India vs Australia: Pat on the back

Much of the interest in the lead-up to the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium centred around what Australia's approach would be in the aftermath of their dramatic implosion in Nagpur last week. Pat Cummins's continued good fortune with the toss meant that would reveal itself on Friday's Day One itself, and it was clear the visitors had come armed with the proactiveness their skipper had demanded.

A first-innings total of 263 all out was a marked improvement from the first Test, where across two innings, Australia only managed 268. Usman Khawaja led the way with a well-crafted 81 and Peter Handscomb held the lower order together with a spunky unbeaten 72.

In a tricky nine-over passage to stumps, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul saw off a few anxious moments to take 21 off the Aussie score. Debutant left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann asked a few probing questions on a surface that held up decently for the most part, but played the occasional trick in the final session.

Peter Handscomb en route his 72 not out yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

It's unlikely India would have expected Australia to roll over, or that they wouldn't have foreseen a more attacking approach. David Warner was put through the wringer by Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj and the spinners alike, but Khawaja made his intentions clear from the off with the conventional and the sweep and using his feet judiciously. The openers had realised 50 when Shami packed off Warner, but Marnus Labuschagne was an able ally to Khawaja, also showcasing positivity as runs came quickly.

As he has done often, R Ashwin brought India back into the contest by trapping Labuschagne in front with a ball that spun back on pitching and having Steve Smith caught behind with a slider that went on with the angle in the same over. Khawaja carried on unflustered despite losing Travis Head - one of two changes in an Australian line-up that featured a solitary pacer in a Test for the first time since 2017 - and took the fight forward with Handscomb.

It took a screaming catch at point by Rahul, leaping to his right, to deny Khawaja a hundred and when Ashwin packed off Alex Carey in the next over, a familiar collapse appeared imminent. But Handscomb and Cummins added 59 for the seventh wicket and the No. 5 then eked out enough from the tail to take Australia to respectability.

Also Read: Darren Lehmann slams Australia's ‘ridiculous' decision to axe Travis Head for Nagpur Test

Pat Cummins

On a pitch with more bounce than Nagpur, Shami was India's most successful bowler with a four-for, and Ashwin and Jadeja shared the other six equally. It's now up to India's batsmen to do the running; it wouldn't have escaped them that once the ball got older and softer, runs came a lot easier on Day One.

Brief scores
Australia 263 all out (U Khawaja 81, P Handscomb 72', P Cummins 33; M Shami 4-60, R Ashwin 3-57, R Jadeja 3-68) v India 21-0 (R Sharma 13')