Captain Rohit Sharma (56 not out) hit an emphatic half-century after Ravindra Jadeja took five wickets to help India reach 77 for 1 at stumps on day one of the first Test against Australia here on Thursday.
Jadeja (5/47), making his international debut after recovering from a knee injury, took five wickets as India bowled out Australia for 177 in their first innings just after tea.
Openers Rohit Sharma (69 balls, nine fours, and a six) and KL Rahul (20) then put on a 76-run opening stand.
However, Rahul became Todd Murphy’s (1/13) maiden international wicket, dismissing the Indian opener in the penultimate over of the day.
India is still 100 runs behind.
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Earlier in the session, the left-arm spinner, who had returned from a knee injury, was the wrecker-in-chief, breaking the partnership between Steve Smith (37) and Marnus Labuschagne (49) before trapping Matt Renshaw and Todd Murphy.
Alex Carrey batted for 33 balls before being dismissed by experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2/41), India’s other wicket-taker in the second session.
Earlier, pacers Mohammed Shami (1/12) and Mohammed Siraj (1/13) delivered the visitors early blows, dismissing openers Usman Khwaja (1) and David Warner (1) in the first three overs.
Smith and Labuschagne put up an 82-run stand for the third wicket.
Earlier, Mohammed Shami (1/12) and Mohammed Siraj (1/13) had removed Usman Khawaja (1) and David Warner (1) in quick succession, but Labuschagne (47) and Smith (19) led the Australian fightback in an intriguing first session, not letting India’s spin troika get the better of them.
Labuschagne, who blasted eight drives to the fence in his 110-ball innings, served as an enforcer, while his senior Smith guarded tenaciously during his 74-ball stay, effectively neutralising the Indian spinners in their 74-run third-wicket stand.
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All of the pre-match chatter about doctored pitches by a segment of the Australian media looked presumptuous, as the VCA Stadium track appeared to be a classic dry Indian surface that will progressively offer significant turn from the second day onwards.
There is some turn on offer, but that is usual for Indian wickets, and the way Smith and Labuschagne played demonstrated that excellent technique is essential for flexibility in any situations.
Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat because batting fourth would be difficult on a pitch that would deteriorate as the match progressed.
A first-innings score of 275 might put Australia in a strong position to dictate the conditions of the game.
Siraj delivered a superb outswinger to Khawaja (inswinger for the southpaw), and Rohit Sharma was correct in taking the DRS, which favoured India.
In the case of Warner, Shami came around the wicket and fired from outside the crease, sending the left-off-stump hander’s cartwheeling.
India appeared to be in command until the world’s No. 1 Test hitter took command. Labuschagne began with a picture-perfect straight drive off Siraj and then exploited the pace of his delivery to get the boundary through the vacant fourth slip region.
His greatest shots, however, were a late cut off Axar’s bowling and an inside-out cover drive off Ashwin.
Ashwin attempted to pin the batsmen on the leg-stump line, but his strategy failed miserably in the first session.
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