IND vs AUS, 1st Session Report: Kuhnemann, Lyon Rip Through India's Star-Studded lineup
Kuhnemann picked up 3 wickets [AP Photos]
Producing a rank turner back-fired on India as the home side found no answer to Australia's guile with the ball, and are tottering at 84 for 7.
Australia were heavily criticised for going in with three spinners in the Delhi Test, and they backed the formula once again, going in with three front-line spinners, and two pacers.
Opting to bat first, India started off on a good note. Shubman Gill had replaced KL Rahul and the former looked good for his short stay. The boundary floodgates opened and Gill struck at 116.67.
However, the good start was about to get ruined when the spinners came into the attack. Matthew Kuhnemann, who looked average on his Test debut in the previous game, brought his best in the Indore Test and ripped through India's top-order.
Rohit Sharma, who was given an early lifeline by umpire Nitin Menon, couldn't capitalise on the opportunity and failed in front of the wily spinner. He went after Kuhnemann and missed the slog. The keeper was alert as Rohit's back-foot was out of the crease, and Carey took the bails off in a flash.
One brought the end of another as Gill departed seven runs later. He pushed hard at the off-break and the outside-edge was safely taken by Smith at first slip.
In the space of next 11 runs, three more wickets went down, with Cheteshwar Pujara (1), Ravindra Jadeja (4), and Shreyas Iyer (0), all failing to get going on a surface, which produced turn and bounce and almost looked unplayable at times.
The moment of the session arrived when Nathan Lyon castled Pujara's stumps. The ball pitched well outside the off as Pujara was on the back-foot. But it spun back sharply and also kept low to knock over the stumps.
With half the side back in the hut, Virat Kohli and KS Bharat started the repair process. Kohli looked astute in the Delhi Test, and looked comfortable against the Aussie spin trio here, but Murphy his nemesis, trapped him lbw for 22.
Australian spinners continued to trouble the Indian batters and Lyon was rewarded with the wicket of Srikar Bharat.
Talking Points
- Rohit survived two close calls: In the first over itself, Nitin Menon's two wrong decisions saved Rohit Sharma. He nicked a Starc delivery back to Carey, but umpire didn't raisw his fingers. In the third delivery of the same over, the Indian skipper survived another close lbw shout.
- Pujara's dismissal shows the nature of the pitch: The ball from Nathan Lyon pitched way outside the off, but it spun back sharply and Pujara had no answer for it. Not only bounce, but the low bounce is an alarming sign already.
Brief Score
India: 84-7 (26)
Virat Kohli: 22 (52), Shubman Gill 21 (18);
Matthew Kuhnemann 3-14 (6), Nathan Lyon 3-23 (8)
 "Anurag Dasgupta")
