India vs Australia 2017 First Test, Day 1: 5 Talking points

After collapsing like a pack of cards on a turning track, the Australian team managed to salvage the final session of the day courtesy the last-wicket stand of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood on their first day of their arduous four Test ‘test’ in India.

Before their valiant efforts, the Indian team seemed like it’ll carry on in the same vein as they did against England and New Zealand, troubling the batsmen with an unrestrained barrage of spin. Yet, it was Umesh Yadav who made the most impact, picking up four wickets to leave the middle order with a gaping hole.

Here are five talking points from the first day of the opening Test:

Umesh Yadav turns on the heat

Brought in late into the attack, Yadav, who has recently shown signs of belonging to the longest format, picked up wickets in a jiffy to send the middle order into a tizzy.

It started with the dismissal of David Warner with a full delivery that managed to extract an inside edge that slayed his stumps. After the day’s end, Yadav conceded how he wanted to cram Warner by bowling close to the stumps, especially because the pitch was acting slow.

He then snared Matthew Wade with a delivery that slid down the leg side, making the Aussie wicketkeeper miss the line completely. Steve O’Keefe was sent back by a jaw-dropping catch from Saha, while Nathan Lyon had no answers to an inswinging delivery that rapped the off-spinners on the pads and right in front of the sticks. The evolution from ‘wayward’ to ‘wicket-taking’ Umesh has been heartening to see.

Wriddhiman Saha’s spectacular grab

The petite wicketkeeper from West Bengal had been forced out of the team during the England tour with a hamstring injury, having been replaced by Parthiv Patel. He returned with a bang, scoring a century against Bangladesh in the one-off Test.

On Day 1, he showed the kind of athleticism he can conjure behind the stumps by plucking a blinder from thin air, a tired body and a hot day notwithstanding.

Umesh’s delivery, a tad short in length, enticed a cut shot from Steve O’Keefe, who slashed hard but managed only a thick edge. The ball flew towards the right of Saha, who clutched it with a full-length dive, eliciting excited responses from his teammates.

Matt Renshaw shows stomach for fight

The hot and humid Indian conditions can properly test a batsman’s fitness levels, and 20-year old Renshaw, who had step foot in India for the first time, was found wanting when he had to walk back on 38, courtesy a stomach bug. Allan Border gave a scathing assessment of Renshaw’s retirement, saying “I hope he's lying on the table in there half dead. Otherwise, as captain, I would not be happy”.

Renshaw returned after Tea, showing stomach to fight and ended up becoming the youngest Australian to post a half-century in India. His invaluable knock of 68 helped the team go past 250, a total which seemed difficult given the way the rest of the team batting collapsed.

Jayant Yadav’s no-ball

With a short run-up of a handful steps, the chances of a spinner bowling a no-ball is very rare. Jayant Yadav was on the receiving end of one such instance, when his overzealous front foot crossed the popping crease in the 15th over of the Australian innings.

David Warner tried to play a sliding delivery down the leg side, but missed the line completely, leaving his leg stump shattered. However, even before the Indians could celebrate, they were welcomed by the outstretched right hand of Richard Kettleborough, who pointed out the front-foot no-ball. Warner could add only 18 more, before he bowled by Umesh Yadav.

Mitchell Starc swings his bat around

After parting ways with Royal Challengers Bangalore just before the IPL 2017 auction, Mitchell Starc showed Virat Kohli what they might miss out on with the bat, apart from the left-armer’s searing pace.

Having gulped down the first nine wickets, the Indian team would have been in hurry to snare the last man and go back for a cool shower. Yet, even before showcasing his much talked about bowling, Starc welcomed himself to India with a nice cameo of 57 unbeaten runs, finding company in Josh Hazlewood, who was happy to just stick around. By the end of the day, there were just nine wickets to India’s credit, and Starc will be back to swing his bat around before he does the same with the ball.