The dismissals hardly connected with each either, leave alone having a pattern. Mitchell Starc almost grinned when he got Virat Kohli cheap edging a wide one. Clint McKay couldn't believe his luck when Rohit Sharma looked like he tried hard to get an inside edge. Suresh Raina almost panicked when he tried to move back in the crease to play a seemingly shorter one and left his stumps open. Australia earned two and were gifted three wickets as the Indian top-order danced on the flat, batsman-friendly wicket here at the Sophia Gardens.
Dinesh Karthik, having already made a case for selection in the first warm-up, cemented his place further, and along with MS Dhoni helped India eventually cross the 300-run mark. But that came later.
It was the first five dismissals that the team management will have to sit down and take note of before the tournament begins on Thursday with equally dangerous or more lethal bowling combinations in store for them.
South Africa are first team India will take on. If their best eleven are fit for the match here on June 6, Dhoni and Co should gear up for the pace trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. West Indies are next, on June 11, at the Brit Oval. Dwayne Bravo heads the team but not the attack because he's got Ravi Rampaul, Jason Holder, Tino Best and Kemar Roach baying for wickets.
Pakistan are last. Such has been their armoury that they haven't been missing Umar Gul at all while it has almost been like a toss of coin between Junaid Khan and Asad Ali to partner Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz.
These bowlers put together potentially constitute a minimum of 30 overs. An effort like the one on Tuesday morning may get India nowhere.
The wickets prepared for the Champions Trophy so far indicate they've been rolled for run-gluts. If not for bowlers generating sheer pace through the air, the dice looks loaded in favour of the batsmen.
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