IND vs AUS 1st Test HIGHLIGHTS: Rohit 50 guides India to 77-1 on day 1; Australia 177 all out

Final over of the day and Lyon will bowl it. Rohit defends on the front foot and there is a huge shout from the bowlers but Irasmus thinks otherwise, discussions went on about DRS but Cummins decides not to take it. Ashwin defends and defends well as the day comes to a close. A rather successful session for India except for that one wicket. The men in blue will look to build on the total and take a formidable 1st innings lead tomorrow.

MURPHY STRIKES! GETS A WICKET IN HIS DEBUT AS KL RAHUL DEPARTS! Caught and bowled, KLR looks to drive it but gets a thick inside edge and goes directly into the hands of Murphy. Ravi Ashwin is the next man in!

Overpitched form Lyon and Rohit slots it trough covers, Cummins chases the ball and India settles for three. ROHIT GETS TO HIS FIFTY AND IN SOME STYLE as he paddle sweeps Lyon for a FOUR! Overpitched yet again and it is the same result as Rohit drives it through covers for another FOUR!

On the legs and Rohit flicks it to deep midwicket for a single. Two runs from the over

Leg slip in place for Rohit. Lyon is constantly bowing to Rohit’s pads trying to set him up but the Indian skipper has been playing it safe so far. Maiden over

Murphy continues. One run from that over

Skipper Cummins is back into the attack. Starts off with a dot. Just outside off and Rahul leans towards the ball and drives it through covers for a FOUR!

Another tidy over from the debutant Murphy. Just a single came from that

Unbeaten 50-run partnership from Rohit and Rahul. Lyon bowls a half-volley and Rohit smacks it through the cover region for a FOUR!

Just three runs from Muphy’s over. Rahul looks calm and composed at one end while Rohit is doing the talking with his bat

Rohit gets beaten completely as Lyon deceives him with a straight-ish delivery. Fullish delivery and Rohit comes down the track, goes through the line and smokes it over long on for a SIX!

Murphy continues. Five dots and a single in the final delivery as Rahul retains strike.

Lyon gets creative with his angles but Rohit negates the line by stepping out of his crease.

Todd Murphy replaces Boland. A no ball two deliveries into his career as the batters exchange strike with singles.

Lyon tightens his line from around the wicket. Rohit continues to meet with assured defence. Lyon gets one to turn and keep low, just outside the leg-stump as Rohit leaves the ball on length. Maiden for Lyon.

Lyon comes around the wicket. Rohit steps out and pulls the bowler over square-leg for a single. A single to follow. FOUR! Majestic touch from Rohit as gently pushes Lyon past mid-off for a boundary.

Boland replaces Cummins.

Boland rushes the ball in and Rahul lunges forward to protect his pad. Maiden over.

Rahul opens his account with a single to long-on off his 13th delivery.

Cummins draws the ball outside the off-stump and the ball keeps low as it skims past Rohit’s bat. Length ball tailing in and Rohit flicks through square for another two. Fuller ball and Rohit scythes the ball behind square-leg for FOUR. Strays to the pads and Rohit slides it down leg for another FOUR.

Nathan Lyon replaces Boland. Lyon wafts the ball outside the off-stump and Rohit leaves the ball on length. Tighter line and Rohit moves forward to defend. Rohit attempts to attack the vacant mid-wicket but mistimes the sweep off a fuller length for a single down to deep square-leg.

Cummins constricts Rahul with a tight line. Four dots on the trot. Maiden over for Cummins.

Scott Noland into the attack. A solid push from Rohit down the ground for two runs. Straighter delivery, keeps a little low but Rohit places himself nicely to defend. Just the two runs from the over.

Pat Cummins with the new ball. Rohit is off the mark with a lucky FOUR. Attempts to move out of a length ball late and gets an under-edge for four through the slip-cordon. FOUR more! Rohit nonchalantly flicks his counterpart through mid-wicket for another boundary. A solid block to follow. Vintage Rohit Sharma. Cummins straightens his length but Rohit gets on top of the ball for another FOUR. Strays to the pads and Rohit flicks the ball fine for one run.

Captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul walk out to open the India innings. Huge roars for the local lad Rohit.

THATS THREE FOR ASHWIN AS BOLAND IS CLEAN BOWLED! Australia bundled out for 177 and the Indian camp will be happy with their performance. Anything above 200 would’ve been tricky for India but the Jadeja and Ashwin teamed up to tame the Aussies!

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FIVE WICKET HAUL FOR SIR JADEJA! That is one way to register your comeback after injury. Full and towards the pads, Handscomb tries to sweep it but misses as he is caught leg before! Scott Boland is the last batter in. One run and a wicket

Ashwin continues. Five dots. Handscomb sneaks in a single off the final delivery to retain strike.

And the action resumes after tea. Jadeja with the ball. A one of a kind sight here at the VCA stadium, Suryakumar is on his knees at gully. Just one run from that over

Ashwin continues. Just one run came from that over. And its time for TEA. 98 runs and eight wickets came in that session, India gains the upper hand.

JADEJA PICKS HIS FOURTH WICKET! The ball slghtly spun as Murphy is trapped leg before! DRS taken but the decision stands as there are three reds! One run and a wicket from that over

Nowhere near the ball! Ashwin almost gets a wicket on the first ball. AND HE HAS DONE IT! SETS UP CUMMINS PERFECTLY AS HE EDGES IT TO KOHLI! Debutant Todd Murphy is the next batter in. Maiden wicket

Handscomb is playing cautiously here after getting beaten once, Jadeja has stuck to a simple routine, keeping it tight and full. Consecutive maidens

Two slips in place for Cummins as Ashwin continues. Maiden as Ashwin gets the best out of this pitch

That ball did everything, turn and bounce, Handscomb was beaten all ends up. Bharat gloves it, umpire turns to the 3rd umpire and replays showed Handscomb was indeed safe. Kohli drops another in the slips!! Handscomb attempted a drive but edged it towards Kohli who squandered it

ASHWIN STRIKES!!! 450th TEST WICKET FOR THE MAN! Carey falls, reverse sweep has failed him this time as the ball goes through his pads and castled the sticks. Pat Cummins comes into the middle. Cummins off the mark with a FOUR.

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Siraj is constantly bowling outside off and the batters are finding it easy to get runs, punched through the covers for a FOUR! Short this time and the ball takes an outside edge and races away to another FOUR. Nine from that over

Carey uses sweep to his advantage yet again and its a FOUR, we’ve seen quite a few of those in the past half hour. Five runs came from that over

Four runs off that Ashwin over as he continues to experiment with the ball

Full and wide from Siraj. Carey hits it through extra covers for a FOUR! On the up this time and the result is the same, almost identical shot from Carey for another FOUR! Hint of outswing, Carey checks his defense at the last moment as it takes an edge but falls short of keeper Bharat. Lucky!

Ashwin continues. He has been quicker throught the air for quite a while and has altered his run-ups after Australia hired his ‘duplicate’ in an attempt to counter him. Read more

Jadeja continues to race through his overs. He turns one from length and the ball brush Carey’s pad before trickling down leg for FOUR leg byes. Fuller deliveries on towards the middle-stump and Handscomb prods forward to defend.

Carey riding his luck as he top-edges a reverse sweep over the circle on the off-side off Ashwin.

Another reverse sweep from Carey as he glides Jadeja for FOUR. Attempts another one but mishits it towards point.

Ashwin continues to fiddle through his bowling actions and releases and keeps a fielder for the reverse-sweep from Carey. Carey brings out the paddle for a single.

Ashwin replaces Axar. Full toss from Ashwin and Handscomb drives it through mid-wicket for FOUR. A single to follow and Carey opens his account with a reverse-sweep for FOUR.

Smith continues to offer a thumbs-up for Jadeja as he beats the outside-edge once again. Kohli at first-slip and Jadeja can’t hide a chuckle. Jadeja to Smith, OUT! BOWLED! A ripper from Jaddu. Straighter delivery on length skids on to hit the stumps as Smith leans forward to play for the turn. Massive wicket for India.

Steven Smith b Jadeja 37 (107b 7x4)

Axar replaces Shami. Axar overpitches and Smith muscles the ball over mid-off for FOUR. Similar length and Smith punishes it once again by lofting over wide mid-off for FOUR. 100 up for Australia.

Short from Jadeja and Handscomb promptly punches the ball through cover point for FOUR. Jadeja drifts one in to the pads and Handscomb flicks the ball towards deep mid-wicket. Ashwin gives chase but the batters have run FOUR.

Shami continues to attack the middle-and-leg stump as Smith blocks them out for another maiden.

Jadeja oversteps for the hat-trick delivery. Another shot at it and he wafts one in to the middle-stump. Neat forward defence from Handscomb.

Pressure mounts on Smith and Shami continues to pepper straighter delivery on a stump-to-stump line. Smith sturdy in defence at the moment.

Jadeja to Labuschagne, OUT! He is stumped on 49! First dismissal for KS Bharat as Labuschagne steps out for a fuller delivery and misses the length completely. Fractional window for Bharat to flick the bails and he cashes in with ease. Huge wicket for India as Matt Renshaw walks in. On the pads, LOUD SHOUT AND GIVEN! Two in two for Jadeja!

Marnus Labuschagne st †Bharat b Jadeja 49 (123b 8x4); Matt Renshaw lbw b Jadeja 0 (1b)

Packed close-in fielders for Smith. Shami keeps the deliveries straight with a short mid-on and mid-wicket in place besides cover and mid-off.

Change of ends for Jadeja. Jadeja keeps it straight and the ball skids on low but Labuschagne does well to meet the ball late from the crease. Remarkable technique to counter that kind of length. A couple of singles in the over.

Shami to resume. Short from Shami and Smith swivels to pull the ball through square-leg for FOUR. Strays to the pads and Smith shuffles to flick the ball through the on-side for a single. Rapped on the pads and a loud shout from Shami. Labuschagne falls across a tad too much as Shami hits the pads.

Axar back into the attack. Two slips in place for Smith. Just one from that over. LUNCH

Labuschagne comes down the track and punches through the covers for three runs, Siraj chased the ball and saves a run for India. Ashwin tries to go outside off, Labuschagne paddle sweeps it for a FOUR!

Jadeja continues. On the off-stump line, Labuschagne goes against the spin and drives it for a FOUR! Brilliant shotmaking from the Australian. Smith tries something similar but Pujara at the edge of the circle does well to stop the ball. Five from that over

Just a couple of singles from that Ashwin over

ALMOST! Full and straight from Jadeja, Labuschagne tries to sweep but fails, a slight inside egde saved him, would’ve been plumb otherwise. Maiden over!

Ashwin continues. Three runs from that over.

Smith is beaten! Ball misses the off stump by a whisker! SO CLOSE. Short and straight, Smith, on the backfoot, slaps it for a FOUR!

Ravichandran Ashwin is into the attack finally. The offie is just a wicket away from completing 450 Test wickets for India. Just two from the over

Kept low and towards the pads, Labuschagne shuffles and flicks it for a FOUR! off Axar.

Jadeja resumes. Full and tight, offering no space, throughout the six balls and it is yet another maiden.

Axar to Labuschagne, just outside off stump, Labuschagne gives himself room and cuts it away for a FOUR! towards third man.

Jadeja into the attack. Smith comes down the track with a lofted shot and clears the infield for a FOUR! to end an otherwise economical over. Smith and Labuschagne are clearly frustrating the Indian bowlers and have put on a 38-run partnership so far

Axar continues. Just a couple of byes from that tight over. Smith was beaten constantly and it is yet another maiden.

Shami comes in for his 5th over. Width offered and Labuschagne drives beautifully through the covers for a FOUR!

Shami is back. Fuller lengths and Labuschagne is content with his defence for now. Another maiden.

BEATEN! Smith attempts an expansive drive but is beaten in flight and Bharat fails to grab the ball cleanly off the extra bounce.

Siraj strays to the pads and Labuschagne employs a neat flick but the mid-wicket fielder denies a boundary.

Axar floats the ball outside the off-stump and Labuschagne chips a ball towards cover, just short of Rohit. A single to follow. Close! The straighter delivery nearly traps Smith plumb in front. Smith escapes with a faint outside-edge.

Change of ends for Siraj.

LOUD SHOUT! A cheeky off-cutter from Siraj hits Smith high on the back-pad just outside the off-stump. Another maiden for Siraj.

Axar Patel replaces Siraj.

Axar starts with a maiden as he maintains a fuller length to Labuschagne.

Welcome back, Ravindra Jadeja. He replaces Shami.

Turn first-up! Jadeja floats one outside the off-stump and turns one gently past Labuschagne’s hanging outside-edge. Straigter delivery this time and Labuschagne sticks his bat forward to defend. Jadeja angles in towards the pads and Labuschagne finds a single by flicking the ball down leg.

Siraj finds the faint outside-edge once again with the outswinger. Labuschagne’s soft hands helps the ball to trickle past third-slip for another FOUR. Short and Labuschagne goes for the pull. The mid-wicket fielder puts in a dive and stops a certain boundary for a single.

Shami overpitches and Steve Smith leans into the drive through cover for his first FOUR. Shami attempts a straighter delivery and it nearly zips low past Smith’s blade.

Siraj continues. Full and to the stumps, Labuschagne drives it straight past Siraj for a FOUR! Siraj tries a cutter, Labuschagne defends but it takes a thick edge and races towards the boundary for another FOUR! Eight from the over

INDIA ON THE FRONT FOOT! SHAMI STRIKES AND WARNER HAS TO WALK BACK! Full and on the up, hint of swing and Warner’s stumps are castled. What a start for India! Steve Smith the next batter in. On the legs, Smith shuffles and the ball takes a deflection off his thighs and runs away for a FOUR!

David Warner b Mohammed Shami 1 (5b 0x4 0x6 )

BIG FISH KHAWAJA DEPARTS! Siraj strikes in his first delivery! Kept to the pads and Khawaja was beaten for pace. Umpire Nitin Menon was unmoved but Rohit opted for the DRS and it has paid off! Marnus Labuschagne comes in at No.3. Maiden wicket!

Usman Khawaja lbw b Mohammed Siraj 1 (3b 0x4 0x6 )

After winning a crucial toss, Australia has opted to bat first. David Warner and Usman Khawaja will open while Mohammad Shami is in with the new ball. Three slips and a gully in place.

The two teams along with the umpires, make their way into the middle and it’s now time for the national anthems. It will be the Australian anthem first up

India XI: Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Scott Boland

TOSS: Australia wins the toss, opts to bat

Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins walk out for the toss.

Cummins: We are going to bat. Looks like a pretty even wicket towards the middle. 2017 was a big series. Can’t wait to get this started. We have had good preparation. We feel we are really well placed. Two changes Todd Murphy in. Handscomb in for Travis Head.

Rohit: We would have batted too. Looks pretty dry. There will be help for spinners. We got to wait and see how much it does. Yesterday when we started we did see some seam movement for the pacers up front. We have had a good prep for the last 5-6 days. We trained on the aspects in store. This is a big one. We know the importance of the series but we also understand it’s about winning one session at a time. It’s a long series.

Sanjay Manjrekar: “My first reaction is the soil looks pretty rough. You can see the cracks as well, but because there is grass the cracks may stay intact. But the real talking point here is the rough area right here - the left-hander against the left-arm spinner, it’s going to be a nightmare for them because there is tremendous potential for the left-arm spinner.”

Matthew Hayden: “This match could well finish early. It’s not just this patch here (as Sanjay spoke about). It’s the other end as well. Check out the tone difference between here - on a hard length for fast bowlers - and on this danger area - the spinning zone. You’ve got rough, you’ve got shaved grass, and it’s ironic that the roller and the grass that was being cut here was just shavings of dust because it’s going to be a turner.”

What a day for Suryakumar Yadav as he makes his Test debut in Nagpur. He receives his cap from Ravi Shastri. Wicketkeeper KS Bharat too receives his cap after a long wait.

It seems like rookie off-spinner Todd Murphy is marking his run-up and is in line for a Test debut. The last time Australia played two off-spinners was way back in 1988.

Wicketkeepers: Alex Carey

Batters: Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Shubman Gill

All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Travis Head

Bowlers: Nathan Lyon (c), Pat Cummins, Mohammed Siraj

Team Composition: IND 5:6 AUS Credits Left: 6.5

While the Australian media have run amok about the pitch, much of the debate among the Indian fans have been about the No. 5 spot in the absence of Shreyas Iyer. The in-form Shubman Gill or the white-ball phenom Suryakumar Yadav. Who will get the nod? There have also been talks about KL Rahul’s position in the batting order. Will he open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma or suit himself to no. 5? A lot to ponder in the build-up to the toss.

The fabled rivalry acquires a prickly edge as India and Australia gear up to joust for supremacy in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). The series gets underway with the first of four Test matches at Nagpur’s Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium from Thursday.

The stakes are higher than ever in the current iteration of the series.

First, a spot in the World Test Championship final later this year is up for grabs. Australia already has one foot in the title clash at the Oval; only a draw separates the side from an official confirmation. India, meanwhile, is locked in a three-way battle for percentage points with Sri Lanka and South Africa. The only way coach Rahul Dravid’s men can qualify without having to bother about other results is by winning at least three games.

Then, there is also a chance of the host getting to leapfrog the Aussies to claim the top spot in the ICC Test rankings. It needs to win by a margin of two or more games to move to the summit in all formats of the game, becoming only the second team ever to achieve the feat after South Africa in 2014.

THE SUBPLOTS

The spin factor

Nagpur, traditionally known to favour spinners, will be no different this time around. Cricket Australia (CA), which last played at this venue only in 2008, called it ‘bone dry’ on Tuesday, adding that it was also sporting loose cracks. When the track takes some beating, the rough will surely come into play, the prospect of which will have Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon licking their lips.

Australia has been preparing in unique ways to deal with the turn in the subcontinent.

A handful of players, before their departure, practised on a dusty pitch at the Bon Andrews Oval in North Sydney, specially made to emulate the Indian conditions. That surface also had a lot of cracks akin to what can be generally spotted on deteriorating decks here.

The series is World No. 1 Test batter Marnus Labuschagne’s first trip to India. The highest run-scorer in the 2020-21 edition of the BGT has left no stone unturned to prepare for the rank turners, even coming up with a unique backyard contraption. On a specially made mat, he could be seen taping sheets which, on coming into contact with the ball, made it impossible to predict the direction of the turn.

CA even managed to rope in Maheesh Pithiya, a local spinner whose action is similar to that of Ashwin’s, to bowl in the nets.

Jadeja’s return to boost Indian attack

Fresh from picking seven wickets against Tamil Nadu in his comeback game after a back injury in the Ranji Trophy, Jadeja will also draw confidence from his past performances against Australia. In 22 Test innings against the Aussies, the left-arm spinner has picked up 63 wickets.

His performance, when operating in tandem with the experienced Ashwin, seems to receive a boost as well. Without Ashwin in the eleven, Jadeja has scalped 45 wickets in 31 innings at an average of 40.4. However, with the wily off-spinner for company, he has picked up 197 wickets from 83 innings at a miserly average of 21.1.

While Jadeja will be effective against the right-handers, Ashwin is lethal against southpaws, having gathered 226 career wickets of left-handed batters at an average of 19.5 and a strike rate of 47.6.

PS – Four of Australia’s likely top seven are left-handed: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Alex Carey.

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Lethal Lyon

Nathan Lyon “will lead our attack this series”, Australia skipper Pat Cummins remarked on the eve of the Nagpur Test. With seamers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green missing out with injuries and the conditions favouring spin, Lyon will be expected to bowl a lot more overs. And, of course, take a lot more wickets.

He has been the joint-most successful bowler against Virat Kohli in the longest format, alongside England pacer James Anderson. They have each removed him on seven occasions. That Kohli has not scored a Test century since November 2019 does not make things easier.

When the pacers’ footmarks gradually become more prominent by Lunch on day two, Lyon’s deliveries from the other end will pose a challenge.

The critical No. 5 spot

With Shreyas Iyer out with a back injury and vice-captain KL Rahul almost certain to open alongside captain Rohit Sharma, there will be a toss-up between Shubman Gill, who has scored four centuries in his last seven innings across formats, and Suryakumar Yadav, the No. 1 T20 batter, for the No. 5 spot.

“Gill and Surya bring different things to the table. Gill has been in supreme form in the last 3-4 months. A couple of hundreds, big hundreds as well. On the other hand, Surya in T20 cricket has shown what he is capable of. He can bring that kind of game to Test cricket as well. Both are quality options. We have not decided yet. We will keep in mind all aspects of the game,” Rohit said during the captains’ press conference.

Axar or Kuldeep?

While Jadeja and Ashwin are assured of their spots, only one between left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel may take the field on Thursday.

Wrist spinner Kuldeep has more variations and may be beneficial on flatter tracks, while Axar, a finger spinner, may utilise the cracks on the pitch to turn the ball. Axar’s deadliest delivery is the one that pitches and keeps straight. It often deceives batters into playing for the turn.

“Axar and Kuldeep, whenever they have got an opportunity, they have done well. They have put batters under pressure. In the last series that we played against England, Axar took a lot of wickets (27 wickets, the most by an Indian in his debut four-match Test series). Kuldeep played only one Test match against Bangladesh and got five wickets,” Rohit said.

SQUADS

India (for the first two Tests): Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

LIVE STREAMING INFO

When is the ​India vs Australia ​Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test starting?

The India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test is starting on February 9, Thursday at the VCA stadium in Nagpur.

When is the toss for India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test?

The toss for India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test is at 9:00 am on February 9, Thursday.

Where can I live stream India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test?

The India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test can be live streamed on Disney+Hotstar.

Which channel will telecast the India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test?

The India vs Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy 1st Test will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network.