Three dubious umpiring decisions and the lack of a video review system overshadowed a gritty debut knock from Australian opener Ed Cowan on the first day of the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.
Australia, in a position of authority at 3 for 205, reached 6 for 277 at stumps with an unbroken 63-run seventh-wicket stand between Peter Siddle (37 not out) and Brad Haddin (21 not out) ensuring honours were shared for the day.
However the incorrect dismissals of Cowan for 68 and the under-fire Mike Hussey for a golden duck and a not-out call on Haddin will be the talking points.
Hussey was the hard-luck story of the day, given out caught behind by umpire Marais Erasmus off the bowling of Zaheer Khan when replays showed he got nowhere near the ball.
And with India voting not to use the review system this series, the Western Australian had no option but to trudge off with the look of a desperately forlorn man.
Cowan was also unlucky to be given out caught behind off the bowling of off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin when it looked as if the former New South Wales opener was capable of grafting a magical century on debut.
Cowan put on 46 for the opening wicket with David Warner (37) and showed significant mental application so sorely missing in the game of the dumped Phil Hughes.
He came in for some criticism for compiling just 14 runs in the opening session but got somewhat of a move-on thereafter as he went run for run with Ponting.
Cowan faced 177 balls and hit just seven fours, but his innings was the best by an Australian opener on debut since Michael Slater's 58 off 131 balls in 1993.
"[It was] a special day to get that baggy green on my head, then to win the toss and bat was a good thing to get those nerves out of the way," Cowan told Grandstand.
"I thought I played pretty well, I was happy with how patient I was.
"The key for me to be successful is to keep doing what I've been doing and that's to leave a lot of balls, wait for the ball in my area and try and rotate the strike.
"I very rarely look at the scoreboard, I'm more of a look at the time kind of fella and try and wind down the clock to lunch, so I had no idea what I was stuck on for however long.
"I don't think there's any point in me trying to be someone I'm not, so a big focus for me was to be Ed Cowan."
Cowan said he thought he got the wrong end of the stick with his dismissal, with hot spot replays not showing any contact between bat and ball.
"I definitely would have thought about it (referring the decision)... you guys saw the replays, saw my reaction. It's an interesting one but hopefully it evens itself out throughout the series," he said.
Haddin was given not out lbw on 19 when replays showed the ball was hitting middle stump, a decision the Australians would no doubt have viewed as a bit of a square-up.
Meanwhile, the century drought continues for former skipper Ricky Ponting, who scored a fighting 62.
The Tasmanian, who put on 113 for the third wicket with New South Welshman turned fellow Apple Islander Cowan, showed glimpses of the Ponting of old with some sweetly timed pull shots but has not brought up triple figures since January 2010.
Still, he at least got some runs on the board, the same of which cannot be said for the desperately unlucky Hussey and the returning Shaun Marsh, who both registered their second straight ducks.
Marsh made his return from a back injury but lasted just six balls before becoming one of rookie paceman Umesh Radav's three scalps for the day when he meekly prodded to Virat Kohli at backward point.
Yadav also had Warner caught behind on the first ball back from a rain delay during the morning session and had skipper Michael Clarke (31) chopping onto his stumps for the first wicket of the third session.
Yadav finished with 3 for 96 from 20 overs while Khan had 2 for 49 from 23.
Ishant Sharma was impressive despite going wicketless, recording 0 for 40 from 20 overs with six maidens.
Tags: sport, cricket, australia, vic, melbourne-3000 First posted December 26, 2011 19:11:37
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