After a long long time, i felt like watching this game for the sheer joy of watching. People might call it indian track, lack of wicket taking bowlers ( if they think Siddle, Starc and Nathan Lyon are such) etc etc but on a debut an innings with no risky shots, no aerial shots, no hit and misses, no streaky shots, no dropped catches even the catch Hughes (kinda droped ) was not a catch at all but by australian standards that could have been converted but never the less it was an improbable catch to say, no stress and tension on his face, no one sided mastery, this guy almost played all shots in the book with technical precision and the way he founded gaps and bisected them was in itself a treat for eyes. I do agree it is just the beginning but let me tell you even if he fails( god forbid) all along his career this innings was one in a million and worth watching. Hope and pray he will blossom all through his career and prove himself in all parts of the cricket world.

I can only vouch since when I started watching from 1970's ... People may say easy batting track, weak opponent etc.. Well, all the past Indian batsmen got their chances like this (batting track and weak opponents) some time or other, right? In fact, the Gavaskars, Dravids and Tendulkars with their defensive mindset only made it look as difficult and only created fear in other batsmen's minds. Sehwag on the other hand played fantastic aggressive cricket, but then he was very non-technical (not moving his feet) and limited to mostly offside shots. But never I have seen an India batsman play with this natural class and technique and aggression, all around the ground. And he is a debutant of age 26? And he was never given chance all these years? Now my mindset is this. Indian youth has greater batsmen than Tendulkars, Gavaskars, Dravids and Sehwags, .. Thats how it is and thats how it should be. Selectors, please keep trying young bloods instead of keeping the old heros. Thanks.

My African childhood was punctuated by worldwide test cricket commentary on a crackling short-wave radio, my patient father explaing it's strange language. I still eagerly follow every test match, worldwide. Yesterday I ached for New Zealand, stopped 11 runs short of the follow on, for Steven Smith, stumped 8 runs shy of a maiden ton, & for Mitchell Starc, caught only a single run short of both a maiden & only the 16th test century by a no.9. Cricket can be cruel.

After 2 am I finally slept, as India began their reply, & this morning, before anything else, I eagerly checked the scorecard. My laughter woke the household. During my brief nap, Shikar Dhawan had changed the landscape, racing through the record book, & silencing his critics. Cricket is still generous.

Australia will sleep wearily, Sewag & Ghambir uneasily, & India expectantly. But, judging by his masterful & yet serene batting, Dhawan, even on the verge of greater history, will sleep like a lamb.

Viva test cricket.

By the look of it, this innings by Shikhar Dhawan will ensure that both Sehwag and Gambhir will not be able to get back into the Indian Test team for atleast an year. With Pujara taking on the role of the newer and faster version of 'the Wall' - Rahul Dravid - and Murali Vijay on the verge of back-to-back tons (167 in Test 2), clearly the top three slots are now filled... atleast for the next Test series. Infact, with the smashing success that the Indian team has been in this series, the remaining batting lineup - Tendulkar, Kohli, Dhoni, Jadeja - cannot be touched. Unfortunately for both Gambhir and Sehwag, the next test series (India-South Africa) is atleast 8 months off. Sehwag would've crossed 35 years of age, while Gambhir would be well above 32 years of age. I wonder if this is the end of the road for swashbuckling Sehwag. Gambhir has a chance now only if one of the current openers shoot themselves in the foot. Looks like the end of the most successful Indian opening pair...

At last, India has an opener who can start the innings boldly in all three formats of the game! Kudos Dhawan! It's sheer delight to watch a batsman make his debut in such an authoritarian manner. The fact that he hit classic shots without ever lofting a ball till his century, that too the fastest by a debutant speaks volumes of the caliber this guy has. The ease with which he stepped into the shoes of a great player is amazing! Now Sehwag's target is cut out. He can sharpen his skills and work hard for a comeback to the Indian side as a middle order batsman at No.6 ahead of Dhoni in test matches against South Africa. It would be a formidable FIRST SEVEN - Vijay, Dhawan, Pujara, Sachin, Kohli, Sehwag, Dhoni followed by Ashwin and Co. Now what Dhawan needs to do is just keep his cool and provide another left-right opening pair that can match or even surpass the legendary Gambhir-Sehwag combo. Good luck guys!

It was good to see a batsman playing strokes instead of hanging his bat out at balls outside the off stump.Also good to see the emphasis put on hitting the ball on the ground.Picking the gaps is also refreshing,done from either back foot or front foot.Rolling his hand over when hooking or pulling. This inning is played in India but the mechanics behind it could be played any where in the world.Beautiful!!!