First day, Jadeja show
NAGPUR, February 9
Ravindra Jadeja celebrated his return to international cricket with a five-wicket haul as India bowled out Australia for 177 and then cruised to 77/1 to dominate Day 1 of the opening Test here today.
Home captain Rohit Sharma led India’s robust reply with a typically belligerent 56 not out that included nine boundaries.
Nightwatchman Ravichandran Ashwin was yet to open his account at the other end, and India would be pressing for a decisive first-innings lead in the contest when play resumes tomorrow.
Earlier, Australia skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat on a spin-friendly pitch but the tourists had both their openers back in the hut inside the first 13 deliveries.
Mohammed Siraj trapped Usman Khawaja lbw with his first delivery, an outswinger that struck the opener low on his pad.
In the next over, Mohammed Shami sent David Warner’s off-stump cartwheeling to reduce Australia to two for two.
Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (37) staged a mini-recovery with an 82-run stand but the home spinners were in the thick of things after the lunch break.
Australia scored 98 runs in that session but also lost six wickets with Jadeja as the wrecker-in-chief, while off-spinner Ashwin (3/42) played the second fiddle.
Left-arm spinner Jadeja lured Labuschagne out of the crease to get him stumped and dismissed Matt Renshaw for a first-ball duck with the next delivery. He could not get the hat-trick, but claimed the crucial wicket of Smith with the extra delivery he had to bowl for having sent down a no-ball earlier in that over.
Alex Carey realised the futility of trying to hang around and decided to counterattack.
Carey hit seven boundaries in his 36 but his 33-ball cameo ended after he fluffed a reverse sweep against Ashwin, who became the second Indian bowler — after Anil Kumble — to claim 450 Test wickets.
Todd Murphy scored a duck on his debut Test and Peter Handscomb, picked ahead of Travis Head, made 31 before falling to Jadeja, who claimed 5/47 on his return from a knee injury suffered last year.
“The odd ball was spinning and the odd ball was going straight, so that is what I was looking to do,” Jadeja said.
His captain Sharma gave an early indication of India’s batting approach, hitting counterpart Cummins for three boundaries in the first over of the innings.
Murphy broke the flourishing 76-run opening stand when he took a return catch to remove KL Rahul (20) for his maiden Test wicket. — Reuters
Jadeja applies ointment, triggers debate
Ravindra Jadeja drew attention not only for demolishing Australia but also for applying something on his finger, triggering a debate. A video has emerged on social media showing Jadeja receiving something from Mohammed Siraj and then applying that on his left index finger, something that had Australian media and a former player interested. However, a BCCI source said that it was an “ointment for pain relief for the sore finger”. PTI
