The Foster's girls enlivened the drinks break © Getty Images

Just when the cricket world was debating the ODI’s waning popularity and wondering just who’d watch another seven-match series, the suits at Foster’s, the Australian brewers, have come up with an ace: Foster’s girls. Four of them, clad in fetching blue-and-yellow skirts and with strawberry blonde hair under matching hats, accompanied the drinks on to the field during the India v Australia game at Vadodara on Sunday, doubtless sending temperatures around the stadium soaring even higher. While cheerleaders aren’t new to limited-overs cricket – the recent Champions League had the omnipresent White Mischief team – this is perhaps the first time in an official international bilateral series that the drinks break has been so enlivened. The girls will at the other six games too, which should help ease doubts over thinning attendance and the future of the ODI.

The offspinner Jason Krejza called himself and Simon Katich “the two angry Europeans” in Australia’s squad earlier in this Test, and Katich showed his irritable side after play on the third day. Having been asked why Australia were so defensive – they scored 166 in 85.4 overs – he challenged the knowledge of the person who asked the post-play question, but that was not the end of the exchange. As he left the press conference room he told the journalist it was “the most stupid question I’ve ever heard”.

	© Getty Images

Simon Katich and Michael Hussey have been playing together since they were ten-year-olds in Western Australia, and their almost life-long journey reached a peak when they were batting together in Nagpur on Saturday. Katich scored his fifth Test century - his 102 narrowly beat Hussey’s 90 - and the pair combined for a 155-run third-wicket partnership in the morning.

“We grew up playing cricket a lot together, from about when we were ten,” Katich said. “It was special to be out there with him when I got [my hundred].” They shared a hug, a handshake and a high five before things turned bad on the way to Australia being dismissed for 355. “Unfortunately we couldn’t build on that partnership,” Katich said. "If we could have it would have been an interesting day.”

It will not surprise those who are familiar with the low-key style of Anil Kumble that his retirement announcement during the tea break on Sunday took some of his own team-mates by surprise. Within minutes, it the cricketing world’s turn to be startled as the giant screen at the Feroz Shah Kotla displayed the message.

Then, after the day's play, it was time for Kumble to cut a cake after a host of speakers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Gary Kirsten and Kris Srikkanth, quickly summed up their thoughts on Kumble’s contribution, his achievements, and his legacy. Kumble, in turn, thanked every member of the Indian contingent individually, and took time to shake every hand and also for a few final hugs.

In between, there was time for some humour as well. A player turned to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and quipped: “You have two empty seats now” (the Nagpur Test will be Sourav Ganguly’s last). But for those who are familiar with Dhoni’s style, the gist of his instantaneous reply did not come as a surprise: “Nobody can replace those two”.

The host broadcasters of the India-Australia series, Nimbus, got off to a horrific start at the Feroz Shah Kotla, though due to no fault of their own. At the start of the first day’s play, the staff were in for a shock on seeing the control room flooded, wrecking everything kept on the floor, the Hindustan Times and Deccan Herald have reported. A water pipe above the room had burst the previous night and the company had to frantically make arrangements to source replacements for the equipment from Mumbai and Singapore. A senior production official from Nimbus then alerted the BCCI to ensure better facilities, especially with more than a few million television viewers at stake.

Bananas, banana shakes, eggs and hot milk with turmeric form part of Sachin Tendulkar’s breakfast, according to the chef at the hotel at which the teams are staying in Mohali. The ‘power breakfast’ for the players is a high-calorie mean with plenty of fibre and energy drinks. "We give them mix of continental which contains chicken or fish, baked beans, breakfast cereals, high calories like multi-grain bread, muesli, choice of cheese spreads, fresh variety of cut fruits and juices," Ramit Kohli told Indian Express.

There are exceptions, though, for on Wednesday the Indians had oil-free crispy paranthas and the Australians ate dosas. Ricky Ponting, however, preferred poached eggs.

Sourav Ganguly's first attempts at getting some practice ahead of the Test series against Australia didn’t go too well, the Times of India reported. Ganguly, who hasn't played competitive cricket since August, has joined India A in Chennai for the Test against New Zealand A. However, there were no quality bowlers when he turned up for his first nets session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium - the other India A players had the day off. He gave up batting after half an hour and turned his attention to slip catching with Dav Whatmore, though that apparently didn't last long because the assistant throwing the balls to Whatmore wasn't very accurate.

Ganguly left without saying much. “Please don't push me. I'm just not in the mood to talk,” he told reporters but Whatmore said he looked “keen and hungry”.