IND vs AUS: Handscomb stealing 72* push Australian to 263; Shami-Jadeja dismantle tail
IND vs AUS: Shami's four wickets were the most by an India on Day 1
Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja's half-centuries have announced that the Australian team have finally reached India. However, despite those two class knocks, the home team bowled inside 79 overs.
At the end, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are unbeaten batters as India are trailing by 242 runs at stumps on Day 1.
IND vs AUS: Handscomb's handsome knock
The third session began with a score at 199-6, Handscomb was then Pat Cummins at the crease, and the partnership between them was the thing that happened for Australia in the entire day.
The dual seemed comfortable and scored runs easily against seamers and tweakers. During their 59-run partnership, when Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj were bowling, both the batters not only pulled Australia out of trouble but put them ahead in the game - for a brief period.
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IND vs AUS: Handscomb scored an impressive 72* on Day 1
However, an arm ball from Ravindra Jadeja saw Cummins' back. It came from nowhere, and just like that, the left-armer scalped Todd Murphy in the same over. But then Handscomb put his feet on the accelerator, sharing stands with Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann.
To counter them, captain Rohit Sharma brought Mohammed Shami into the attack, and the seamer castled Lyon with a corker.
The Aussies could have gotten bundled on 256 when Handscomb got bowled, but a no-ball saved him. They added 7 runs more to the total before Shami knocked Kuhnemann's stumps.
Alas, the right-hander, who undoubtedly was Australia's best batter on the day, could not convert his fifty into a three-figure mark, going back to the hut on 72*.
IND vs AUS: Rohit-Rahul kept AUS at bay
With 9 overs remaining in the day, the Indian openers came out with just one motivation: to stay unbeaten till the end of the day.
IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma is unbeaten 13 after Day 1
Rohit started off the proceeding with a cut stroke past the backward point for a boundary; however, KL Rahul took some time to find his feet. The latter somehow played a couple of ones that stayed super low. Rohit, too, survived a close shave when he got a decision overturned off Lyon.
Eventually, the Indian duo ticked one box, and they will start the second day as overnight batters.
IND vs AUS: Talking points
A few balls from spinners kept low when the spinners were bowling from the Delhi Gate End; however, just the Nagpur pitch, this pitch offered at Delhi is only playable. So the batters, as Handscomb and Khawaja did, need to apply themselves to the condition to score here.
Australia could have bundled well below 200, but the partnership between Handscomb and Cummins could become the turning point of this game.
Jadeja's twin blow gave India the momentum; however, the left-armer needs to work on where his landing foot finishes.
IND vs AUS: Brief Score
Australia - 263/10 (78.4 overs)
Usman Khawaja - 81, Peter Handscomb - 72*
Md. Shami - 4/60 (14.4), Ravi Ashwin - 3/57 (21)
India - 21/0 (9 overs)
Rohit Sharma - 13*, KL Rahul - 4*
Matthew Kuhnemann - 0/6 (3)
IND vs AUS: India trail by 242 runs.
 "Arjun Bhalla")
