India dominate Australia on first day

NAGPUR: Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja said Thursday the Nagpur pitch was not a rank turner despite a five-wicket haul on his international return for the first Test against Australia.

Jadeja returned figures of 5-47 and fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took three more to bowl out Australia for 177 in the final session on a turning wicket.

In reply, India were 77 for one at stumps, with skipper Rohit Sharma on 56 and Ashwin, yet to score, at the crease. The hosts still trail Australia by 100 runs.

Rohit batted with ease on a pitch which a few Australian pundits suggested was “doctored” after reports said the bone-dry wicket was selectively watered to give undue advantage to the Indian spinners.

“It’s not a rank turner at all and for a first-day wicket it was slow and had low bounce,” Jadeja, a left-arm orthodox bowler who came back into the Indian side after a knee injury, told reporters.

“It was not like it was difficult to defend for the batsmen but as the match will progress it will turn more.” Rohit began by hitting three boundaries off Australian skipper Pat Cummins’ first over, and put on 76 runs with opening partner KL Rahul, who made a laboured 20.

The Indian captain reached his fifty with a four off Nathan Lyon and remained sharp to see off the day’s play.

Rahul fell caught and bowled off debutant spinner Todd Murphy, who celebrated his first Test wicket.

Jadeja stood out with his guile, taking key wickets including those of Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (37) to end their third-wicket fightback.

Peter Handscomb (31) and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey (36) put on a partnership of 53 before Ashwin ended Carey’s spell at the crease to record his 450th Test wicket.

Score Board

Australia won the toss

Australia 1st Innings

Warner b Shami 1

Khawaja b Siraj 1

Labuschagne st Bharat b Jadeja 49

Smith b Jadeja 37

Renshaw lbw b Jadeja 0

Handscomb lbw b Jadeja 31

Carey b Ashwin 36

Cummins c Kohli b Ashwin 6

Murphy lbw b Jadeja 0

Lyon not out 0

Boland b Ashwin 1

Extras: (b7, lb5, nb3) 15

Total: (all out, 63.5 overs) 177

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-84, 4-84, 5-109, 6-162, 7-172, 8-173, 9-176, 10-177

Bowling: M. Shami 9-4-18-1, M. Siraj 7-3-30-1, Jadeja 22-8-47-5 (nb3), Patel 10-3-28-0, Ashwin 15.5-2-42-3

India 1st Innings

Rohit Sharma 56

Rahul c&b Murphy 20

Ashwin 0

Total (one out, 24 overs) 77

Yet to bat: C. Pujara, V. Kohli, S. Yadav, S. Bharat, R. Jadeja, A. Patel, M. Shami, M. Siraj

Fall of wickets: 1-76

Bowling: P. Cummins 4-1-27-0, S. Boland 3-1-4-0, N. Lyon 10-3-33-0, T. Murphy 7-0-13-1 (nb1)

Umpires: Nitin Menon, Richard Illingworth