Australia ended day 1 at The Gabba on 274 for 5 after Natarajan picked two quick wickets to keep Australia at bay at the end of the day’s play. This happened after Australia won the toss and elected to bat at their fortress where they are unbeaten in Tests since 1988. More about Day 1 report in detail below.
India were up for the job at The Gabba after fielding a potentially second-string Test XI after injuries their regular players. Despite that, the Indian bowlers will be pretty happy with where their team is placed after the day’s play. Mohammed Siraj provided the early breakthrough for India dismissing David Warner for the second straight time. Ha got him caught at the slips for just 1 to keep his bad run with the bat. Washington Sundar playing his first Test took the catch of Marcus Harris to give Shardul Thakur his first Test wicket.
With Australia 17 for 2, Marnus Labuschagne (108) and Steve Smith (36) got together at the wicket. Both of them kept the scoreboard moving to take Australia to 65/2 at lunch. They added exactly 50 runs before Washington Sundar picked up Steve Smith to get his first Test wicket. Smith flicked one straight to Rohit Sharma who was placed close to the silly point for that exact shot. Smith’s wicket as very much against the run of play for the Aussies.
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After Smith’s wicket, Labuschagne added a 113-run stand with Matthew Wade (45) who as usual played with aggressive intent. From 65 for 3, Australia moved to 154 for 3 at tea with the team losing the big wicket of Steve Smith in that phase of play.
Natarajan Strikes Twice In Quick Succession For India
In the final session of the day’s play, two quick wickets from T Natarajan gave India an early advantage. He first dismissed Matthew Wade in the 64th over of the innings. The left-hander did not play a sweep shot to which he was dismissed in the first two Tests by Ravichandran Ashwin. However, he played a cross-batted shot which did not rise high enough to be pulled to give the left-arm pacer his first Test wicket. The Australian scorecard read 200 then. Overall it was a poor shot selection by Matthew Wade.
Natarajan then dismissed Labuschagne just after he got to his hundred in the 66th over of the Australian innings. Bowling from around the wicket he induced a false delivery from the right-hander who looked set after getting to his hundred. He bowled a delivery that cramped him for the room after bowling a couple of delivery that left him. The right-hander could not quite gauge the bounce of the delivery and played across the line.
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Ater Natarajan’s double strike Cameron Green (28*) and skipper Tim Paine (38*) held the fort as Australia added an unbeaten 61-run stand off 128 balls to finish at 274/5 after the end of the day’s play.
The Indian bowlers bowled in a good channel but were not helped by their fielders. Labuschange was dropped twice in his innings as India’s story of dropping crucial catches continued.
Natarajan was the pick of the bowlers picking two wickets. Siraj, Shardul, and Sundar picked up one each as it was a day about missed opportunities and dropped chances at The Gabba. Australia scored 120 runs in the final session losing two wickets.
Brief Scores
Australia 274 for 5 (Labuschagne 108, Wade 45, Natarajan 2-63) vs India