The Indian middle-order proved remarkably solid in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar. VVS Laxman hit 47 off 67 balls, while Rahul Dravid stroked his way to an unbeaten 46. And even if Yuvraj Singh and Jai P Yadav - in his debut match - failed to come off, India's long batting order meant that Mohammad Kaif came in at number eight and smashed 31 off only 18 balls to take India's total to 283.