India vs Australia, 1st Test Day 1: R Ashwin bowled only 5 of the 32 overs that were bowled by India in the first session of the first Test in Nagpur. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne showed their class against the Indian spinners.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 9, 2023 11:51 IST
Marnus Labuschagne hit 47 not out in the first session of the Nagpur Test (AP Photo)
By India Today Web Desk: The first session of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy — a much-anticipated 4-Test series between India and Australia lived up to expectations at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. There were plenty of thrills and excitement as early as the morning session on Day 1 as Australia survived early blows to showcase fights that were expected to in their ‘final frontier’.
India had a terrific start after Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat on Day 1 of the first Test in Nagpur. Mohammed Siraj sent Usman Khawaja back with his first delivery of the Test match as he got the left-handed batter trapped LBW for 1. Siraj got the bowl to swing into the left-hander and Rohit Sharma took help from the debutant wicketkeeper KS Bharat to take a DRS and overturn the on-field call.
India vs Australia, 1st Test Day 1 Updates
Soon after, Mohammed Shami sent David Warner’s stumps cartwheeling as the senior opener’s struggles continued. Australia were reeling at 2 for 2 inside the 3rd over but Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne resited India’s charge with a stunning display of Test-match batting.
Captain Rohit Sharma, who was leading India for the first time against Australia in Test cricket, was quick to bring spin on as he got left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel for a brief spell inside the first 10 overs.
He rotated Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj before persisting with the two left-arm spinners.
In fact, Axar Patel produced a chance in the 16th over when he got Steve Smith to play an expansive drive. The star batter got a thick outside-edge and it flew to Virat Kohli at first slip. However, the former captain, who stuck his hand out, was not able to hold on to it.
Smith was dropped on 6 and he made the Indian team pay for it by stitching a 74-run stand for the 3rd wicket in 179 balls. The two batted close to 30 overs to keep the Indian spinners at bay.
Smith and Labuschagne took their time but they knew they had to put the balls away and did so with perfection.
However, a question pops up in the mind as to whether Rohit Sharma delayed R Ashwin’s entry into the attack. The off-spinner was introduced into the attack only after 21 overs when Smith and Labuschagne had already settled down.
All the pre-match buzz was about R Ashwin and how Australia batters used a Baroda off-spinner in Mahesh Pithiya, who resembles Ashwin’s bowling style, to prepare for the trial by spin in their 4-day training camp at the KSCA Ground in Alur.
R Ashwin bowled only 5 overs in the first session while Axar bowled 9 and Jadeja 8 before Lunch was taken.
Australia would have been the happier of the two sides, reaching the break at 76 for 2 in 32 overs. Smith was unbeaten on 19 (74) and Labuschagne (47) and 110 deliveries as the two star batters stamped their authority early in the series.
