AUS vs IND: 4th Test – New-look India punch above their weight on Day 1
India began the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a bowling attack that had a combined experience of four Test matches. With the series hanging in balance, it was crucial for this fresh bowling attack to step up to the plate and keep the challenge alive, and step up they did. On a pitch that hardly offered any support, the Indian bowlers managed to dismiss five Australian batsmen on the opening day. The home side finished the day’s play with a score of 274/5 in 87 overs.
The debutants:
With Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin ruled out of the final Test due to injuries, India had to brood in two debutants in form of Washington Sundar and T Natarajan. Both stayed behind with the squad after their white-ball matches as net bowlers. However, the Tamil Nadu duo earned the distinction of becoming 300th and 301st Test cricketers for India. The duo didn’t disappoint by any means. Sundar picked up Steve Smith as his maiden Test scalp. The left-arm Natarajan, on the other hand, got rid of centurion Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade.
Let’s hear it for @Sundarwashi5, who gets his #TeamIndia ? from @ashwinravi99. He stayed back after the white-ball format to assist the team and is now the proud holder of cap number 301. ?? pic.twitter.com/DY1AwPV0HP
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2021
Rahane’s dropped catch
India could have been in a more dominant position had Ajinkya Rahane not given Labuschagne a lifeline. In the 36th over of the Aussie innings, speedster Navdeep Saini’s delivery straightened and found the batsman’s outside edge. The delivery was such that Labuschagne had to play at it.
But Rahane, at gully, couldn’t hold on to the catch. At that point in time, Marnus was batting on 37 runs and he went on to make India pay for the dropped chance. The right-hander notched his fifth century in Tests. It, eventually, was Natarajan, who accounted for his wicket when he was on 108.
Labuschagne’s red-hot form
Ever since he was roped in as Steve Smith’s concussion substitute, Labuschagne’s career graph has only gone higher. He averages in excess of 60 with five tons and 10 half-centuries in only his 18th Test match. In the last one and half years, he has turned himself into bedrock of Australia’s batting.
The 26-year-old had a massive task at hand after David Warner and Marcus Harris perished in the single digits. To start with, he put on 70 runs with Smith after which he shared a 113-run partnership with Wade. After getting to his ton, he gave his wicket to Natarajan through a mistimed pull shot.
