Team India ended Day 1 of the Pink-Ball Test on 233/6 after Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. Virat Kohli top-scored for India scoring 74 off 180 deliveries. He was involved in two key partnerships with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane before the Indian skipper was run-out by his stand-in skipper. That was the turning point of the game as India gave the advantage away after consolidating on a bad start. More about the match report in detail below.
Virat Kohli opted to bat first after winning the toss on an Adelaide wicket which had a greenish look to it. India lost Prithvi Shaw for a duck in the very first over. India’s number three Cheteshwar Pujara literally found him opening the innings and facing the third ball. He and Mayank Agarwal (17) added 32 together before Agarwal was dismissed by Pat Cummins by a delivery pitching and coming in.
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Pink-Ball Test Day 1 Report
This brought Virat Kohli at the wicket as India countered solidly through the two of them. The duo weathered the storm and dig deep taking India to 50 for two at lunch. Resuming the innings they pair carried on and added a total of 68 runs as the 100 came up for India. Nathan Lyon then found Pujara fending at a ball which lobbed up in the air as the catch was completed by Labuschange. That was key blow for the Aussies at a critical phase of the game.
Vice-Captain Ajinkya Rahane then joined Kohli at the wicket. The duo brought all their experience into play adding 88 runs as Kohli went past his fifty in the second session. The experienced Indian pair took their team through to tea at 107/3.
The final session after tea belonged to Australia. It was in this session that Australia struck hard. First India lost the wicket of Virat Kohli in a terrible mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane. The Indian score at that point read 188/4. Kohli added 88 with Rahane before, India dealt with their biggest blow in the day. That was also the turning point for India in the day’s play.
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Nightmare scenario for India, pure joy for Australia!
Virat Kohli is run out after a mix up with Ajinkya Rahane! @hcltech | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/YdQdMrMtPh
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2020
After Kohli’s dismissal with the team score on 188, India went down from 188 for 3 to 206 for 6 losing three wickets for just 18 runs. India finally ended the day on 233/6 with Wriddhiman Saha (9) accompanied by R Ashwin (15).
The Australian bowlers had a feel day on the opening day of the Pink-Ball Test. They posed all kinds of problems for the Indian batters. Mitchell Starc, especially was the best bowler for the Aussies on the day. He extracted swing with the new ball and once the ball was old, bowled tight lines. Taking the new ball after 80th over, Starc again took the key wicket of Rahane to leave India wounded. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon took one each.
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Pink-Ball Test, Day 1 Brief Scores
India 6 for 233 (Kohli 74, Pujara 43, Starc 2-49) vs Australia
