Australia vs India - Day Four's Key Moment

Our photo shows a mournful Mitchell Johnson raising his bat to acknowledge a fine maiden fifty. Had he found another partner like Stuart Clark, the fourth day's key moment would have been very different, but Tait is as raw with the bat as he is with the ball, and much, much less talented and the game was soon up.

At that point, the Indian dressing room's pent up emotion spilled out on to the WACA with Harbhajan inevitably to the fore, trailling an Indian flag in his wake. Indian joy was evident, but not unconfined as stumps were held as souvenirs, a word was said in the huddle and the opposition acknowledged with genuine respect on both sides. Strange that so unremarkable a scene should be a key moment, but after the rancour of Sydney, it was.

This Test was not without its controversies, but they fell within the warp and weft of cricket's rich tapestry. Both sides knew that and will do well to remember it in the future. The match's spirit and play was personified by the Man of the Match, Irfan Pathan, who works  positively with ball or bat, communicates his joy and pain, but never oversteps the mark. With the likes of him, Ishant and Mitch, the future of the game is in good hands. The sides meet again next week - I'm counting the hours.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]