India vs Australia 1st Test: Day 1 scores, analysis and talking points

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Liam O'Loughlin
• 12 min read
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Australia were looking to start their four-game Test series against India with a quality batting performance - and despite some major selection decisions, they failed to make it happen. 

Travis Head was sensationally dropped from the side in favour of a returning Peter Handscomb, while young spinner Todd Murphy was confirmed to make his Test debut.

India also named two debutants for the opening clash of the series, with white-ball specialist Suryakumar Yadav making the jump to the Test arena. 

The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first in Nagpur, but were bowled out inside one day for just 177 runs, putting the hosts in the box-seat early in the match - especially after a masterful half-century from skipper Rohit Sharma to set the tone late in the day. 

The Sporting News had all the scores, analysis and talking points throughout the day's play below.

India vs Australia 1st Test live score - End of Day 1

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings)

177 (63.5) 

INDIA (1st Innings)

1/77 (24)

Rohit Sharma 56* (69)

Ravichandran Ashwin 0* (5)

India vs Australia Day 1 talking points and analysis

Murphy earns first Test scalp with important breakthrough 

Todd Murphy has opened up his Test career with the wicket of KL Rahul - and what an important wicket it was.

The 22-year-old was thrust into the spotlight for the first game of the series after just seven first-class appearances, and while some early nerves were to be expected, Murphy did his job very well late in the day.

While veteran bowlers Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon struggled to build pressure or create chances, Murphy looked likely with the ball in hand and kept things tight from his end.

With play winding down on the first day in Nagpur, it was Murphy who got the massive breakthrough, taking a lovely caught-and-bowled after tying down Rahul. 

Australia will resume on day two with a 100-run buffer on the hosts, and will need a massive turnaround with the ball in order to put them in the frame for a positive result. 

Rohit Sharma gets the early edge over opposing skipper

If the individual battle between captains was a boxing bout, Rohit Sharma has landed a first-round knockout.

Within three overs of Pat Cummins' first spell, the Aussie skipper was hit all around the park by Sharma, who was clearly looking to set the tone early in India's first innings.

The experienced and big-hitting opener was making the most of some poor bowling from Cummins, who continued to bowl ordinary full and straight deliveries onto Sharma's pads, gifting him multiple boundaries and the ability to turn the strike over with relative ease. 

After a disappointing batting display, Australia are now expected to take 10 wickets with a rather thin bowling attack that looks every chance of being exposed by the Indian top-order. 

Cummins hooked himself from the attack after his third over - an obvious choice - but with just two seamers in their lineup, the pressure was placed on Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy very early. 

Spin twins wreak havoc as Aussie frailties exposed

The pitch, India's spin attack and Australia's fragile batting lineup were all exposed on the first day of play in Nagpur. 

Peter Handscomb put up some resistance as wickets crumbled around him late in Australia's innings, but the long tail and lack of foundation from the top and middle order left him with no choice but to take the game on and it cost him his wicket.

Jadeja and Ashwin proved why they are the best spin-bowling duo in world cricket today, combining for eight wickets as the former added another five-wicket haul to his career tally. 

The absence of Travis Head in the middle-order proved costly, with the Aussies struggling at times to mount any kind of pressure on the experienced Indian bowling group. His X-factor and counter-attacking ability could have made a major difference and given the visitors an extra 40 or 50 runs to bowl at in the first innings. 

Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy have a massive job ahead of them with the ball if the Aussies are to fight their way back into this Test. 

Ashwin reaches 450 as Carey's go-to shot ends in heartache

After losing three big wickets after the lunch break, Alex Carey came to the crease and looked to change the context of the game, playing a plethora of sweeps and reverse-sweeps to great effect.

But unfortunately for the Aussie keeper, he went to the well one too many times, chopping on a delivery from Ravichandran Ashwin and giving the Indian veteran his 450th Test wicket in the process.

Australia would lose another two wickets before the tea break, with both Pat Cummins and debutant Todd Murphy both departing, as the spin attack from India continued to reap benefits on a tricky batting deck. 

Jadeja proves his class in huge momentum shift

Just as the Aussies looked to be settling into the contest, Ravindra Jadeja reminded everyone why he is one of the best spinners in world cricket straight after the lunch break. 

In the matter of just two balls, the experienced left-armer was able to change the momentum completely and put the visitors in trouble once again.

Jadeja set up Labuschagne with some quality line and length, before drawing the right-hander slightly out of his crease, beating the bat and allowing KS Bharat to take his first Test match stumping.

The very next ball, Jadeja would trap Matt Renshaw - one of the controversial and highly-debated selections in the Aussie - with a quality spinning delivery that forced the returning left-hander to play around his pads, dismissing him for an unfortunate golden duck. 

Jadeja's first over to Peter Handscomb - which started with a hat-trick ball - was some of the best spin bowling you will see without taking a wicket, beating the outside edge and squaring him up on separate occasions. 

If taking the world's top-ranked Test batsman and a returning star wasn't enough, Jadeja again flexed his muscle to knock over Steve Smith for 37.

The veteran right-hander never looked 100 per-cent comfortable against the left-arm spinner and it was no surprise to see him dismissed, despite his attempts to mount a counter-attack after two of his teammates were dismissed. 

Australia are now placed on the back-foot once again, with the side reeling at five down and a long tail to follow. 

Labuschagne to the rescue as Smith survives early spin onslaught

Never fear, Marnus is here. 

While the Aussies would have been bitterly disappointed to lose two wickets in the first few overs, they will be stoked to finish without a further loss at the lunch break and piling on some important runs in the process.

Labuschagne was absolutely fantastic in his first taste of Indian conditions, playing the three-pronged spin attack with relative ease and hitting eight boundaries as he made his way to within three runs of another Test half-century.

Steve Smith didn't have it as easy as his partner and close mate however. The vice-captain was dropped at first slip by Virat Kohli in a potentially crucial moment for India, before nearly edging another delivery from Ravindra Jadeja that could have also clipped his off-stump.

The 33-year-old was able to survive the first session and see off the likes of Jadeja, Ashwin and Patel, but he certainly didn't look as comfortable as Labuschagne at the crease. 

Indian seamers cause early havoc as Warner, Khawaja fail

While all the talk heading into the first Test was about how the visitors would play against spin, it was the pace attack from India that caused all the early damage.

On a deck that was giving very little carry for the bowlers and keeping extremely low, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj both struck with early poles to leave the Aussies in disarray. 

Usman Khawaja was dismissed LBW by Siraj after facing just three deliveries, with the hosts challenging the on-field decision and successfully having it overturned by the DRS.

Moments later, David Warner's off-stump was sent cartwheeling by Shami, with the left-hander bowled for just one run and starting an ultra-important series in poor fashion. 

With just two pace bowlers in the Indian lineup, they are unlikely to feature as prominently as the spinners - but they couldn't have started things off any better in Nagpur. 

Travis Head dropped, Peter Handscomb returns in shock move

One of Australia's most in-form batsman, Travis Head, has sensationally been dropped from the side in favour of a returning Peter Handscomb.

The 29-year-old is coming off a strong home summer, but the Aussie selectors have opted to bring in an extra right-hander and superior player of spin-bowling, with Handscomb earning a recall after a lengthy absence.

Head's omission has left plenty of cricket experts and fans shocked, but it's clearly a 'horses for courses' scenario that the Australians had hinted at moving towards after a failed tour of Sri Lanka last year. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Steve Waugh (@stevewaugh)

Handscomb will slot into the middle-order alongside Matt Renshaw, while young gun Todd Murphy makes his Test debut after less than 10 first-class games. 

India vs Australia 1st Test confirmed lineups

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

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

What time does India vs Australia start?

All four Test matches will begin at 3pm AEDT and 9.30am IST. 

How to watch or live stream India vs Australia

Fox Cricket will broadcast each game live and exclusive in Australia, while Star Sports holds the rights to the series in India. 

  Australia India
TV Channel Fox Cricket Star Sports
Live Stream Foxtel Go/Kayo Sports Disney+ Hotstar

 

Author(s)
Author Photo
Liam O'Loughlin
Liam is a content producer for The Sporting News Australia.
Cricket
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