Australia vs India Test: Australia Ahead on Day 1, Labuschagne Scores a Hundred

Brisbane, 15/1: Australia ends day 1 of the Brisbane Test with 274-5. Captain Tim Paine and Cameron Green are not out on 38 and 28 respectively. Marnus Labuschagne scored a scintillating hundred to give Australia a strong base for a big score. For India T Natarajan was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 2 wickets for 63 runs.

Previously Australia won the toss and batted first. They made one change to their side, Marcus Harris came in place of Will Pucovski. From the Indian side, 4 changes were made, Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, and Mayank Aggarwal came in for Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Hanuma Vihari, and Jasprit Bumrah. All the changes from both sides were due to injuries.

Australia lost its star opener David Warner in the very first over. Marcus Harris also departed when the score was 17. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne joined hands to stitch together a partnership of 60 runs. After Smith’s dismissal of Sundar’s delivery, Matthew Wade and Marnus attacked the inexperienced Indian Bowling Attack. Both had a partnership of over 100 runs to put Australia in a position of strength. For India Siraj, Thakur and Sundar picked up a wicket each, and Natarajan took 2 wickets. Injury concerns loom over India here too. Pacer Navdeep Saini was taken to the hospital for scans after he complained of a groin injury in the middle of his spell.

Australia will look to score anything around 400 on Day 2 and put Indian batting under pressure. The lack of experience in the bowling line up has to be compensated by the Indian batting. Asking this young Bowling attack, with Navdeep Saini struggling with an injury to wrap up Australia under 400 is too much to ask. Though picking up half the Australian side including the wicket of Smith and Labuschagne is a great feat for India’s bowling attack.