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India v Australia: fourth Test, day one – as it happened

This article is more than 7 years old
  • Australia 300 all out, India 0-0 at stumps in Dharamsala
  • Another century for Smith but Kuldeep sparks collapse after lunch
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Sat 25 Mar 2017 07.08 EDTFirst published on Fri 24 Mar 2017 23.30 EDT
Kuldeep Yadav and Murali Vijay celebrate the dismissal of Peter Handscomb.
Kuldeep Yadav and Murali Vijay celebrate the dismissal of Peter Handscomb. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
Kuldeep Yadav and Murali Vijay celebrate the dismissal of Peter Handscomb. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

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STUMPS DAY ONE: India: 0-0 (KL Rahul 0, Vijay 0).

Adam Collins
Adam Collins

Well, an eventful day. From the moment Warner was dropped in the cordon to the very first ball. Australia went on to dominate the morning courtesy of their captain Smith. A quarter hour into the second session the two had put on 134 and it was getting easier by the over. But then the day took a sharp twist. Kuldeep’s debut brought four wickets, three in that middle session ripping out Australia’s middle order.

With the mess around him, Smith kept on keeping on. His 20th Test ton and third for the series was the only thing that stood between his side and already being just about out of this already. 20 tons in 54 Tests. All coming in the previous 43 he has played. What a player.

Better resistance came after the last break with Wade playing his best innings since coming back into the side. But just when he looked set to bat again on day two, 20 minutes from stumps he lost his off stump to Jadeja when on 57, against the flow of play. The 300 milestone was reached, but not a run more.

All told, from 1/131 to all out 300 makes a poor day for Smith’s men. They will have a massive job ahead of them with the ball tomorrow with the best conditions of the match to bat ahead of us here at Dharamsala. Can they fight back? Find out with us here on the OBO. We’ll be live again from half an hour before play. On behalf of Geoff and myself, thanks for your company today. Have a lovely night.

India: 0-0 (KL Rahul 0, Vijay 0). Okay. One over. Six balls of the best. Lillee to Viv? The conventional three slips and a gully in place, no short leg. Hazlewood not Cummins. Plenty of carry to begin. Then full. Then again. The one that shapes away. Not forced to play though. Nor the last ball. In ordinary circumstances a decent set, but not quite where he needed to be in that situation. Maiden and stumps.

After tea. Australia probably would have taken all-out 300 from where they resumed at 6208. In saying that, a few minutes ago it was looking like a relatively excellent session. But Wade losing his off stump on 57 ensured that the Australians would have to bowl, albeit briefly, on evening one. It will be four minutes. Probably one over, maybe two if they try something on.

Smith brilliant warner/wade contributed well but batting looked vulnerable on a pitch worth 400+. Hopefully oz won't be batting last!

— jim maxwell (@jimmaxcricket) March 25, 2017

WICKET! AUSTRALIA ALL OUT 300! Lyon c Pujara b Bhuvneshwar 13.

Finished off with the new ball. Wonderful catch at midwicket diving forward, Bhuvneshwar in the book with Australia’s tenth wicket. India to bat for four minutes, I reckon it will be. Stand by for formal word on that.

88th over: Australia 300-9 (Lyon 13, Hazlewood 2). Just when they had India losing their way a bit, too. Four overthrows earlier in the over. But it matters not now. A Hazlewood edge gets him a couple, and Australia 300. Important milestone, but would have felt a lot better had Wade been the man bringing it up. I think I’m right in saying due to changeovers and whatnot, Australia need to face seven further minutes for the day to close regardless of the time on the clock. Maybe it is in their interests to be bowled out here and have two overs at India? Probably not quite where they are at. New ball now taken by India as well.

WICKET! Wade b Jadeja 57. (Australia 298-9)

Oh no. 20 minutes to stumps Wade has launched into a sweep shot with Jadeja angling into him from over the wicket. But he missed, the bowler hit. Off stump to be precise. Such an important innings, but had plenty left to do. An annoying TV review follows, for reasons that are entirely unclear, but he’s off all the same. Deflating for the visitors.

87th over: Australia 294-8 (Wade 53, Lyon 13). Ashwin now, Kuldeep given a breather after another long shift from the southern end. They can afford to take their time here, well ahead of the over rate. That encourages Ashwin to tweak the field, consult his captain. All of that. Only a Wade single from the set.

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86th over: Australia 293-8 (Wade 52, Lyon 13). Wade off strike first ball of the Jadeja over, turned behind square. Lyon keeps up to his end of the bargain thereafter, solid in defence as the spinner first gives a couple a rip, then a couple some air. The response is the same.

David Kalucy with some grounding thoughts on the email. “It’s kind of a false hope watching the tail wag at the moment, makes you forget just how long India could potentially grind and baffle. This is the sort of worry that his holiness avoids & keeps Mr Smith up at night.”

85th over: Australia 292-8 (Wade 51, Lyon 13). What doing Umesh?! I’m going to have to dig out that when the highlight emerges. Or the low light. You’ll never see a worse misfield at this level. Lyon sweeping, of course, and through his legs on the rope. Barely moved off the straight. Lyon hits it considerably better next up, and it is another boundary. Two on the spin. Half an hour further for these two to reach stumps. We saw how crucial that was in Pune. A long time ago, and barely any similarity in the conditions, but not for nothing if they can stick about. Especially if the runs keep coming as they did there. Second new ball? Gotta be worth a crack.

84th over: Australia 283-8 (Wade 50, Lyon 5). Oh gee, just as I welcome a slower over rate Jadeja is back on. Mate, just chill out for a sec at the top of your mark. It’s not a race. This is a maiden. Metronomic.

Any excuse.

83rd over: Australia 283-8 (Wade 50, Lyon 5). Mercifully for OBO purposes, Kuldeep bowls his overs like a normal person and not in 60-75 seconds ala Jadeja/O’Keefe/Ashwin. Welcome relief comparatively. After Lyon swept another single, Wade gets his 50 from the last ball of the over, via a whip to midwicket. 113 balls. First half-century of the series, and since returning to the Test XI in November. Couldn’t have picked a better time.

Amid everything that's happened this series, where does Virat Kohli rocking a luminous yellow bib with no shirt rank? Top 2? #IndvAus

— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) March 25, 2017

82nd over: Australia 280-8 (Wade 48, Lyon 4). Four leg byes gets the Australian balcony excited, as they think Wade hit it and it’ll lodge his half-century. He’ll have to wait. Handy runs, of course. One to deep square gets him to 48. Lyon heads to a similar part of the ground with a sweep. Plays that shot compulsively. Hope he continues to for the rest of his career.

81st over: Australia 274-8 (Wade 47, Lyon 3). No new ball, Kuldeep continuing to Wade. He takes a single early in the over down the ground to expose Lyon. I say expose. It’s not as though he can’t bat. He’s played some extremely valuable hands. But not this series, facing only 34 balls so far for 21 runs. Two into deep midwicket will build some confidence. The last one just about went past the edge though, another excellent googly from the young spinner.

80th over: Australia 271-8 (Wade 46, Lyon 1). Another quick single ends the other. Sure. Whatever gets you going, fellas. Second new ball due. Reckon they’ll look at it. Bhuvi hasn’t had a jam roll for a while. Worth a crack to try and roll through Australia before stumps. Yeah? We’ll see in a tic.

Aust look like having to bowl tonight and given lunch score that is one of their poorest efforts of the entire series

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) March 25, 2017

WICKET! O'Keefe run out 8 (Australia 269-8)

Well, it can’t be said that this wasn’t on the cards. Twice this pair have looked shaky between the wickets. This time around, the substitute Iyer has enough time to get the throw into Saha who does the rest. A long time taken by the third umpire to arrive at the decision - determining if the glove or ball hit the stumps first - but it matters not. From short fine leg, the quick single has not been worth it. Dear oh dear.

79th over: Australia 269-7 (Wade 45, O’Keefe 8). Wade has a sound handle on Kuldeep, a clever glide behind point getting him a single. O’Keefe does the rest, content to defend. Drinks out there now. One wicket for Australia in the hour obviously one more than ideal, but they would probably have taken that at the tea break.

78th over: Australia 268-7 (Wade 44, O’Keefe 8). Yadav to O’Keefe for the bulk of this one. The no. 9 is growing in confidence, evidenced by the glorious on-drive he unfurled to end the over. Have that!

77th over: Australia 263-7 (Wade 43, O’Keefe 4). Wade at is best there, meeting Kuldeep’s first ball at the pitch and hitting through the line to the long-off rope. That’s his highest score on tour. But he’s been, to be fair, a fraction better than that sounds. A single down to the same area adds to the score later in the over. But then... nearly a run out. From nowhere, O’Keefe wants to take on the man at mid-off. He’ll be glad they didn’t go through with it.

Time for a bit of stinginess from Jadeja. Dry spell for the batsmen and force the mistake. #IndvAus

— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) March 25, 2017

76th over: Australia 258-7 (Wade 38, O’Keefe 4). Runs! Nine of them. Wade’s steer through the cordon isn’t the most convincing stroke he’s played today, but it was with soft enough hands for it not to be a bother. Then O’Keefe plays the shot of the session! On about off-stump he stepped over to clip like Mark Waugh. Yeah, I know that’s the second time I’ve dropped his name today. Australia’s 250 is up along the way.

Ross McGillvray in with some thoughts. “I heard Ian Chappell say one time the best Tests were often when the team batting first made between 280 and 340 and didn’t take too long getting them I reckon a good first day is the team batting first bowled out half an hour before stumps for around 300 with one batsman making century and one bowler getting four or five. That might happen today. Then it’s game on.”

Good shout. Doubly so because Chappelli said it.

75th over: Australia 249-7 (Wade 33, O’Keefe 0). What would be the repercussions for a run out right now? A question we nearly learned the answer to when O’Keefe was dashing to the non-strikers end with Jadeja the man trying to throw the stumps down. Bold play, given the regularity in which he hits. But he’s safe. Wade looks good. But his job is nowhere near done.

Pete Salmon likes my stat. “You can’t tease us like that re slow strike rates! Any list that has O’Keefe followed by Rackemann is by definition not dreary. Can you give the full list, or a link? My mind is whirring at the moment, wondering who the otehr ten are. Tom Hogan? Julian Weiner? We have a right to know.”

Allow me to explore. It lives somewhere.

74th over: Australia 246-7 (Wade 30, O’Keefe 0). Umesh gets another go here as well, perhaps with a view to giving the Australian lower order a work out with a bit of reverse swing at pace. Wade takes one out to point, O’Keefe now in charge. He’s beaten outside the off-stump at a delivery he should be leaving well alone.

Epic Smith notches third century of series: https://t.co/IOTh164Tmt #INDvAUS

— cricket.com.au Video (@CricketVideo) March 25, 2017

73rd over: Australia 245-7 (Wade 29, O’Keefe 0). We know O’Keefe can defend. That much is shown again to play out the Kuldeep over. Want a fact to prove it? From when balls faced became a reliable measure in 1980, he has the slowest strike rate of any Australian batsmen for those who have played a minimum of ten innings. It’s 18, in case you were wondering. And Big Carl Rackemann is second on that dreary list. You’re welcome.

WICKET! Cummins c&b Kuldeep 21 (Australia 245-7)

At the very moment these two looked under control, Cummins has returned the easiest of catches to the debutant, giving him a fourth wicket! Not much more to that one, the Australian coming down the track a fraction, looking to force the spinner through the air down the ground. But he didn’t get enough of it, beaten in flight perhaps, and that is that. The partnership, handy as it was, ends on 37.

72nd over: Australia 242-6 (Wade 26, Cummins 21). Good or a bad thing for Australia that batting looks easier by the over? Three times in the over Wade and Cummins are able to milk easy singles through the off-side off Ashwin.

An email in from Paul. He’s from Dublin. Morning, Paul.

“Whatever happened to the idea of just batting for two days to kill the game? Aussies showed a hint of same last match but have again lost the plot! Much like the obviously heretical suggestion of a back four staying in its own half for all 90 mins to eh defend. Man City vs Liverpool was like watching an under 10s, all running after ball!”

71st over: Australia 239-6 (Wade 24, Cummins 20). Kuldeep’s back. From the Southern End where he did his earlier damage. And it is back to back maidens. Cummins would have seen his teammates come and go to the wrist spin after lunch, and is taking no chances to begin with.

70th over: Australia 239-6 (Wade 24, Cummins 20). After collecting nine from the previous over, Wade happy watch and defend Ashwin throughout this over. It’s a maiden. Significantly, he’s now batting in a baggy green. Like it. A lot.

69th over: Australia 239-6 (Wade 24, Cummins 20). Busy, busy. Wade knocking it around, getting Cummins down there for Jadeja’s last couple. His response? Bang, bang! He clobbers the best bowler in the world over midwicket first time around, then goes slightly straighter next time around. Not to be underestimated, this bloke.

68th over: Australia 230-6 (Wade 23, Cummins 12). They trade in singles to start Ashwin’s new over, Wade behind square then Cummins with soft hands past slip. Wade sweeps for another, before Cummins defends the remainder. Look alright here, don’t they?

Phil Withall has dropped a line on Smith and his fancy numbers. “Reading the stat about Steve Smith and his speed with scoring centuries and it dawned on me that he is still only 27 years old. Given a touch of luck with injuries he potentially has another 7-8 years in him. What do you think he could achieve?”

Hard to judge when he hasn’t had a bad patch since returning to this side. Nothing prolonged. But with so much time, Ponting’s record should be within reach.

67th over: Australia 227-6 (Wade 21, Cummins 11). Handling Jadeja well too, is Cummins. Round to wicket is the approach, and Cummins responds by using his big old front pad, right alongside his blade. Technically perfect. When Jadeja threw it up, Cummins was up to that ask too, smashing it down the ground for his second boundary.

While all eyes have been on Kuldeep, understandably, Rahane has been spot on with captaincy: bowling changes, field placements ... #IndvAus

— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) March 25, 2017

66th over: Australia 223-6 (Wade 21, Cummins 7). Cummins really looking the part defending Ashwin. Didn’t trouble the scorers last week, but rarely lets any side down that he plays for with that bat. Had plenty of time to practice, I guess. A single to long-on ensures the board keeps ticking as well.

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65th over: Australia 222-6 (Wade 21, Cummins 6). Really nice batting from Wade. In control against Jadeja defending throughout. Then, when set, used the feet to meet the delivery at the pitch before clipping with lovely timing through midwicket for a boundary.

Let’s remember that Wade is in this XI for his batting. That’s why he replaced Nevill. Not the Nice Garry stuff. He’s made a couple of Test tons. Both excellent. He’s done it at ODI level as well. My point? He’s due. Big time. And now he has a start.

64th over: Australia 218-6 (Wade 17, Cummins 6). Cummins get off the mark with a six! Just as I was writing that, despite not having yet scored, don’t expect him to be livin’ la vida loca any time soon. Mature lad, young Cummins. To be fair, it was a perfectly safe shot to a ball that deserved to go, well overpitched.

63rd over: Australia 212-6 (Wade 17, Cummins 0). The best bowler in the world, according to the ICC, barely got a trundle in the second session. Kuldeep made sure of that from the southern end. Wade is busy in response to his first over of the spell, twice sweeping for two. He tries to make it three on the trot but doesn’t make contact. At his best when he’s busy.

Teatime 'live' #sketch Handscomb bowled; Saha keeping #IndvAus #INDvsAUS @guerillacricket @Sofa_Katie @abdulhayemehta #cricket #drawing pic.twitter.com/P9dojj98Qh

— Dr. Dan Diaper (@DrDanDiaper) March 25, 2017
Adam Collins
Adam Collins

Well, I did my bit.

Australia were cruising when I left you at lunch. A lot of chat about how hard it is to lose a Test from 1/131 at the first break. India were flat, their primary spin weapons somewhat blunted. Then Kuldeep Yadav (and Geoff) showed up. What a fine spell from the 22-year-old on the debut, with a bag of tricks full of big turning leg-breaks, useful topppies and sharp googlies. Where we he a month ago? Well bowled, young man.

Steve Smith. 20 Test tons in 54 Tests. That’s the third fastest ever by that measure (or fourth, if carving up by innings). Either way, he’s a freak. Third hundred of the series too.

But he won’t care for all of that. He has said to us in the media pack repeatedly one session would make or break the series. Maybe we’ve just seen it? At the very least it’ll take plenty for the visitors to find a credible first innings total from here.

Whatever happens, I’ll be here to gently guide you through the final couple of hours. You were very chatty earlier on. Let’s hope that spirit remains irrespective of the scorecard. Email and twitter the way to do it. I’ll give you my mobile number if you really want.

Work. Now required by Australia.

Tea - India on top, Australia at 208-6

Well and truly a session won for India. The pitch looks pretty good, the bounce looks pretty true, and still thye’ve managed to stack up five Australian wickets including the century-making captain Steve Smith. He notched his 20th, but will be angry that he didn’t go on when his team was struggling. Soft dismissals really for Marsh, Handscomb and Maxwell, and a strange one for Smith. Only Warner got a ball that really made his life difficult. Perhaps the batsmen’s eyes lit up at seeing a pitch with the truer bounce they’re more accustomed to at home. But I’m confident that India will make plenty on this surface, so if Australia can’t rally to post at least 300, they’re in real trouble.

That’s it from me, Adam Collins will be back for the last session of Day 1. Do unto him as you would have him do unto you.

61st over: Australia 208-6 (Wade 13, Cummins 0)

So close to tea, and Wade wants to get there. Blocks out Kuldeep’s over, back for one last twirl, and so ends India’s session.

60th over: Australia 208-6 (Wade 13, Cummins 0)

At least Smith’s wicket distracts from Wade’s horror shot earlier that same over. Ashwin bowled outside his off stump, wide, and somehow Wade tried to heave across the line, which looked even worse as the ball spun sharply away. Ugg boots. Then another one went off the pitch and got away for a bye. Cummins has one ball to negotiate at the end, and does so.

WICKET! Smith c Rahane b Ashwin 111

And the fox has been run to ground! The key wicket, Australia in real trouble now. Good batting conditions, but they’ve let the opportunity slip. It was Smith holding the innings together, but four minutes short of tea he goes. Just a simple misjudgement. Ashwin around the wicket, at the stumps, the ball straightens a touch. Smith plays a defensive push, may have just lapsed in concentration as he goes at it quite casually. Doesn’t quite read the line, and it takes a thick outside edge to slip.

59th over: Australia 207-5 (Smith 111, Wade 13)

@GeoffLemonSport no 20th Century pun?

— Ruthina (@Ruthina77) March 25, 2017

Devastated to have missed this chance. Steve Smith is a 20th century fox. He plays a gorgeous back cut to Jadeja, four to start the over. Then guides a single square. Wade jams down on a straight ball to get an awkward run.

58th over: Australia 201-5 (Smith 106, Wade 12)

Ashwin. A maiden. A Waiden? Wade faces it. Apparently Smith has reached 20 Test hundreds in by far the fewest Test by anyone, 54 to Tendulkar’s 69.

57th over: Australia 201-5 (Smith 106, Wade 12)

I was wrong. Quickly. Kuldeep off. Jadeja on. Three singles, and the 200 up.

56th over: Australia 198-5 (Smith 105, Wade 10)

As we all know by now, Steve Smith met the Dalai Lama the other day. He seems to be channelling that in his monkish occupation. He has a mantra, muttered each ball. Back, and work to leg. Back, and work to leg. Again, to Ashwin. Again, single. Wade ruins the synchrony with an enthusiastic paddle shot.

Did the Dalai Lama try to boop the snoot of Steve Smith? pic.twitter.com/tzIgwsqXLb

— Andrew Brown (@AndrewBrownAU) March 25, 2017

55th over: Australia 196-5 (Smith 104, Wade 9)

Kuldeep might just bowl all day. Has Matthew Wade defending, defending, defending. Then there’s a hefty drive, straight into the close catcher’s body on the bounce, and it ricochets off for a run. Smith, as ever, back and works to leg.

54th over: Australia 194-5 (Smith 103, Wade 8)

Here is Ashwin, as we say his name. Operating around the wicket to the right-handed Smith. Yet another leg-side flick for one. He’s batting like Younis Khan right now. Wade nicks the next ball to get off strike to third man. Smith defends.

“Hi Geoff,” chirps Pat Howe to follow on from Ben’s comment. “Is this Peak Marsh? Played a matchsaving innings last time, in goodish form, on a nice Australian style deck, no scoreboard pressure, captain up the other end on 85. And he manages to flick a ball behind to the keeper. It’s Marshier than the Mekong Delta.”

Indeed. The Edward Nygma of the Australian team.

53rd over: Australia 192-5 (Smith 102, Wade 7)

Kuldeep was the surprise pick, but he’s the main man now. Smith works a single. Wade sees it out. Kuldeep has bowled 13 overs, Ashwin 10, Jadeja 6.

52nd over: Australia 191-5 (Smith 101, Wade 7)

Matty Wade has had enough, and he’s not gonna take it any more. He resists the first few short balls from Yadav, but finallyone is in his slot and he pulls it for six over fine leg.

Ben Jordan emails in, though I found it a bit late. “Only just caught up on the action, may I point out that the aussie line-up as listed here includes ‘Shun Marsh’. Apart from the obvious jokes, it made me feel a bit for S Marsh, if it wasn’t for his surname and the fact that he got picked a few times in the past when he probably shouldn’t have, he might be something of a hero at the moment. Maybe he is anyway? A good knock in this one and there might be a statue in it I reckon.”

Oh, the humanity.

Century! Smith 101 from 151 balls

51st over: Australia 185-5 (Smith 101, Wade 1)

A couple of singles, then Kuldeep bowls leg side, Smith flicks fine, and there is his 20th Test century. What a momentous achievement. No visiting captain has ever made three in a series in India. Well, one has now. All the people who spoke of roads when Smith was making them against India at home, well, now he’s done it away. Seven hundreds in his last eight Tests against India. What? An average of 93 against India. What? An average of 70 in India. This is absurd. It is ridiculous. It really is.

Steve Smith celebrates his century. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
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