India v Australia: first Test, day one – as it happened
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India take controlThe home side hold all the cards after day one of the first Test in Nagpur. The first day of the four match series could hardly have gone much better for the hosts, bar the loss of KL Rahul to Aussie debutant Todd Murphy an over before the close. They find themselves just 100 runs adrift with nine wickets in hand. The desiccated pitch doesn’t look likely to get easier to bat on, any sizeable first innings lead could well be crucial.
Australia were undone by both pace and spin, Shami and Siraj making early inroads to reduce the visitors to 2-2 before Ravindra Jadeja piped up to take five wickets on his return to Test cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin racked up his 450th (and 451st) Test wickets and Skipper Rohit Sharma looked in imperious form with the bat, scorching a chanceless fifty off just 66 balls. His Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins, was woefully out of sorts with his first efforts with the ball on what was a largely ponderous fielding display for the visitors.
The report from the ground has just landed and we’ll be back tomorrow to OBO day two. Thanks as ever for the emails and comments, goodbye!
Here’s that first Test scalp for Todd Murphy:
STUMPS: India close day one on 77-1 in response to Australia's 177Sharma survives a loud lbw appeal in the final over, Lyon on his knees imploring but to no avail. Where have we seen that before I wonder? (Sorry, must remain impartial) Sharma got himself outside the line and then off strike with a push into the leg side. Ashwin pats back the rest of the final over and day one of this Border-Gavaskar series is done, it belongs firmly to India.
WICKET! KL Rahul c&b Murphy 20 (India 76-1)Todd Murphy gets the breakthrough and his first Test wicket! A ball that grips and turns forces Rahul into the error, a drive plinked back into the clutches of the bespectacled debutant! The Aussies swarm the tyro spinner and it’s hair tousles and back-slaps all round. A lovely moment for Murphy and an important one for his side, who desperately needed something in the wickets column.
22nd over: India 76-1 (Rohit 55, Ashwin 0)
21st over: India 74-0 (Rohit 55, KL Rahul 18) Shadows lengthen in Nagpur, we might get through another couple of overs before the close. Sharma pounces in the fading light, driving powerfully for three down the ground before sweeping elegantly for four to bring up a 66 ball fifty. A masterclass so far from ‘The Hitman’. Not content with that he drives the next ball from Lyon majestically through the gloaming for another boundary.
20th over: India 62-0 (Rohit 44, KL Rahul 17) Murphy is keeping a lid on things, bowling nicely if not looking particularly threatening. The TV coverage throws up a graphic showing that the Aussie spinners have spun the ball more than their counterparts. Yes, I’m scratching my head too.
20th over: India 60-0 (Rohit 43, KL Rahul 16) Weird. Just the one over for Cummins then as Lyon replaces him. Four overs for 27 from the Aussie skipper. Lyon sends down a maiden, the last ball of which is a pearler, skidding past a groping Rohit.
19th over: India 60-0 (Rohit 43, KL Rahul 16) Murphy plugs away, just a single. All a bit flat from an Aussie POV.
18th over: India 59-0 (Rohit 42, KL Rahul 16) Someone get Matty Hayden a snack, and Pat Cummins for that matter. After mentioning gravy earlier the big ‘Dos calls Cummins’ comeback over ‘buffet bowling’. He’s not wrong either. Very out of character for Cummins who serves up another easy half-volley to a lip-licking KL Rahul. He then finishes his over with an innocuous delivery shunted down the leg side that a sprawling Alex Carey does well to haul in.
17th over: India 55-0 (Rohit 42, KL Rahul 12) Murphy whirls away and there’s just a single off it. All a bit flat from Australia, they need to make something, anything happen here. As if on cue, Cummins brings himself back on.
16th over: India 54-0 (Rohit 42, KL Rahul 11) Lyon drags down and Rahul picks off the single to bring up the fifty partnership for the opening pair. Too easy. Lyon over compensates and goes too full, Rohit doesn’t miss out and steers the ball away for another four.
15th over: India 49-0 (Rohit 38, KL Rahul 10) KL Rahul punches a shorter ball from Murphy away for a couple and Rohit picks him off for a single off his pads. This has been assured stuff from India. Ominously so if you are an Aussie supporter. The pitch seems to be more benign, or rather the Aussie bowlers have made it look that way so far.
14th over: India 46-0 (Rohit 38, KL Rahul 7) Good contest between Lyon and Rohit. The spinner beats his man with a couple that grip off the surface and Rohit decides enough is enough, trotting out of his crease and smearing a length ball for six!
13th over: India 39-0 (Rohit 32, KL Rahul 6) Todd Murphy continues after a slurp, he’s accomplished if unthreatening so far.
“Evening James/all, Gervase Greene here in Sydney, just around the corner from Pat Cummins’ very nice place. Further to Peter Salmon’s point (3rd over) on Travis Head’s non-selection, I can (maybe) understand not picking someone because he can’t play spin, or can’t play in India, or both. But if so, what’s he doing on a tour to India?”
12th over: India 38-0 (Rohit 32, KL Rahul 5) Lyon keeps it tight with a maiden and that is drinks. Australia still searching for the breakthrough, no dramas yet for India.
11th over: India 38-0 (Rohit 32, KL Rahul 5) Murphy has more than a whiff of Graeme Swann in his twirling action and he can be proud of his first few balls, landing them nicely and drawing KL Rahul forward on the defensive. And breathe, Todd. A couple of singles off it (and a front foot no-ball, but I’m being charitable).
Todd Murphy is coming on for his first bowl in Test cricket. What a moment for the youngster, his family have flown in to witness it too.
10th over: India 36-0 (Rohit 32, KL Rahul 4) Lyon makes Rohit look uncomfortable for the first time, squaring him up and fizzing one past his edge.
9th over: India 35-0 (Rohit 31, KL Rahul 4) Rahul picks up an edgy two through the slips as Boland sends down another miserly over, he’s giving his captain some much needed control out there.
8th over: India 33-0 (Rohit 31, KL Rahul 2) Rohit is looking in dangerously good nick here, it is lovely for the neutral (ahem) but If I was Australia I’d already be starting to get the screaming abdabs. Lyon overpitches by a fraction and Rohit pounces, driving down the ground to collect four more.
7th over: India 27-0 (Rohit 26, KL Rahul 1) Boland repays the faith with a maiden.
Pat Cummins has gone for more runs in his first over at Nagpur than Scott Boland has conceded per wicket taken in his Test career
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) February 9, 2023Stats I guess.
6th over: India 27-0 (Rohit 26, KL Rahul 1) Lyon whirls away and KL gets off the mark with a push down the ground for one. Cummins has taken himself out of the attack and Boland is given another go. Big Pat’s opening three overs crunched for 23 runs.
5th over: India 26-0 (Rohit 26, KL Rahul 0) Pat Cummins is having a bit of a shocker here, he loses his line again, serves up a full half-volley and Rohit duly picks him off for an effortless boundary. Another leg side ball is flicked away for four, Cummins shakes his head and India fly to 26 for none, each and every run notched by India’s skipper.
4th over: India 16-0 (Rohit 15, KL Rahul 0) Boland is whipped out of the attack after just one over and here comes Nathan Lyon. A nice bit of drift and grip from the shiny pated ‘Gaz’. Sharma up to the task, he sweeps for a single.
3rd over: India 15-0 (Rohit 15, KL Rahul 0) Cummins find his metronome after that expensive first effort and sends down a maiden.
Peter Salmon emails in with the express intention of ruffling a few, err, scales.
“Jim, early call I know, but AUSTRALIA JUST LOST THE ASHES. Head was our best chance to counter Bazball, and the selectors have just wilfully scrambled his brain. Expect him back in the next Test, unable to play his natural game, and out for a string of low scores. Dropped by third Ashes Test, and Stokes holding the urn aloft. You read it here first.”
We did Peter, and I for one will definitely remember.*
*But maybe drop me a line at the end of July too?
The fantastically named Reverend Frinton Bojangles is in touch:
“As an England fan, have to acknowledge how good that was - 162-5 to 177 all out is world class…”
Very droll, Rev. Speaking of England, our man in Havana Hamilton, Ali Martin, has the latest from the men’s Test camp in New Zealand:
2nd over: India 15-0 (Rohit 15, KL Rahul 0) Scott Boland is sharing the new ball with his skipper, his first delivery is driven for two down the ground by Rohit but after that the miserly seamer sharpens up and shows his worth with five probing deliveries on off stump.
1st over: India 13-0 (Rohit 13, KL Rahul 0) Hold onto your stovepipes, India are off to a flyer. Cummins’ first ball flies off a half leave from Rohit and India get underway with a boundary off the first ball of their response. Nothing streaky about the next two though, Cummins strays onto Sharma’s pads and is flicked away nonchalantly for successive boundaries. Don’t bowl there Patty!
Okay doke, out come Rohit and KL Rahul for the India reply. Pat Cummins has a shiny new one in his mitts, play!
I think it was the carrom ball.
Why aren't these TV commentators rolling on the floor frothing about that ball from Ashwin to Boland. Somehow they're just calmly discussing the bowling figures and having thoughts about the pitch
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) February 9, 2023Ashwin toys with Boland for a few balls before thudding one into his off stump. Tail duly mopped. That’s yer lot.
Jadeja has five on his return to Test cricket and the key wicket of Handscomb is snaffled. A missed sweep from the tall batter sees the ball scud into his pad slap bang in front of all three stumps. “Time for India to mop up the gravy” drawls Matthew Hayden on the tv commentary. Scott Boland, in his first overseas Test, is the Aussies’ last man. Ah Bisto.
63rd over: Australia 176-9 ( Lyon 1, Boland)
62nd over: Australia 176-8 (Handscomb 30, Lyon 1) It’s a mirror image of the last over, Ashwin keeps Handscomb honest with five dots before tossing one out wide that Handscomb dabs away for a single.
61st over: Australia 175-8 (Handscomb 30, Lyon 1) Jadeja into his work after the break. I spent the twenty minute interval being forced to put on every pair of shoes in the house by a very demanding twenty month old. Never has the word ‘slipper’ been uttered with such force. Jadeja ties down Handscomb but the batter manages to nurdle a single off the final ball to keep strike. Right, I need to find a quiet spot to concentrate out of sight of the footwear tyrant…
60th over: Australia 174-8 (Handscomb 28, Lyon 1) Nathan Lyon pads one away and jogs down the other end. Other than that it’s all quiet on the wicket and runs front. And that is tea. An absorbing session, I suspect both sides will feel they are in this game, with Handscomb still battling away for Australia. If he can get them north of 200 on this testing surface then you suspect they will be quietly happy, especially as they found themselves at 2-2 at the start of the day. Off to brew up, back soon!
Oh and do get in touch with your thoughts, theories and nonsense – fling me an email or find me on the twitters:
WICKET! Murphy lbw b Jadeja 0 (Australia 173-8)Oh no! A duck on dayboo for Murphy. Jadeja spears one into his pads and the fielders rise and holler. A confident cackle. The umpire raises the digit of doom, the DRS shows there was no edge and the ball would have taken out middle stump. Cricket can be a real pi***er eh?
59th over: Australia 173-8 (Handscomb 27, Lyon 0)
Out strolls the debutant Todd Murphy, can he survive the ten or so minutes till tea? I confess I’ve never seen him bat.
WICKET! Cummins c Kohli b Ashwin 6 (Australia 172-7)Beauty! Ashwin gets one to straighten and Cummins pokes out at it, sharp catch by Kohli in the slips. The wickets keep a’tumblin after lunch for Australia. It’s a wicket-maiden for Ashwin, and his 451st Test wicket.
58th over: Australia 172-7 (Handscomb 27, Murphy 0)
57th over: Australia 172-6 (Handscomb 27, Cummins 6) Anything you can do… Jadeja hurtles through a maiden, that was something like 45 seconds. It felt quicker.
56th over: Australia 172-6 (Handscomb 27, Cummins 6) Ashwin rattles through a maiden, giving Jadeja a run for his moolah.
55th over: Australia 172-6 (Handscomb 27, Cummins 6) Jadeja, an OBO scribes favourite worst nightmare, comes back into the attack. He hums through his overs so rapidly it is hard to keep up. He beats Handscomb with a ripper that turns sharply off the straight and past the edge. Ooof! another one takes the glove and flies past slip. Over and out.
54th over: Australia 168-6 (Handscomb 23, Cummins 6) Pat Cummins strides out to the middle to join Handscomb and is off the mark with an outside edge that trickles away for four. Another guided defence brings the Aussie skipper two more. Every run feels crucial in this first dig.
That was Ashwin’s 450th Test wicket, mind-boggling numbers eh?
Among bowlers with 450 Test wickets, only Glenn McGrath and Muttiah Muralidaran have better averages, and only Murali has reached the milestone in fewer Tests.
A true great of the game.#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/ejVbzr1XnA
Goddim! Carey tries to reverse-sweep Ashwin but gets and under edge onto his poles and has to drag himself off. An enterprising knock comes to and end. Ashwin does some hearty fist pumping, can India skittle Australia for less than 200 here?
53rd over: Australia 162-5 (Carey 36, Handscomb 23) Carey continues to plunder runs, Siraj does indeed steam in, replacing Ashwin, his first ball flies off a meaty edge down to the point boundary. Another four! Next ball is guided more stylishly by Carey. That’s the fifty partnership between Carey and Handscomb, the former has been the aggressor, it’s turning into a worrisome partnership for the home side.
52nd over: Australia 153-5 (Carey 27, Handscomb 23) The partnership builds towards fifty, Axar Patel replaces Siraj who I suspect will come back from the other end. Carey is playing a gem of an innings, he sweeps the tall spinner away for four and Australia’s 150 is up. It’s come at a decent lick after lunch too. Some of the Indian fielders get their teapot on, hands on hips in the afternoon sun.
51st over: Australia 148-5 (Carey 22, Handscomb 23) These two batters are doing well to tick over and frustrate the Indian bowlers. Handscomb scampers two down the ground. Ashwin varies his flight, cogs whirring all the time, two more singles. Cat and mouse…
50th over: Australia 144-5 (Carey 21, Handscomb 20) Thanks Angus, top stint that. Hello OBO, greetings from a frosty south London where I’m perched on my sofa just 4,625 miles (give or take) from the action in Nagpur. Straight down to brass tacks then, Siraj is bustling in and Alex Carey greets him with a doozy of a square cover drive for four. Siraj throws up his arms in frustration but it was a fine shot. The bowler switches to around the wicket but serves up a juicy full one and Carey leans on it for four more. Handy over for Australia.
49th over: Australia 136-5 (Carey 12, Handscomb 20) Ashwin wheels in to Carey. All the Indian spinners pose different challenges and Australia are working hard to foil each bag of tricks thrown at them in a new way. This pair are doing well to remain moving targets, rotating the strike and sending the odd ball to the rope. We are at the 50 over mark so it’s my turn to rotate the strike to my colleague James Wallace. Go well, comrades in cricket!
48th over: Australia 135-5 (Carey 12, Handscomb 20) “Catchit!” is the cry but Jadeja’s first ball of his 17th over has ballooned off the pad, past leg slip and to the rope for four leg byes. Carey strolls a single from the next and Handscomb blocks out the rest of the over.
47th over: Australia 130-5 (Carey 11, Handscomb 20) Australia fighting back. Alex Carey has raced to 10 off seven deliveries and Peter Handscomb has 20 from 33, by far the best strike rates of the Australia innings so far. Ravi Ashwin will want to stick his spinning finger in this geyser of runs but he is wicketless from his eight overs thus far and he doesn’t trouble Carey here.
46th over: Australia 129-5 (Carey 10, Handscomb 20) Nice shot Alex Carey! The 31-year-old from Loxton, a foundation captain of the GWS Giants before he defected to cricket, looks utterly unfazed by the mountain he has to climb here. He bangs a boundary and then sets off for an easy single, calm as you like. In Handscomb Carey has a good character to dig in with, a fact proven when he steps back and taps Jadeja’s fourth ball behind square for another boundary. Australia were slow off the canvas after lunch but they are clamouring back into the contest now.
45th over: Australia 120-5 (Carey 5, Handscomb 16) Alex Carey clobbered a four from the first ball he faced and his feet are moving fast behind a steady head. Safe to say he came of age in the Australian summer, with that wonderful century against South Africa. Carey’s middle name is Tyson and he’ll need all the fighting qualities of “Iron Mike” to stop Australia’s slide into the abyss.
