As it happened: Australia vs India, 1st Test, Adelaide, day 1
Join us for updates, analysis and colour from the first Test in Adelaide
9.15pm: What a moment
WOW. HUGE mix up and Virat Kohli is stranded! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/3xbuopKuvG
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2020
9.00pm: Virat's watchfulness
In the 2018 Adelaide Test, of the 120 deliveries he faced overall, Kohli left alone 20. Today, of the 172 deliveries he has faced before the final hour of the evening started, the Indian captain has left alone 42, nearly 25%. For a batsman who likes to keep the run meter ticking, Kohli has remained circumspect and vigilant in his approach today. As much as Kohli has restrained himself consciously, perhaps he has been helped to settled down by the Australian seamers who today have bowled more back-of-the length and short at Kohli than on good length. Overall Australian seamers bowled 45 deliveries short-of-length and 20 more short. They pitched 45 deliveries on length, which typically forces a batsman to play. In contrast, two years ago at the same venue, the Australian seamers pitched overall 48 deliveries on length, 22 on short-of-length and just 5 short.
This hasn't been among Kohli's most fluent and prettiest Test innings. But certainly among his grittiest. Full of character and of huge importance to his team #AUSAvIND
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) December 17, 2020
8.45pm: New ball looms
"The third umpire might be able to tell the on field umpire that he got that decision wrong, however there is no jurisdiction for the third umpire to get involved here and make the call himself. So if the on field umpire gets it wrong (here) it stands." - Simon Taufel #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/JTJ9D9IAxX
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2020
8.05pm: Twlight time
7.10pm: Tea - India 107 for 3
6.45pm: Kohli's battle
Virat Kohli had his gloves targeted in contrasting fashion by both Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc in a testing session after the dinner break, but survived each instance to continue building a platform with Cheteshwar Pujara. Lyon spun and bounced an off-break sharply from middle and off stumps, taking the ball perilously close to Kohli's glove as he tried to glance. Tim Paine took the catch and there was some thought of a review, but not as much conviction as there might have been had the Australians been able to see the HotSpot replay, which showed a small but clear flare on Kohli's glove. At the Scoreboard End, Starc was generating plenty of pace, and got one shortish ball to fly through and take Kohli on the glove. The ball popped up tantalisingly, perhaps within the reach of short leg had one still been posted, and there was some delay as Kohli sought treatment for the blow.
The obvious question viewers might want to ask is, why India are scoring at under two an over even after close to 50 overs. Even Virat Kohli's strike rate is in the 30s despite having batted close to 100 balls. The answer seems like a combination of three factors: slow pitch, steep bounce and excellent bowling from Australia. The number of bad balls might be in single figures. Just take a look at the boundaries that have been hit. Kohli skipped down and went aerial against Nathan Lyon. That means risk, and even there Australia have put mid-on back. Then there was the pull balls after Kohli was rapped on the gloves by a Mitchell Starc short ball. That again involved risk, and was also a sort of a message from Kohli. Pujara hit one when Lyon erred on the shorter side. Other than that there has hardly been anything except for the glorious flick by Kohli off Starc and the use of feet by Pujara against Lyon. Other than that, risk-free scoring opportunities have been few and far between.
5.45pm: The best vs the best
Nathan Lyon has bowled 5123 balls against India. Only Muttiah Muralitharan and James Anderson have bowled more The Indians have always looked to step out and counter Lyon. Pujara has been instrumental in this. In the 2018-19 season Pujara stepped down 161 times in 406 deliveries he faced Lyon - that is 40% of his deliveries. Already today we have seen glimpses of that from both Pujara and Kohli.
5.15pm: A big two hours
In day-night Tests in Australia, teams average 27.25 runs for a wicket in the first 30 overs followed by an average 30.40 in the next 50 overs. The run rate jumps from 2.79 to 3.24. That is a 16% increase in both runs per wicket and per over. In day Tests played over the same period in Australia, the scoring rate remains the same after the 30th over at 3.11 while the average goes up negligibly from 38.22 to 39.05. The sample size for day-night Tests is small, especially when the variables of bowling under lights are high, but paired with visual evidence of how easy batting looked after around the 30th over, it might be safe to surmise wickets with the old pink ball might be hard work if not bowled under lights. These might be signs the pink ball gets softer than the red ball does. On a slow Adelaide Oval track, this session might just be the best time to bat
4.30pm: Lunch - India 41 for 2
Elite grouping from Pat Cummins - eat your heart out Glenn McGrath! #AUSvIND live: https://t.co/LGCJ7zSdrY pic.twitter.com/C1e7JoKocN
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2020
4.10pm: Cummins' gem
The ball that got Agarwal's wicket was the first one in a while that seamed off the surface. It is credit to Australia's bowling that they have given nothing away, but it is interesting that the ball suddenly did something in the half hour before lunch. It reminds me of the second tour game that India played, at SCG. Prithvi Shaw and Shubhman Gill ran away against the new ball that did little but again, around the 20-over mark, it began to swing and seam. I am not sure if this is a bit of a feature of the pink ball, a bit like the Duke's red, which starts to go only after it loses the lacquer a bit. Be very interesting to see if the ball does a little more in the coming hour or so than it did in the hour gone by
Simply gorgeous seam bowling from Cummins, who had pushed Agarwal back, then gets a bit fuller and cuts one back into middle and off #AusvInd
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 17, 2020
3.30pm: Tough work against new ball
2.40pm: Starc strikes early
As Mitchell Starc was running in:
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2020
"He doesn't commit his front foot to the line of the ball a lot, quote often leaves a big gap between bat and pad and that's where the Aussies will target." - @RickyPonting #AUSvIND https://t.co/SiB5Zjzy9p
Good length and a hint of curve into the corridor. Shaw on his toes to get behind the line of this and defend with soft hands
Inside edge and bowled! There are two problems Shaw is contending with recently - jabbing away from the body and the ball that comes in. This is a combination of both. It's an inswinger from a good length, just a touch wide of the corridor. He's looking to drive on the rise and it's for the initial line. Gap between bat and front leg and half a stride. Not a great looking shot and it'll feel like a long walk back for him. For Starc - just another day with the pink ball. Fantastic start
Good length, bit of shape in at middle stump. Solidly defended down the pitch
Just short of first slip! Starc's inswinger - even the lack of it - is already playing on their minds. Pujara pushes at this length ball going across him. Caught inside the line. He always plays with soft hands though, and that probably saves him here
Short of a length, dipping in and rising in the corridor. Left alone
Full inswinger in the corridor. Half a stride and tentative jab to get this onto pad off the thick inside edge
2.10pm: India to bat first
Mitchell Starc is back in the Aust squad. I spoke to him for @cricketmonthly about his departure from using critics as motivation - with mixed results - to being cricketer with a small, trusted circle and 45 wickets at 18.42 over his past 8 Tests #AusvInd https://t.co/Uzy0PHPiyU
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 14, 2020
All the dodging and weaving and prevarication from the Australian camp served only to delay the announcement of a team that was more or less as logically expected. Joe Burns was retained in a big show of faith by the national selectors and their belief in continuity, while Matthew Wade was handed the difficult task of standing in as an opener to create middle order room for Cameron Green's much-anticipated debut. Tim Paine's supposed flirtation with a move up the order turned out to be fanciful talk, as he remains locked in at No. 7, while the hosts were also able retain Mitchell Starc in their Test XI despite his recent time away for compassionate reasons.
Good News for India. India have never lost a Test when Virat Kohli has won the toss.
— ESPNcricinfo stats (@ESPNcric_stats) December 17, 2020
Played 25, Won 21 and Drawn 4 #AUSvsIND
1.45pm: Debut confirmed
1.30pm: Australia's difficult build-up
"To me, Cameron Green is the next superstar of Australian cricket," Greg Chappell said. "He is a genuine prospect with bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Cameron is a batsman of rare talent. At 6ft 7in, he could become something very special. I would bat him at No. 6 to start with, but I reckon No. 4 is his long-term position. The sooner he gets to play at this level, the sooner he will become the player that he should be."
1.10pm: India's selection
1.00pm: It's here!
India name their XI for the pink-ball, day-night Test against Australia starting tomorrow - Shaw and Saha picked ahead of Gill and Pant #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/EArbb0NrTn
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 16, 2020
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo