-emerge after tea.

The writing was on the wall when Virender Sehwag was caught at slip without scoring in just the second over of the match. India never recovered, and once the Kohli/Laxman partnership was broken, the tail simply surrendered.

And then it was the David Warner show. If yesterday's efforts haven't taken too much of a toll, Nathan Astle's record for test cricket's fastest 200 could be under threat today.

But already Australia is in a position of total dominance in this match. Even an average day with the bat today should see Australia play themselves into a position from which they cannot lose. It's inspired this gem from the Cricinfo commentary:

Andy Zaltzman, cricket's funniest man, tweets: "India fought like cornered tigers. Albeit tigers that, having been cornered, were promptly shot and turned into rugs. "

This series promised much. But so far one team has failed to deliver.