Australia vs India 2018-19, 1st Test: 5 Talking Points from Day 1

The India-Australia Test series got underway with the first match that began earlier today at Adelaide. From 87.5 overs, India have scored 250 for the loss of nine wickets.

Day one went to Australia due to their all-round performance on the field. Meanwhile, India relied on one man - Cheteshwar Pujara. The trusted number three batsman batted through a top-order collapse, forged a vital partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin in the lower middle-order and got out in the very last ball of the day. But not before scoring his 16th Test hundred and third against Australia.

Earlier, KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were back in the hut just as 41 runs were added. Then it looked as if Rohit Sharma first and Rishabh Pant later would stick at the middle and help Pujara battle the Australian bowlers.

But both batsmen fell after giving ample hope and it was up to Pujara to do all what he could. Credit should be given to Ashwin, Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami, who helped the Saurashtra batsman add 123 runs on board for three wickets together.

Meanwhile, each of Australia's pace battery (Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins) and spinner Nathan Lyon ended the day with two wickets apiece. India will go out to bat on Day 2, with a lone wicket remaining and with Jasprit Bumrah coming out to partner unbeaten Shami.

Here are the main talking points from the opening day's action at Adelaide.

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#5 India suffer woeful top-order collapse

Josh Hazlewood removed KL Rahul to spark India's top-order collapse

As mentioned earlier, the Indian contingent's biggest insurance in games at any part over the world is the strength (in paper) of their top order. Names like Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma do elicit respect from any rival team.

But just like in Team India's recent ordeals at South Africa and later in England, overseas batting surfaces continue to be a burial ground for these high-profile batsmen. Add KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant to the above list, and what we can see is a terrible meltdown from the part of these guys today.

Amid calls to promote limited-overs opener Rohit Sharma to the same role in Tests, skipper Kohli stuck with his plan to place Rahul and Vijay at the opening roles, and it did not take long for the scheme to crack.

In the sixth ball of the very second over, Rahul needlessly poked at a widely moving ball only to edge it straight to third slip and go for 2 runs. Five overs later came the next downfall as Vijay repeated Rahul's mistake, the ball eventually caught by Aussie captain Tim Paine at wicket-keeping.

One would fairly expect Virat Kohli to not commit such blunders, given his superlative abilities irrespective of venues. But today was not his day either, as India's third wicket fell from yet another attempt to drive a moving ball, the catch flying away from Usman Khawaja who however leaped across and pocketed it anyways. India were then 19/3 after 10.3 overs.

Rahane fell to what could have been called the worst shot of the day, had not Rohit bettered it a while later. Rahane miscued yet another drive, this time to Handscomb at second slip. The ball was really wide of off-stump, and would have been harmless if left untouched.

Within just 21 overs (which meant that more than 75% of the day's play was still remaining), all that remained of India's top order was Cheteshwar Pujara, as he did his best to somehow hang in there, scorecard reading a tragic 41/4 in 20.2 overs.

#4 Rohit Sharma's costly error

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, who is one of the greatest of his generation when it comes to playing the white ball, has forever been doubted for his ability against the red ball. That was also the reason why, despite making ODI and T20I debuts in 2007, he had to wait for another six years for his maiden opportunity with the red ball.

But the doubts have continued across the length of Rohit's Test career till date. Earlier this year, a row of dismal performances in South Africa saw an axe falling on his possible chances at England, where a majority of the batsmen failed, leading to his recall for the current Aussie series.

And what Rohit should have ideally done, is to play an innings that would quash all the piling doubts on his ability, and thereby cement his spot in the side. As we all know, India has a tendency for collapses, and playing an extra batsman should hence prove to be a vital move.

But what if he too collapses? That is exactly what Rohit did today, after making us believe for a long while - that he is indeed fit to play the red ball. And that, in turn, makes it more disappointing.

In the 45-run stand between Pujara and Rohit, the former accounted for just 8 runs in 45 balls, while the latter amassed 37 runs in 61 balls, including 2 fours and 3 sixes. It was in the 38th over that Nathan Lyon struck. Rohit was ready for him, and had even belted a maximum in the most recent ball. And he probably wanted to unsettle the bowler.

But one simply does not slog in Test Cricket and hope for the best. Rohit learnt that the hard way after holing out to debutant Marcus Harris at deep square leg. And the sadder fact is that, this is not the first time that Rohit threw away his wicket after getting a start. Batting at number six, when the rest of the side's better batting half is already back in the hut, risky shots like these are unpardonable.

#3 Clock ticking fast for inconsistent Rahul and Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane (13 from 31) and KL Rahul (2 from 8) did nothing much to justify their prolonged selection into the Indian side. As top-order lads, they also showed an immense wanting of responsibility, by attempting to drive the balls moving away from off-stump and edging it instead, to the keeper or the slips.

Rahul's misery seems to have no bounds, while one could have expected a little more of maturity from Rahane. Prior to him, three batsmen departed in the same fashion. How much would it take to not take the same route towards an inevitable crash? The worse fact is that he got out to the worst shot among them all.

The likes of Hanuma Vihari and Prithvi Shaw already well in the fray, with Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal and so on, at the fringes of National Team selection as well. Come the end of the ongoing domestic tournament, and we will also have several newer faces at our disposal.

With such stiff competition around, the sands of time seems to run up on Rahane and Rahul, as the selectors may decide to cut short on their opportunities which continue to show them making mistakes, at the expense of the selection of other players.

#2 All-round Australia dominate with ball and on the field

Josh Hazlewood

Without a tinge of doubt, Australia can be proud of their efforts. That all these come at the wake of Steven Smith's and David Warner's absence, coupled with the fact that they haven't won a series across formats for almost a whole year, makes it even more glittering. In contrast to India, Australia had well-formulated plans, which they executed without fail.

Their pace attack, comprising of Mitchell Stark (19-4-63-2), Josh Hazlewood (19.5-3-53-2) and Pat Cummins (19-3-49-2), bowled a lion's share of the overs in Day 1, and reaped their rewards too.

While Hazlewood had Rahul and Rahane pouncing wildly at his outswingers, Cummins got the better of skipper Kohli and Ashwin. Starc got Vijay's wicket and Ishant Sharma's as well. Spinner Nathan Lyon (28-2-83-2) ensnared Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, breaking both partnerships with Pujara.

The bowlers' efforts were complimented well by the fielders too - most noteworthy of them being Usman Khawaja for Kohli's flying stunner, and Pat Cummins for his run-out of India's rescue-man Pujara.

While Kohli's thick leading edge threatened to fly towards the fence, Khawaja leapt in the air with all the flexibility of a jungle big cat on his hunt, and trapped the ball with guile.

In the very last ball of the day, Pujara tried to sneak a single and Cummins, who moved to his right, grabbed the ball, swerved and hit the woodwork, all while falling down - catching the batsman a yard short off the crease.

#1 Pujara's 'Resistance' keeps India in the game

Cheteshwar Pujara

India scored 250 runs on Day 1, as ten batsmen got chances at the middle. Nine batsmen scored a total of 126 runs. One run was an extra, from a leg-bye. The remainder? Cheteshwar Pujara, ladies and gentlemen.

Nothing short of the phrase "class act" would describe the man's outstanding show today. While the rest of India's willow-wielders were needlessly poking for drives and giving the viewers an excess of facepalm moments, Pujara taught us how important the other No.1 rule in Test batting is - stick around for enough time, runs will eventually fall into place.

Pujara's score was 11(45) when India lost its fourth wicket at 41 runs. In the 209 runs added afterwards for another four wickets, 112 belonged to the Saurashtra stalwart. One may immediately remember his stint at Southampton from earlier this year, which happened in a similar scenario - hanging on while the rest of the main guys fell into well-set traps, and afterwards let himself a bit more freely, with the tailenders to partner him.

As the day progressed, the pitch became flatter, birthing better conditions to bat on. And the way Pujara held firm with no one but just the likes of Ashwin, Ishant and Shami, highlights India's first session failure in a more glaring fashion. On a pitch where the new ball moves well, India "drove" themselves into a wall instead of picking up on Pujara's methods. They simply gave away their wickets, showing a clear disrespect for the conditions at play.

Pujara struck 7 fours and 2 sixes during his 246-ball stay at the middle. He forged vital stands with Rohit Sharma for the fifth wicket (45), Rishabh Pant for the sixth (41), Ashwin for the seventh (62), and with Shami for the ninth wicket (40).

He departed in the very last ball of the day, trying to sneak in a single before the over concluded so that he will come in strike in the next over - when a brilliant run-oit hampered his plans. Despite the minor debacle, Pujara can go back with his head held high, his monumental knock keeping India's hopes alive in the upcoming days.