Australia Shredded By Kumble

After a strangely subdued first Test, the mayhem expected from this series arrived as Australia felt the heat on a scorching first day in Chennai.

After Australia, who won the toss, blazed to 136 for 0 and then 189 for 2, Anil Kumble absolutely shredded them. Starting with the wicket of Damien Martyn from the last ball before tea, he took seven wickets on the spin and effected the run-out that ended the innings.

It was absolute pandemonium: Australia collapsed to 235 all out, and though India lost Yuvraj Singh - caught behing slashing at Shane Warne, who thus equals Muttiah Muralitharan as the leading wicket-taker in Test history on 532 - to end on 28 for 1, there is no doubt who is in control after the first day.

The day had started so well for Australia, with Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden plundering yet another century opening partnership.

But, as is usually the case when Australia play in India, the introduction of the home spinners changed the mood. The stand had reached 136 when Hayden, having already struck two sixes in his 58, was caught by VVS Laxman just inside the long-on boundary attempting to launch Harbhajan Singh over the ropes.

Justin Langer (71) went two balls later, snicking Harbhajan to Rahul Dravid at slip, but the ice-cool Simon Katich and Damien Martyn had quietly restored Australia's authority as tea approached. Then, the turning point. Martyn, who made 26, gloved the last ball of the session to short leg, and Kumble was away.

Darren Lehmann, essaying an ugly, crooked cut shot, was caught behind without scoring; Michael Clarke was pinned lbw on the back foot by a topspinner, and Adam Gilchrist, lunging forward dangerously on a pitch offering copious bounce for the spinners, walked after bat-padding to short leg.

Australia, under excruciating pressure for the first time in the series, found their Indian demons resurfacing, and the tail was blown away in a flash: Warne slapped a return catch, Jason Gillespie was snaffled at short leg, and Michael Kasprowicz also walked - even though David Shepherd had already given him not out and called 'over' - after inside-edging Kumble onto his pad.

The denouement of Australia's innings - the ridiculous run-out of Glenn McGrath - reflected the blind panic that had set in. For them, it was all depressingly familiar: none of the bottom seven had reached double figures, and the almighty collapse - ten wickets for 99, seven wickets for 44 - was proof that when the Indian kitchen is at its hottest, their batsmen simply do not have the answers.

They know it, all of India knows it, and when the post-mortem of this series is conducted, there is every chance that this will be recognised as the day the momentum changed irrevocably.