Australia vs India 2018/19: 3 Takeaways from the first Test at Adelaide

#1 Aussie top order can take a leaf out of lower order

India were made to toil hard on the final day when Australian lower order showed a lot of resistance, and in a way showed their top order on how to get the runs.

At one stage, India must have started to wonder if this was another case of “so close, yet so far” in an overseas Test match. Pat Cummins, and later Nathan Lyon, played with a lot of composure and in the end it got a little too close for comfort for Kohli’s men.

Even though Australia’s top order is very inexperienced, what they lacked is the intent that was shown by the lower order batsmen. It looked like the top order was purely looking for survival instead of runs, which will only get the bowlers onto the backfoot.

It is unlikely that Australia will tinker with the playing XI just after one Test but the likes of Khawaja, Marsh and Handscomb need to show more responsibility and probably take a leaf out of the lower order’s book at Perth, for the second Test that starts on Friday.