Australia v India: first Test, day one – live!

Oh yes, that’s very out! Beating the inside edge, hitting leg stump halfway up. It’s taken Mitch Starc just four deliveries with the second new ball to make another impression. Fantastic fast bowling from the Australia’s pink-ball whiz.

HAS STARC PINNED RAHANE LBW? The umprie says YES, the Indian vice-captain is walking off… and then decides to review at the last moment. Upstairs we go!

80th over: India 193-4 (Rahane 42, Vihari 4) This isn’t anything like Brett Lee’s debut 20 years ago, but when considering we’re yet to see this young man bat, he is leaving an impression like that of the blonde bombshell on 27/12/1999. Melbourne. With his final over of the night, there’s shape and carry and he’s sharp. Exciting.

79th over: India 192-4 (Rahane 42, Vihari 3) Two overs until the new ball is due with Starc, which promises to be eventful with Rahane surely struggling with the realisation of what he’s done to Kohli. Not to mention the new man Vihari, trying to get into the groove after 9pm local time. He’s off the mark with a stylish drive here off Lyon though, through cover from the middle off his bat.

78th over: India 188-4 (Rahane 41, Vihari 0) That raised hand from Rahane, how that will be played over and over and over again. One of the great barbeques. Kohli throws his gloves as he crosses the line. Green’s turn to go again, getting a pop at the new man Vihari. Five minutes ago, this was trending India’s way. Now, with that one moment, Australia have a chance to get very busy over the next 50 minutes. Ohhh, and he beats the bat! That’s not far away. Lovely pace and carry.

And a wicket they get! The biggest in the game. What a mess! Rahane pushed to extra cover and said yes, Kohli was coming, Rahane said no, run out by metres!

77th over: India 188-4 (Rahane 41)

76th over: India 185-3 (Kohli 72, Rahane 40) Ajinkya Rahane! Hook Pat Cummins for SIX why don’t you! Outstanding counterattacking cricket from the No5, moving into the 40s. He’s served his skipper so well either side of tea, keeping the board ticking over throughout. After a fantastic first session, Australia are under just a little bit of pressure with 14 overs to go before the close. They need one here.

75th over: India 178-3 (Kohli 72, Rahane 34) Oh Virat, that is a sumptuous off-drive – you get four for those. “Shot of the day,” says Simon Katich on SEN. Yup. It’s the time of the day when commentary discussions turn to the chance that Australia had to get rid of the Indian captain. In case you missed it, he gloved a ball to short leg but Paine decided not to review the on-field decision. Eeek.

74th over: India 171-3 (Kohli 67, Rahane 32) Back from their drink, it’s Cummins to go again. That’s fine with Rahane, who gives himself time to play as late as possible, opening the blade to steer four down to third man. Nothing wrong with the ball but some measured risk from the India vice-captain. To square leg next, a single on offer there. This day is perfectly balanced with 65 minutes to go.

73rd over: India 166-3 (Kohli 67, Rahane 27) Rahane is still looking to tick the board over, going at a better clip than Kohli in recent times, driving neatly through cover for a couple then cutting Lyon behind point. Good angles. That’s drinks.

“Morning Adam.” Hello, Luke Richardson. “Listening on BBC Sounds app and love that we can tune into Adelaide (albeit cooler than in my imagination) from a damp UK.” You can also pick up the call I’m on in the UK, via SEN, all series from tomorrow on. Indeed, I can hear the other members of my Hotel Quarantine floor leaving their rooms as I type. We leave at 4am for the airport – praise be! Freedom!

72nd over: India 163-3 (Kohli 67, Rahane 24) Cummins oversteps twice in a row to start his new over. To be very clear, if you haven’t been watching on today, the front line is now the job of the TV umpire – at last! And the job is being done nicely. This is the first time Australia have played a Test with the new playing condition; it shouldn’t be long before they adjust. Rahane deflects three down to third man later in the over. Actually, watching the replay, that’s an edge. But safe all the same.

71st over: India 157-3 (Kohli 66, Rahane 21) NG Lyon is back to replace Starc, a shift to put in before the second new ball. I’ve been at most of these pink-ball Tests and it is fascinating the extent to which the second new ball dictates behaviour in the night session. But he’ll want to do more than hold an end up, through Rahane with a beauty – that bounce! – two byes. Some controversy to end the over, Rahane taking a couple more behind point, but umpire Bruce Oxenford has pinged them one short run for Kohli’s turn. Watching the replay back, his bat was easily over the line! What’s going on there? He’s not having a good first day, that’s for sure.

70th over: India 154-3 (Kohli 66, Rahane 20) Another maiden form Hazlewood, this time keeping Kohli quiet with some handy shape away from the right-hander.

Interesting take here from Gary Naylor, which makes a fair bit of sense. Given there is no real penalty for over rates at the moment (oh, sorry, nominal fines, that’ll do it) this might be exactly what they’re angling for with the over rate here.

69th over: India 154-3 (Kohli 66, Rahane 20) Rahane is ticking over over nicely here, stroking two through the covers – no risk with that shot. Oh wait, disregard, he’s just has a slash at a wide one and missed. Not far away from that edge.

68th over: India 152-3 (Kohli 66, Rahane 18) Hello, a Josh Hazlewood slower one! We see him bowl that knuckle ball in one-day cricket quite often but rarely in the long form. It beats the blade comfortably after taking off from the seam, prompting a smile from the Indian skipper. He doesn’t miss when the short ball follows, slamming a second pull shot to the boundary in the space of two overs. Shot.

67th over: India 148-3 (Kohli 62, Rahane 18) There’s the Kohli pull shot, which we haven’t seen since the over where Starc took a chunk out of his right thumb during the middle session. Fantastic technique. But the big quick has a win of his own later in the set, finding a big inside edge that balloons in the air but not to hand.

I’m not listening to the Seven call at the moment but evidently there was a bit of a disagreement between Ricky Ponting and Pete Lalor about Joe Burns’ selection, the former captain supporting his retention. There’ll be plenty of that between now and when the Queenslander walks out to bat at some stage tomorrow.

NOT OUT! Rahane has made it with the dive. Head had the presence of mind to flick underarm rather than picking up the ball to stand up. That’s what they practice day after day, those direct hit throws.

66th over: India 141-3 (Kohli 55, Rahane 18) Earlier in the over, there was a shout for leg before but Hazlewood’s delivery clipped plenty of inside edge before crashing into Kohli’s pad. Plenty of action as day becomes night at Adelaide.

IS RAHANE RUN OUT? We’re going upstairs; brilliant from Travis Head.

65th over: India 140-3 (Kohli 54, Rahane 18) Nice punch from Rahane off the back foot, timing it crisply past point down to the rope. Lyon has put in a brilliant diving effort though – has he kept that in? I reckon he might have. Yep, after multiple TV replays, that is the decision of the third umpire – three runs, not four. Kohli defends then watches then plays with soft hands into the off side, taking a quick single to retain the strike. Shots of the Adelaide members enclosure, which would usually be heeeeaving at this time of night. Not quite so this year in order to maintain social distancing, but it still looks like a nice place to spend an hour.

64th over: India 136-3 (Kohli 53, Rahane 15) Hazlewood joins Starc back into the attack. So, Lyon to get a brief break as the lights really start to take over. Of course, he’s bang on the money to Kohli from the get-go. That’s five maidens from his 13. He and Cummins, especially, are just so accurate and difficult to score off.

63rd over: India 136-3 (Kohli 53, Rahane 15) Righto, Starc is back. It’ll be interesting how Paine manages these 18 overs until the second new ball – a short burst from his pink-ball stud here, then back to Hazlewood? He’s only bowled 13 now for the day, so no concerns about his workload. Good wheels, lovely carry. That Adelaide sky is about to get very colourful – can’t wait. A real drawcard for this Test.

62nd over: India 133-3 (Kohli 52, Rahane 14) Rahane is watchful then expansive, getting down low to take advantage of the big gap behind square for Lyon, sweeping the spinner expertly down to the rope for four. Fine batting, this.

61st over: India 128-3 (Kohli 51, Rahane 10) Not the most convincing stroke from the inside edge past short leg, but it is enough for Kohli to bring up his half-century. Far from his fluent best, taking 123 balls to get to this mark, but what a fantastic record he has at this ground. Rahane also gets a single from Cummins early in the over, his behind square. Kohli defends then ducks. There’s another no-ball called by the TV umpire, which is great to see – at last, a solution to that problem. Kohli finishes with one more, eased into the off side this time.

60th over: India 124-3 (Kohli 49, Rahane 9) Kohli goes at Lyon but doesn’t quite get to the pitch, his outside edge trickling away for three. “Intriguing,” says Gerard Whateley, summing this contest up in a word, as he does so well. The good oil from those at the ground is that we’re about 20 minutes away from the witching hour, where anything can (and often does) happen in these pink ball Tests. But as we noted at the previous interval, they might not get the full ten overs with the second new ball before the close based on the current over rate. Over to Paine.

59th over: India 119-3 (Kohli 46, Rahane 7) Cummins to Rahane, the pressure building nicely again after the busy over against Lyon. A sharp bouncer to complete the maiden, Cummins’ 7th so far. 13-7-13-1 – tasty numbers.

58th over: India 119-3 (Kohli 46, Rahane 7) Shot. That’s a confidence-booster for Rahane, on the front dog and stroking Lyon against the spin through the gap at extra cover, running away for four. Lyon drags it back a foot or two, giving the vice-captain the chance to score again, cutting one to cover point. Kohli’s turn and he repeats the dose from earlier in the over, getting to the pitch and driving carefully through cover, timed well enough to beat the diving Green on the rope. Classssss.

57th over: India 109-3 (Kohli 41, Rahane 2) Pat Cummins, welcome back to the bowling crease. The way he set Agarwal up earlier today was just glorious. Nothing especially flashy about the process, landing it in a shoebox ala Curtly Ambrose, but when the inducker came the opener was left wanting and lost his middle stump. Kohli has accumulated well either side of the break, all in singles, another here behind square. Rahane, who will take the arm-band from his skipper next week in Melbourne, defends the rest watchfully. Here is that set-up I mentioned:

56th over: India 108-3 (Kohli 40, Rahane 2) Nathan “Garry” Lyon, how will they ever explain this nickname to the generations of kids who will look him up in the Wisden Almanack in 50 years time? ‘Oh, a bloke who played footy for Melbourne shared a last name with him, and that was that.’ Advance Australia Fair. I can hear Marnus under the lid talking about, I think, Secret Santa? There’s a silly point in place when Rahane is on strike but he isn’t in the action here. Tidy re-start for all.

The players are back on the field. I’m moving from TV to radio for this session, picking up the SEN commentary that I’ll be on myself tomorrow once I get out of quarantine in Perth and over to Adelaide first thing. Nathan Lyon will continue, with Kohli on strike. Three men around the bat, no silly point. PLAY!

Great point here from the Wutube. Day-night Tests are all about maths.

Quick plug? Alright, I will. Each evening of the series, Geoff and I are recording an episode of our podcast, The Final Word. When we popped these out in the 2019 English summer, people seemed to like them more than our usual efforts. So, with that glowing anecdotal recommedation in mind, please do join us later tonight!

“Evening, Adam.” G’day, Digvijay Yadav. “Slightly off-piste question today. What’s the Chemistry like between Ponting and Gavaskar on 7? I know Punter was quite gracious on social media and the interaction that they had on zoom but from what I recall they had a prolonged spat in the late noughties.”

That was my recollection as well, around SCG 2007? But as you say, they have been sharing in a lot of social media love. Time the great healer between greats.

“Hi Adam.” Hello, Nigel Smith. “Just woken to a bright Bristol sky to find there is Test Match cricket in the world! Flattery apart I thought your preamble was excellent, “days and day and night and nights of cricket”. You have set me up for the day.” Thank you on behalf of Geoff, who wrote that earlier. But great to have you with us, always nice when England wakes up during an Australian Test.

“Is it too early to conclude that Cameron Green is an amalgam of the best of Lillee and Bradman and will inevitably go down as the greatest of all time?” asks The Clinton. This is definitely the right question to be asking on the available evidence. It might be that he’s Miller and Pucovski is Bradman. Pass it on.

Pat Cummins is talking to TV at the break. I’m not sure there’s much value in this, shouldn’t they let him pop his feet up for the full 20 minutes? Anyway, the main takeaway is that he believes Nath Lyon is pretty good at cricket. And he’s right!

55th over: India 107-3 (Kohli 39, Rahane 2) Marnus Labuschagne is thrown the ball – not a bad shout. But Kohli doesn’t take the bait when he gets a long hop to begin, pulling a single rather than trying to pop it in the stands. Rahane does likewise, then Kohli once more. One ball until the break… defended well. Fantastic cricket across those two hours with 66 runs added, losing Pujara to Lyon along the way.

54th over: India 104-3 (Kohli 37, Rahane 1) Possibly the final over before tea? Kohli plays as though it will be, not taking anything for granted against Lyon. He keeps the strike with a single out past point. Oh, and they have snuck it in – one to come.

53rd over: India 103-3 (Kohli 36, Rahane 1) Green isn’t giving Rahane a sniff here. What a joy for Tim Paine: suddenly he has a legitimate four-pronged seam attack.

“I have been following OBO since 2005 when my friend Jon Walgate (used to be 100% British, but now divides his citizenship between the UK and Canada), introduced me to OBO,” writes Som Bandyopadhyay. “At that time both of us were in Calgary, sitting in the same office, and wondering why England teams were so pathetic (that’s before the Ashes I reckon). Needless to say, the other fellows took no interest, but we didn’t give a damn either. And in those days, we mostly watched cricket through OBO, though sometimes we resorted to live-streaming on our laptops, the quality of which was, well, just like the England team. In all these years, I have found only Andy Bull published my emails. So I am grateful to him. And if you also want to be at the receiving end of my gratitude, please do the same.” Look, I’m a sucker for gratitude. Thanks for your loyal readership.

Enjoying the fact that one of the ads being used by Ch7 on the cricket this summer features an indie delight from a decade ago. I miss this era so very much.

52nd over: India 103-3 (Kohli 36, Rahane 1) Kohli plays with soft hands, bisecting the two catchers in close on the legside for a single. Rahane’s turn, trying to get off the mark, and he does with the final delivery of the set with a little prod from the outside portion of his bat, down to third man. On telly, they are now comparing Cam Green to Keith Miller in a sign that summer, my friends, has truly arrived.

One for the Joe Denly Ultras (guilty as charged) on Pujara getting to 100+ balls but failing to raise his bat. Chris Jones on twitter brought this to my attention.

51st over: India 101-3 (Kohli 35, Rahane 0) A show of faith from Paine that Green continues when the temptation would be to bring Cummins back ahead of the break. In fairness, Green is doing a great job with his short ball – “as hostile as anyone used today,” according to Damien Fleming on telly. Not wrong.

“Hi Adam.” Hi, Ian Forth. “On TV, Shane Warne has just commented “Too late, she cried”. Being a humble expat in this fine land, I assumed this was another example of a locally understood phrase such as “London to a brick on”. But looking it up, all I could glean was that the full version is “Too late, she cried, as she waved her wooden leg”, which merely adds to my confusion. Was wondering if readers could shed any light on its origin or indeed meaning.”

To quote from The Bad Show on Australian TV, ‘I’ll take that as a comment.’

50th over: India 100-3 (Kohli 34, Rahane 0) Right, so the Indian leadership axis comes together with quarter of an hour until the interval previously known as dinner. With the long break now coming first, in a change to earlier day-night arrangements, 20 minutes at this time of night is more a cocktail break. I think that originally a Mike Selvey line during the inaugural day-night Test in England. Also, that’s the tenth time in Tests that Lyon has picked up Cheteshwar Pujura.

Yep, there’s plenty of inside edge on that before ballooning up off the pad flap, taken nicely by Labuschagne at leg slip diving forward. What a relief that will be for Paine and his men after what Pujara was able to do two years ago. Superb from Lyon, not just with the wicket-taking delivery but throughout his spell. Earned it.

HAS LYON GOT PUJARA AROUND THE CORNER? It looks straightforward, he’s leaving the field, but given NOT OUT! The Australians review straight away.

49th over: India 98-2 (Pujara 41, Kohli 34) There’s Green’s first bumper, and it’s right on the money, Pujara swaying out of the ,ine. The relentlessly patient No3 through takes the chance to rotate the strike off his hip when the time comes. He faced in excess of 1200 deliveries in the 2018-19 series – already up to 156 today.

48th over: India 97-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 34) Pujara is the man to push back at Australia here, not Kohli. Fine batting, deep in the crease to cut Lyon for four then leaping down the track at the next offering – a calculated risk that he would be fuller after the boundary – flicking him for another. And Lyon bounces back to finish, a jumping delivery finding the shoulder of the bat, ever so close to landing in the diving right hand of Travis Head. Four men around the bat, all in the game.

47th over: India 88-2 (Pujara 31, Kohli 34) This would be the first time that Green is bowling in red-ball cricket with a TV umpire scrutising his front foot every time he hits the crease, which accounts for the two no-balls he’s been called for so far. This is, of course, the first time that the third official has been in charge of the front line ball-to-ball rather than when a wicket has been taken. A great development. Oooh, and he finds Kohli’s edge too, through about third or fourth slip – catchable height. Australia’s cricket fans are swooning as one watching this spell, make no mistake.

46th over: India 83-2 (Pujara 31, Kohli 30) “Bowled, Gaz” roars Tim Paine in appreciation at the end of another over where the Indian skipper is denied the opportunity to assert himself. Of course, a spinner’s main job comes later in a Test Match, but Lyon has always been a fine operator when bowling on day one.

45th over: India 81-2 (Pujara 30, Kohli 29) Wow, Green is back on and immediately htting the radar at over 140kph. Deceptively sharp from a fairly chilled approach to the crease – what a handful he is going to be from his 200cm frame. He misses his line to Kohli though, who clips a couple away to backward square.