'Maybe there was a third run...but I was watching the ball'

It was a partnership that was cut short just when it was beginning to blossom.

It was yet another instance of a team paying the price for the lack of communication between two players.

And in the final analysis it cost Team India dear on the opening day of the third Test against England at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Gautam Gambhir (60) and Virender Sehwag (23) had put on 47 runs for the opening wicket, thereby vindicating captain MS Dhoni's decision to bat first, when disaster struck.

Sehwag hit the first ball of the 11th over (bowled by James Anderson) to deep midwicket and called for three. He was midway through the third run when he realised his partner had not responded.

It was too late.

Samit Patel had been quick to throw the ball back and Matt Prior had whipped the bails off before the batsman could even contemplate a return to the crease. India had lost their first wicket, at a time when things were beginning to look up.

Lack of communication between batsmen is nothing new in cricket. However, what comes in as a surprise in this case is the fact that the batsmen involved had played together for almost the whole of their careers -- for Delhi at the domestic level and Team India.

Yet they failed to communicate.

"I was watching the ball," admitted Gambhir, albeit stopping short of taking full responsibility for the blunder.

"It was not a situation where we needed to take the third run," he reasoned, adding, "It was a risky run."

The opener though admitted his partner's aggression had been clipped at the bud.

"He (Sehwag) was hitting the ball well. Had he continued we might have had a different day," said Gambhir.

"After watching the replay I realised may be there was a third run," he added.

Gambhir proceeded to admit that he couldn't get over his partner's dismissal.

"That thing obviously plays on your mind. When you have done all the hard work and then get your partner out," he explained.

The 31-year-old's faux pas meant Team India ended the opening day precariously placed at 273 for seven. Gambhir though tried to put up a brave front.

"If we score in the 340-350 region it will be a good contest," he said.

"The wicket has something for everyone and we have the bowlers who can exact something out of it," he added.

Photograph: BCCI