Ganguly, who has averaged 40 or above throughout his 12-year Test career, could have done without beginning his final innings on a pitch with plenty of footmarks against an enthusiastic off-spinner capable of prodigious turn.
But an exceptionally dry surface started to show signs of wear after just a couple of overs, courtesy of Peter Siddle's bustling footmarks, and by lunch repairs usually made much later in a Test match were being carried out by the ground staff.