Advantage Australia on turning track: How day one of the Indore Test played out

India v Australia, scorecard

Left-arm orthodox spinner Matthew Kuhnemann led the Australia effort with his 5/18, getting good support from off-spinners Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy, as India were bowled out for 109.

Australia ended the day at 156/4 with Peter Handscomb (7*) and Cameron Green (6*) unbeaten.

World Test Championship standings

Hosts falter against spin

Australia missed out on a wicket off the very first ball of the game, when they failed to review a nick off Rohit Sharma against Mitchell Starc’s bowling.

However, they didn’t put a foot wrong after that. Kuhnemann accounted for both India openers in the space of nine balls.

India’s under-fire middle order struggled as Kuhnemann and Lyon ran amok on a helpful Indore surface. Murphy chipped in by getting India star Virat Kohli leg-before, the third time the spinner has taken Kohli’s wicket in as many games on this tour.

With his 3/35, Lyon overtook Courtney Walsh to become the third-most successful visiting bowler in India. Lyon has 45 wickets in the country at an average of 29.26. Only Derek Underwood (54) and Richie Benaud (52) lie ahead of him.

India’s lower-order failed to get going for the first time in the series, though Axar Patel remained unbeaten on 12*.

India were bowled out for 109, their fourth-lowest total against Australia at home, merely half an hour into the second session.

Australia make most of India errors

The visitors gave a much better account for themselves on a turning deck, where a number of deliveries kept low. The Australia batters backed their defense, while also going for their shots whenever the bowlers lost their discipline.

They were aided by some mistakes made by India on the field. Ravindra Jadeja had Marnus Labuschagne bowled for a duck in the fourth over, but it turned out that the all-rounder had overstepped.

India also burned two DRS reviews in the first 10 overs, reviewing lbw calls that missed the stumps.

This made them reluctant to review a close lbw shout against Labuschagne off Ashwin in the 11th over. It turned out that India would’ve had a wicket if they’d opted for a DRS review.

Labuschagne went on to score 31 runs in a crucial 96-run partnership with Usman Khawaja (60), but Jadeja went on to eventually dismiss the former to break the stand.

Jadeja with 4/69 was the pick of India's bowlers, accounting for all the Australia wickets. Australia have a handy lead of 47 runs and with six wickets in hand, are clearly ahead at this stage.