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For a team to win an overseas series, it is important that they start the series on a positive note. The same did not happen for India in South Africa, and England and they ended up losing both those series. Unlike the two earlier scenarios, India have started off the Australian Test series by registering an emphatic win over the home team and will look to create history by winning their first Test series Down Under.
After winning the toss, India chose to bat first but the Indian top-order could not live up to expectations. It was the centurion Cheteshwara Pujara who kept India in the game after the initial debacle.
India were in trouble as they lost four quick wickets in the first session. The ever-so determined Pujara built crucial partnerships with the rest of the batsmen and took India to a total of 250.
Just like their Indian counterparts, the Australian top-order batsmen were kind to the bowlers as they did trouble them much. It was Travis Head's half-century and his partnerships with the tailenders that helped Australia reduce India's first innings lead to just 15 runs.
In the second innings, the Indian batsmen showed much better resolve as they tried to stitch partnerships. First, it was the openers - Murali Vijay and KL Rahul - who added 63 runs for the first wicket.
India followed that up with two more half-century partnerships, both involving Pujara - one with Kohli and the other one with Rahane. After Pujara's dismissal for 71, Rahane too went to make a half-century but could not build partnerships.
Rishabh Pant came out all guns blazing and scored a 16-ball 28 but his wicket felt doom for the Indian innings. India lost their last four wickets for just four runs and cast away the opportunity to bat Australia out of the game.
The collapse at the end of the Indian innings gave some hope to the Australians. With a target of 323, all Australian batsmen tried to spend some time in the middle but only two of them had the intent to win. Australia had a slight chance when Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine were batting but their dismissals for 60 and 41 respectively meant that Indian victory was inevitable.
The partnerships built by Australian batsmen after the fourth wicket fell were 31, 41, 31, 41, 31, and 32. Every time a partnership started developing, the Indian bowlers pulled things back by picking up a timely wicket.
India were always on top of the game but there were moments of tension as India's problems with the tail-enders resurfaced. The last wicket partnership of 32 runs between Nathan Lyon and Jos Hazlewood almost threatened India but the wicket of the later in the last over before Tea ensured India win.
India for the first time in their 11 tours to Australia have won the first match of a Test series in Australia. With their 6th Test win on Australian soil, India go 1-0 up in the Test series.
Here's how Twitter reacted India's victory over Australia in the first Test:
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