In summary then, it was India’s day
Murali Vijay was never less than superb today. He peeled off 144 from 213 deliveries to underpin India’s 311-4 at stumps and along with Rahane (75 not out) has India in a healthy position heading into day two.
“The two Bombay batsmen, Rahane and Sharma, end the day with 101 runs between them,” says Sreeram Iyer. “Meanwhile, an hour ago, the once mighty Mumbai got all out for 101 vs Railways in the Ranji Trophy.” I think Australia would take even someof those Mumbai strugglers if they could stay out on the park all day.
It’s remarkable to consider that Australia actually won a session today, taking 2-62 from 27 overs between lunch and tea. Otherwise they were flattened by the heat and a steady stream of crocks to their fast bowlers. The two things were interrelated.
Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers on debut, with 2-44 from 15.2 overs but ended the day under a worrying injury cloud. Second best was Mitch Marsh with 1-14 off 6 but he looks even worse off. Nathan Lyon at least has his health, but only one wicket next to 87 runs from his 20 overs.
If Australia do enter Day 2 a couple of bowlers short, you rather worry about the kind of carnage that might ensure here. Thanks to Geoff Lemon for his efforts this morning and for all of your efforts on the email too. Make sure you join us tomorrow morning for all of the live action.
And that is stumps - Australia are under the pump
83rd over: India 311-4 (Rahane 74, Sharma 26)
We might only get through 84 overs tonight, in fact, especially with Johnson coming in off the long run. He’s hardly firing himself today, perhaps because of the heat but perhaps also because he’s carrying a niggle. Right now he’s hitting 140kmph, a reasonable mark but nothing lose to his normal velocity.
Robert Wilson has forgiven me. “Warner bowling? MitJo getting knocked about? Is this a cheese sandwich of a pitch or has Smith been playing that version of Championship Manager where you win by putting the kitman on for the last fifteen minutes? I miss Alan Border.”
Ooh, and my overs call was fanciful because the Umpires have called stumps, perhaps in some kind of mercy ruling. The home side is reeling a little now, not just because they’ve been belted for 311-4 from 83 overs, but because their dressing room currently resembles a casualty ward.
Mitch Marsh might be gone for the game with a hamstring injury, Josh Hazlewood limped off late in the day and both Starc and Johnson are bowling under duress. Add that to Shaun Marsh’s slightly dodgy showing in the field and new skipper Steve Smith has a lot on his plate in game one at the helm.
Hazlewood hobbles off injured
82nd over: India 308-4 (Rahane 73, Sharma 25)
I know it’s hot, but this is getting a little bit absurd now. Josh Hazlewood steams in but after his first delivery looks like he’s been shot. A ball later he’s grabbing his cap and walking off the ground shaking his head, which can’t be good.
This brings us to a point; was it even worth taking the new ball given the current health levels of Australia’s bowlers? Now Shane Watson will be bowling with it and Johnson might be the only quick bowler fit enough to partner him. Safe to say we’re not getting through the full 90 overs.
81st over: India 308-4 (Rahane 73, Sharma 25)
Uh oh. Mitchell Johnson takes the 2nd new ball for Australia but pulls up gingerly from his first delivery. Add that to Mitchell Marsh’s hamstring and Mitchell Starc’s apparent sidestrain and it’s been a pretty ordinary day for Mitchell’s.
Rahane also squeezes out a boundary over the head of point and then cracks a sensational companion piece squarer and along the carpet. The second one is just a belter. “Warner’s bowling,” asks Thomas Cameron, “is that what we call deputy, deputy, deputy right arm captains? Looked as much.”
80th over: India 298-4 (Rahane 63, Sharma 25)
Smith does bring himself on, in fact, replacing Warner with even ropier results. As usual there is a mixture of half-trackers and full tosses but the batsmen are so petrified by the thought of being dismissed by such abject filth that they’re happy to pat him around gently.
What abowler, what a man. Next up: the new ball.
79th over: India 294-4 (Rahane 62, Sharma 22)
Having been built up an over earlier, Watson produces a bit of a dud here, pushed around with ease until Rahane slams his last delivery straight back down the ground for four.
Harsh...but fair?
Warner now less than 10kph off Watson pace. And without the drama... #AUSvIND
— Brett McKay (@BMcSport) December 17, 2014
78th over: India 286-4 (Rahane 57, Sharma 19)
Resisting the urge to grab the old ball himself, Smith gives David Warner a speculative trundle and he’s bowling mediums here, rather than his normal leggies. The first is short, wide and 117kpm, so Sharma has no trouble angling it down to third man for a boundary.
Warner also attempts a bouncer, which is a little like watching Peter Dinklage trying to dunk a basketball.
77th over: India 277-4 (Rahane 55, Sharma 13)
The Australians are desperate for one more wicket before the arrival of the new ball and Shane Watson thinks he has Rahane LBW, but gets no love from Umpire Gould. That aside, he’s done a reasonable job with 0-21 from his 8 overs.
76th over: India 277-4 (Rahane 55, Sharma 13)
Never one to die wondering, Rohit Sharma decides he’s had enough sighters and uses his feet to get down the track and belt Lyon over the long on boundary, a feat that is followed by an even better sweep to bisect the two men in the deep.
75th over: India 266-4 (Rahane 54, Sharma 3)
Rahane looks a right dandy with a wet flannel tied around his neck. It gives him the air of a 19th century aristocrat, which rather suits his batting right now. He pulls Starc for one and the bowler is clutching at his ribs with considerably less style and grace.
74th over: India 264-4 (Rahane 53, Sharma 2)
Facing up to Lyon, Rohit Sharma gets off the mark and there’s a bit of a commotion when Rohit pulls the bowler hard and aggressively into the back of Chris Rogers’ head at short leg. He looks okay now, but it was quite a blow to the helmet for the close-in man. Thanks for that, Lyono.
Players and medical staff are understandably concerned about Rogers but he angrily waves them away. Maybe they’re copping what he wants to dish out to Lyon.
73rd over: India 261-4 (Rahane 52, Sharma 0)
Maiden from Shane Watson, who is being forced to do the yeoman’s work today in the continued absence of Mitch Marsh.
Rohit Sharma walks in. Looks at the sky. Looks at the scoreboard. WTF! Four batsmen have scored just 261 between them! FUUUUU
— Sidvee (@sidvee) December 17, 2014
WICKET! Vijay st Haddin b Lyon 144 (India 261-4)
72nd over: India 261-4 (Rahane 52, Sharma 0)
Well, it was a little bit better than a murder-suicide. Vijay takes out only himself when he advances to Lyon and takes a wild swing in search of six down the ground but only succeeds in getting himself stumped. It was a splendid knock in stifling heat, his 144.
It came from 213 deliveries of eagle-eyed concentration and featured 22 boundaries. He was spent by the time he got out and you can’t blame him on that. It’s also fitting reward after he’d fallen one short in Adelaide.
To continue the theme of man love, I have a big cricket crush on Vijay and that innings has only allowed it to take hold even more.
Rahane brings up his fifty
71st over: India 261-3 (Vijay 144, Rahane 52)
With Vijay struggling to do anything other than biff, Rahane is taking it upon himself to accelerate and he moves past 50 by pulling Watson for three. His partner might have to retire hurt, to be totally honest. He’s looking a genuine chance of running himself or Rahane out.
“Once-dear Russell,” says a melodramatic Robert Wilson, “I don’t really mind that you have other men writing to you (though the sheer numbers are something I prefer not to think about). When one begins a relationship with someone like you, that’s to be expected and one tries to be...modern.”
“I can live with your other men. But it’s heart-stoppingly horrible when they’re funnier than me. It just hurts, Ian Forth (53rd over) has broken my heart. You knew it would. What have you to say?”
It’s not you Robert, it’s...them. This is all getting a bit Sophie’s Choice.
70th over: India 255-3 (Vijay 143, Rahane 47)
Speaking of 5th grade cricket, Murali Vijay has reached the point of the day where he doesn’t want to run, so boundaries it is, even if they’re of the park cricket variety. Hazlewood gets artlessly pumelled down the ground for four when he gives too much width.
“The Oxford dictionary word of the day,” says Phil Withall, “seems to have been selected in tribute to the Australian bowlers - Puant.” Indeed.
69th over: India 250-3 (Vijay 139, Rahane 46)
Watson keeps toiling on with all the dynamic and agile movements of a Dad drafted into the 5th XI late on Saturday morning. He’s moving so slowly I wouldn’t be surprised if he stopped mid-delivery to give an interview.
Abhinava Bhattacharyya is back. “Just to continue on the Sharma-Marsh analogy (note the almost anagram there), I feel that Sharma’s selection in the Test team is still justified with his First class average of 58. On the other hand Marsh’s average is a dismal 36, which hardly justifies a selection to a Test XI.”
“But I do agree with Krishnan when he says that they are both players that selectors have had a soft spot for and hence have given them long ropes. I wonder if Marsh’s elegant strokeplay pushed him ahead of the late Hughes (what with the shifty technique) in the pecking order.”
I still think Hughes would have been the man, and that’s not just emotion talking.
68th over: India 247-3 (Vijay 139, Rahane 43)
I was just merrily tapping away at a little meditation on Hazlewood’s powers of control (his first four deliveries were dots) but then Rahane clips three off his pads and Vijay hammers a brutal boundary through the same region when he latches onto a pull shot. Vijay is batting gloriously right now.
And I’m a goose.
67th over: India 240-3 (Vijay 135, Rahane 40)
Now it’s Shane Watson’s turn to entre the torture chamber but he’s mostly keeping it tidy here, restricting the damamge to three runs from Rahane. The latter has snuck up on us all a little now. He’s 40 and looking very comfortable at the crease, much more so when the jumpy, jittery character early on.
66th over: India 237-3 (Vijay 135, Rahane 37)
Murali Vijay is batting with the freedom and sense of abandon you’d expect of a man on his last legs. Or is he? In this over he’s dancing down the wicket to biff Lyon down to long-on for four and he backs it up with a gorgeous sweep for four more.
Rahane had also taken a boundary from the Lyon over and though the spinner is really struggling, his captain might need to stick with him to get through the overs and conserve the energy of his quicks. It’s a bit of a bind for Smith.
Updated
65th over: India 224-3 (Vijay 127, Rahane 32)
Somewhat amazingly in the context of this day so far, Mitch Starc goes an entire over without conceding a boundary. I’d add something to that but I feel after all his hard work in the boiling sun, that fact deserves to sit on its own and breathe a little.
“Rahane looking set now,” notes Kabir Sethi. “He looked very uncertain when he came out, but now looks more settled than any of the three already back in the pavilion.”
64th over: India 223-3 (Vijay 127, Rahane 31)
Nathan Lyon is not bowling very well right now and even in their heat-stricken state, the Indian batsman are picking him off at will. Rahane crunches four to deep backward point and there are plenty of singles and twos as well.
Krishnan Patel is following this one closely. “Shaun Marsh is the Rohit Sharma of Australian cricket,” he says. “Both of them often seem to get one chance too many because a few years back, selectors decided that they will be the next big thing. Whatever happens in the field of play seems irrelevant to their selection. I wonder what more Burns, Ferguson etc must do to get picked. Do you think Marsh will even come close to accounting for the runs leaked through his drops?”
I certainly hope so. On current levels of fielding calamity, he might need a ton.
Updated
63rd over: India 213-3 (Vijay 123, Rahane 25)
Mitch Starc starts the post-drinks mini-session with a maiden and Murali Vijay is now noticeably struggling with the heat. “Glad you are staying Zooper-Dooper cool... cola or raspberry?” asks Daniel McDonald. Actually Daniel, I went for orange, an underrated flavour I think.
“Just wondering,” he continues, “who would win a fantasy backyard game of cricket between the Marshes, the Waughs, and the Chappells (with Vic Richardson a possible ring-in)??”
I know who’d win the fight...
“Also, Jeremy Clarkson was another mid-life post-Abramovic convert to Chelsea FC... is that an association that works for you??” Daniel, I don’t need that kind of sledging mate. I’m just an honest glory-hunter .
Updated
62nd over: India 213-3 (Vijay 123, Rahane 25)
The raggedness of Australia’s bowling and fielding is contagious, so even 12th man Peter Siddle makes a blunder when he slides at the boundary but fails to reel in the ball, instead escorting it over the rope. Drinks come onto the ground and Steve Smith might also be on the hunt for some aspirin.
Updated
61st over: India 208-3 (Vijay 122, Rahane 20)
Starc is better for most of this over, but his fifth delivery again lets the pressure off. It’s short, wide (“a nothing ball” says Mark Taylor) and allows Rahane to swish over gully for four with no great risk of dismissal. Needless to say, Australia needs to find a spark here because this session is slipping away badly.
May as well be two bowlers down if this is what Starc is serving up for the rest of the match. #AUSvIND
— Andrew (@andrew_54) December 17, 2014
60th over: India 202-3 (Vijay 122, Rahane 15)
Right on cue, Nathan Lyon emerges but to start with he’s bowling around the wicket to Vijay, which hardly inspires confidence that he fancies a breakthrough. He’s also too straight and short, allowing Vijay to lap him around the corner for a boundary with minimal risk.
India’s 200 comes up when Vijay disrespectfully slaps Lyon through cover for three. More like a Hockey shot, that one.
59th over: India 195-3 (Vijay 115, Rahane 15)
Mitchell Starc returns with a pair of genuine ‘four-balls’. The first is over-pitched and lets Vijay punch a boundary to long on, the second short and wide, giving him space to cut four to backward point.
Welcome to Test captaincy, Steve Smith. Try and conjure something with this hand. If the Aussies dominated the last session, they’re at sea in the first half-hour of this one.
Game reaching a critical phase for Aust. They're tiring, Vijay accelerating, Lyon nowhere #AUSvIND
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 17, 2014
Updated
58th over: India 186-3 (Vijay 106, Rahane 15)
As Shane Watson continues, further replays of the Marsh drop confirm the obvious - it was an absolute howler. I spoke about it before, but everyone knew he’d be a liability in the field and so it is proving to be. So far he’s dropped two fairly regulation catches by international standards and you’d think he’ll have to make a lot of runs to counteract his ineffectiveness in that regard.
It makes an already hobbled side look even creakier. Many of us wondered the merit of replacing Clarke with an equally susceptible body. That wasn’t without merit.
Here's the dropped catch from the previous over. LIVE: http://t.co/NaGNJAi0VK #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6a5MxyFhAt
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 17, 2014
Shaun Marsh drops Vijay on 102! And it was a sitter!
57th over: India 186-3 (Vijay 106, Rahane 15)
Maybe Vijay failed to raise his bat last over because he’s just too exhausted. You could hardly blame him and it’s also possibly the root cause of a strange defensive stroke on the back foot that nearly sends a Johnson bouncer back onto his stumps in this one.
Worse for Australia is that when he lazily slaps one in the air towards cover, the perfectly positioned man, Shaun Marsh, flaps around like a wounded dolphin and makes a regulation catch look like an impossible task. His drop is followed by a Vijay boundary through cover. Of course it is.
Murali Vijay brings up his century
56th over: India 180-3 (Vijay 101, Rahane 14)
With Hazlewood off, Shane Watson grabs the ball again and ambles in like a man with cramps in both hamstrings, both calves, both quads and his entire torso. Vijay rightly sees it as time to tuck in and get closer to three figures, cracking one off his pads through mid-wicket and then belting the next through cover to bring up 100.
It’s quite a bizarre moment actually because he doesn’t realise for at least ten seconds that he’s brought up his hundred.; probably a good thing given that he missed out by one run in Adelaide. It’s a sensational knock though; patient, resourceful and coming in the face of lively conditions early and oppressive heat.
55th over: India 171-3 (Vijay 92, Rahane 14)
Is the sppedo off a little or is Mitchell Johnson really ‘only’ sending them down at 138kmph? It looks a bit quicker than that. Whatever the truth of that matter, he’s spraying it wide outside off stump a little more often than his skipper would appreciate and when he overpitches from the penultimate delivery, Vijay moves into the 90s with a crisp cover drive for four.
Better news for the players though is that the Brisbane sun has momentarily moved behind some clouds. Hazlewood, meanwhile, is off for treatment after that cramping issue last over.
54th over: India 166-3 (Vijay 87, Rahane 14)
Now Josh Hazlewood is in the hands of the medicos after hitting the deck following his first delivery after tea, which Vijay glances for four. Is it cramp? It looks like cramp, though he might just want a rest too.
Hazlewood gets up eventually but Vijay thrashes him for another boundary through backward point when he sends down a very ginger half-tracker and also pushes 3 through mid-wicket.
Meanwhile, Josh Hines doesn’t like my new-found love of a title contender. “Russ, saying you support Chelsea, no matter how you dress it up, is like supporting the school bully in a fight.”
Don’t all those years of misery supporting crap teams in every other sport don’t count for something? I did have a soft spot for Chelsea during the Zola/Poyet years, and they were generally pretty ordinary back then.
53rd over: India 155-3 (Vijay 76, Rahane 14)
With players now refreshed, Mitch Johnson grabs the ball and immediately sets about his life’s work of trying to knock helmets off. Rahane manages to get bat or glove to the first one and picks up a single, which must come as a relief. He remains a chance of perishing to the left-armer here.
Ian Forth thinks that Michael Clarke needs to pipe down on Twitter. “If I was Winston Churchill and I’d just taken over the war effort, not sure I’d have appreciated Neville Chamberlain tweeting from the back benches, “I’d have made peace with Italy by now” #hitlernotthatbad”
More on luck and bad life decisions
“Sam Fiddian is lucky,” says Chris Own. “He should try the miserable trifecta I choose to support. To his Richmond I can also add Melbourne City/Heart, and one the miserable underachievers of British football, Walsall FC.”
“I have to, it’s where I come from. They’ve never played in the top division, nor played at Wembley, nor ever won anything of note, save the odd promotion. I don’t even do hope.”
Okay, to add to this, mine are St Kilda (AFL, 1 premiership in 118 years), Frankston (VFL, zero premierships), LA Clippers (NBA, Success? You’re kidding, aren’t you?).
But a development...After years of watching the EPL without choosing a team I have decided that it is finally time to support an organisation that’s likely to actually win something (it’ll probably be a mortifying experience, mind you). Call me soulless, call me a fraud, call me what you will, but you are reading dispatches from Chelsea FC’s newest supporter.
That second session in brief
The positives for India:
- Vijay is still there and looking solid. The heat is probably doing him no favours but again he’s shown himself to be a player of genuine quality.
- There is plenty of batting to come. Dhoni and Ravi Ashwin will provide runs that India’s tail from Adelaide could have done. So would the batting figurine from the ‘Test Match’ bordgame, mind you, and he can only play straight-bat shots.
The negatives for India:
- Kohli is gone and again Dhawan fell prematurely. The latter is no disaster but you’d think that if India are to win a Test on this tour, it will be on the back of a monumental innings from Kohli.
- Err, that they’ve knocked back the DRS. What is Che Pujara’s mood like at the moment after that dismal umpiring call he copped?
The positives for Australia:
- Josh Hazlewood, JOsh Hazlewood and Josh Hazlewood. The debutante quick has been consistently excellent so far with 2-21 from 12 overs.
- Nathan Lyon hasn’t been sensational, but still looks like taking wickets.
- They’ve taken wickets without Mitch Johnson bowling particularly well.
The negatives for Australia:
- Mitch Marsh is off the ground with a hamstring injury and might not bowl again for the game, which will put a strain on Shane Watson, Steve SMith and Australia’s frontline bowlers.
- Mitch Starc is both boiling and off the boil at the same time. He seemed to succumb to heatstroke in that session but he was back on the field late. One to watch in the evening session.
- Shaun Marsh looks a liability in the field. He can’t throw, Shane Watson can’t run, and there is a lack of spark for the Aussies in their fielding and energy. That might tell if their bowlers also struggle.
Meanwhile, I’ve managed to dig a Zooper Dooper out of the freezer so all is well in the world.
52nd over: India 151-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 13)
Now Lyon goes in search of one more breakthrough before the break and Rahane flirts with danger a little by turning him past short leg Chris Rogers at catching height. The Indian pair are hardly batting for tea here; Vijay advances down the track and tries to force the bowling, nearly perishing in the process. He lives to fight the next session.
So that makes it 2-62 for India in that middle session, one that Australia won despite their various struggles with injury and the unpleasant conditions. I might just grab a drink and I’ll be back to take you through it all. Both the fielding side and Vijay will be very glad to get off the ground and into a cold shower, you’d think.
51st over: India 150-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 12)
Watson sneaks in one more over before tea and again he’s probing Vijay and moving the batsman around the crease. His maiden is so tidy, in fact, that we’ll get one more over of Nathan Lyon before pausing and assessing this session, which has brought 2-61 for the Aussies - a win for them.
50th over: India 150-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 12)
If Nathan Lyon can get through this over briskly, we’ll probably have another before lunch. He’s pitching far too short and there’s also a comical mix-up in the field when Shaun Marsh’s half-throw flies over the head of his relay partner and the Indians run four. You don’t see that very often.
That is another risk Australia had to factor in for this game; the elder Marsh has a shoulder complaint and thus a weak arm. His catching efforts earlier in the day proved what a few of us thought - that he could be a liability in the field.
@ShaneRWatson33 great first over. Watto's bowling is very underrated.
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) December 17, 2014
49th over: India 146-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 8)
Shane Watson grabs the ball now and despite Michael Slater’s immediate “military medium” gibes, he’s wobbling the ball around in threatening if not dynamic fashion. He needs to with Mitchell Marsh off the ground with that hamstring injury, which will also hamper Australia’s batting efforts, you’d assume.
Watson’s final delivery seams away and takes the outside edge of Vijay’s bat but it’s lacking the speed required to carry through to Smith at second slip.
48th over: India 146-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 8)
Now Rahane goes after Lyon two, pulling him savagely from a ball that might have had short leg Chris Rogers cursing Nathan Lyon’s entire family. The batsman does though miss cashing in on a long-hop that might have been belted through point for a boundary.
Updated
47th over: India 144-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 6)
Rahane is not necessarily more confident in this over, but he passes an early Test when he pulls the buoyant Hazlewood through mid-wicket for two and then picks off a single as well. Murali Vijay must have an otherworldly awareness of his off stump because he lets Hazlewood’s final delivery slide micro-millimeters past his timber on the way through to Haddin.
Updated
46th over: India 141-3 (Vijay 73, Rahane 3)
Rahane is off the mark against Lyon, but it’s in the next over against Hazlewood that he’ll be receiving the most thorough examination of his technique and temperament. He was jittery and susceptible in his first few he faced from the big quick.
Meanwhile, some terrible injury news:
Terrible luck for @Uz_Khawaja injuring his ACL and out for full season. We are not looking at an injury replacement player at this stage.
— Nick Cummins (@SydneyThunderGM) December 17, 2014
Updated
45th over: India 137-3 (Vijay 72, Rahane 0)
Hazlewood has provided a spark here and his first ball to the new man Rahane cuts the batsman in half and goes perilously close to taking both his stumps and the edge of the bat. It was too good for either, as it turned out. Even closer is a bunted return catch that Hazlewood perhaps misjudges and watched bobble centimeters over his outstretched right hand.
Hazlewood’s wicket-maiden has brought the Australians to life in a big way.
Updated
WICKET! Kohli c Haddin b Hazlewood 19 (India 137-3)
Hazlewood strikes again! On to replace the heat-stricken Starc, he softens Kohli up with a bouncer and then sends a slightly fuller ball through at chest height. It’s too close to Kohli to cut but he can’t help himself and snicks a thick edge through to Haddin.
The Aussies are battling in the heat but it must surely be every bit as hard for these Indian batsman and a moment of lost concentration and some extra bounce is the undoing of the man who was their inspiration in Adelaide.
44th over: India 137-2 (Vijay 72, Kohli 19)
There’s an interesting moment when Nine use their hot-spot technology in an unconventional manner; highlighting which Aussie players in the huddle are overheated. Unsurprisingly, Starc and Johnson’s upper torsos register the temperature of raging infernos. Lyon ties up Vijay, who is happy to wait for the bad ball for now.
43rd over: India 136-2 (Vijay 72, Kohli 18)
Another Mitchell Starc over, another boundary-ball. This time it is full, wide and begging to be flogged. Vijay obliges, spraying it through backward point like he’s in the backyard facing up to his Nan.
“Just pointing out a Mitch mistake... Mitch Mitchell was Jimi’s drummer and not the bassist,” says Abhinava Bhattacharyya. He had a bass drum, didn’t he?
I’ll be here all day with those zingers, you just watch.
Here’s a potential explanation for Starc’s struggles today. It really is oppressive heat at ground level and right as I say that, he’s being attended to with cold towels on the boundary.
Mitchell Starc looking quite distressed at the break. Heat has got to him, Dr Peter Brukner attending
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) December 17, 2014
42nd over: India 132-2 (Vijay 68, Kohli 18)
Nathan Lyon is on the hunt for wickets and he very nearly claims one when Vijay drives him uppishly but unconvincingly between cover and mid-off for four. It seemed to hang in the air forever but somehow the batsman survives. He’s giving away some runs, Lyon, but he’s also making things happen which is no bad thing.
Tim Neville is baffled by the cooking show. “More on frying an egg...Are the Channel 9 commentators so removed from actually playing cricket that they’ve forgot that Cricket is a summer sport played in the hottest hours of the day and not something you do from the air conditioned comfort of the booth or the #HCG?”
Who even knows, Tim.
41st over: India 124-2 (Vijay 62, Kohli 16)
As Starc continues, Yvonne Sampson’s (sorry, “Smapson”) cooking segment has just made her an immediate social media star.
Only woman on the coverage frying eggs and having her name spelled wrong. Heh. #AusvInd
— Ethan (@ethan_meldrum) December 17, 2014
40th over: India 121-2 (Vijay 62, Kohli 13)
Steve Smith and his bowler think they can get Vijay turning Lyon around the corner, a fact that is nearly proven when he clips a sharp-turning delivery just beyond the hands of leg slip.
Meanwhile Channel Nine have a woman, Yvonne Sampson, on hand to provide updates from the boundary. Well, they get her to cook an egg in a fry pan to demonstrate how hot it is down there. What a day for women in broadcasting.
39th over: India 117-2 (Vijay 60, Kohli 11)
“India haven’t taken 10 wickets in an inning thus far this series?.. Well, neither have Oz,” says Vikrant Patwardhan, “they’ve always needed the umps’ help...” Take that, Ian Gould.
I’ll tell you who else needs some help - Mitchell Starc. Maybe it’s time for Craig McDermott to head down to the boundary and have a word, perhaps something along the lines of, “Mitch, let’s try and stick to a coherent plan mate, bowling six different balls per over isn’t quite cutting it.”
Of course right as I type that, Starc produces two fast, accurate bouncers to trouble Kohli at the end of the over. “Sometimes he bowls at his best right as you least epect him to,” explains Mark Nicholas, who’d just been slagging him off as badly as I was. Everyone’s an expert on the sofa.
38th over: India 115-2 (Vijay 60, Kohli 9)
Guess who’s back? Back again. Lyon’s back, tell a friend. He doesn’t do much, mind you, except getting worked for three singles and posing little obvious threat. Hope remains that he’ll reignite his brilliance from Adelaide though.
It’s taken a while but we have our first Mitch entry, and it’s one I omitted as a test. Andrew Webber passed that test and says, “Surely in the favourite Mitches stakes you’d have to say Mitch Mitchell would win. Firstly for having two “Mitch”s in his name and secondly for being Jimmi Hendrix’s bass player. If he could spin a ball out of the rough and was Australian he’d be nearly perfect.”
37th over: India 112-2 (Vijay 59, Kohli 7)
Mitchell Starc returns and with that, so do the boundaries. Kohli can’t believe his luck that Johnson has worn himself out and shapes beautifully to play his straight drive to the fence off Starc. That probably riles the Australian lefty a bit, because he makes Vijay duck down like he’s bobbing for apples to avoid a rising bouncer.
Updated
36th over: India 107-2 (Vijay 59, Kohli 2)
Nathan Lyon returns now and tidily so, though there’s an amusing moment to finish the over when Vijay pushes him through cover for what would be two on the chase-arm combo of most players, but the Indians fail to realise it’s lumbering Shane Watson who trails the ball out to the boundary, thus three was probably the better option.
Updated
35th over: India 105-2 (Vijay 57, Kohli 2)
Australia are a big chance of a run-out with these two at the crease and already there’s been a scare. Kohli laughs for now because crisis is averted, but he won’t be if he’s back in the pavilion as a result of another mix-up.
Johsnon, meanwhile, is bowling with serious heat and generally trying to knock their collective block off. He overpitches with his final delivery and Vijay picks up three through cover.
Ian Gould made a bit of a star of himself in Adelaide, but he’s won few friends this morning:
@rustyjacko not harsh, total shocker
— Mathew Blackshaw (@Gonk1980) December 17, 2014
34th over: India 101-2 (Vijay 54, Kohli 1)
Was I harsh on Ian Gould just then? Perhaps, because Pujara’s gloves were pretty close to his face as that ball clipped his grill. First Test batting star Virat Kohli is at the crease now and gets off the mark with a single.
Aussies got lucky with that one. Kohli to the crease now. LIVE: http://t.co/NaGNJAi0VK #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/L5j9w0BYPh
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 17, 2014
WICKET! Pujara c Haddin b Hazlewood 18 (India 100-2)
It’s a bona fide howler! Hazlewood strikes for his first Test wicket but Umpire Ian Gould got that horribly wrong. The bowler had Pujara weaving on the back foot but though his bat hung in the air, it was the grill of his helmet that the ball clipped on the way through to Haddin. In truth, it was nowhere near the blade but again India’s refusal to use the DRS is to their detriment.
That, needless to say, was an absolute shocker and you have to feel a little sorry for the batsman, even given the DRS issue.
33rd over: India 100-1 (Vijay 54, Pujara 18)
Johnson’s really slinging it in to Vijay, varying his line but rarely his length in subtle variations to try and draw an edge. Or am I giving him too much credit for strategy? Whatever he’s doing, Vijay’s not interested in risking his wicket and sees off the over. Maybe this is the ploy now for the tourists; wear out Australia’s bowling aces and cash-in once they tire i the third session.
Mitch and Marsh stat updates below:
Please subtract one Mitch and one Marsh and add one Non-Mitch and one Non-Marsh to these numbers as appropriate. https://t.co/l6Q0i9edTd
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 17, 2014
TEAM STATS Mitches: 3 Marshes: 2 Mitch Marshes: 1 Non-Mitch Marshes: 1 Mitch Non-Marshes: 2 Non-Mitch Non-Marshes: 7 Non-(Mitch Marshes): 10
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 16, 2014
32nd over: India 100-1 (Vijay 54, Pujara 18)
Hazlewood produces a maiden here, but he’s hardly getting it through to the ‘keeper at the rate that might have been expected on this track. If Marsh is badly injured, he’s also going to have to get through far more overs than he expected or probably wanted.
Once a captain, always a captain:
@TheRunHome I like Lyon from one end, rotate the quicks from the other
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) December 17, 2014
31st over: India 100-1 (Vijay 54, Pujara 18)
Turns out it’s a hamstring injury to Marsh, which goes to show why I never pursued a career in medicine. He’s being assessed by better-qualified professionals as you read this.
Johnson continues with pace if not penetration, conceding only a single from his final delivery as Pujara drives attractively to bring up India’s hundred.
Speaking of hamstrings, Michael Clarke is now live-tweeting proceedings.
The old boy Chris Rogers has been on fire in the field.
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) December 17, 2014
30th over: India 99-1 (Vijay 54, Pujara 17)
Finally, there’s a hint of something up-tempo from Australia after lunch when Josh Hazlewood appears to partner Johnson. He immediately draws a flase stroke from Vijay, whose uppish drive only just avoids the hands of the man at short cover. That’s much better by the home side - they were strangly low-key for the first 15 minutes and the field placements remain somewhat uninspired.
Meanwhile, more curses:
@rustyjacko the other promotional curse is the KFC TV ads. An appearance in them seems to have ended more than a few Test/ODI careers.
— Jingle bell wonk (@wonk_arama) December 17, 2014
Are you saying that we’ll never be subjected to the Madden brothers again?
29th over: India 97-1 (Vijay 52, Pujara 17)
Australia is not short of Mitchell’s, so now the Johnson variety pairs with Starc in the absence of Marsh. Who are your favorite Mitches? Mitch Richmond? Mitch Albom? Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels?
28th over: India 97-1 (Vijay 52, Pujara 17)
Following that last over, Mitchell Marsh actually wandered off the ground rather gingerly and replays suggest he might have strained something bowling his last delivery. To my untrained eye, it looks like either a side or back problem. Dr Mark Taylor, never one to shy away from bold, baseless speculations, predicts he won’t bowl again for the rest of the game.
“I can, without any shame, admit to a Vijay crush,” says Abhinava Bhattacharyya. “What makes the crush all the more heady is that he actually burst on to the scene in the IPL as Matthew Hayden’s opening partner for the Chennai Super Kings and absolutely massacred the ball to all parts of the stands.”
“And then he appears for the India in the whites and suddenly he goes the opposite way and is able to block and block and block a la Dravid. Incredible versatility. I hope you’re right about his future as an opening batsman.”
Well, I did predict that Usman Khawaja would have about 3000 Test runs by now, so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
27th over: India 96-1 (Vijay 52, Pujara 16)
Mitchell Marsh wouldn’t necessarily have been my first choice to take the ball after lunch (Josh Hazlewood might even be a bit miffed, too) but I’m sure Captain Smudger has underpinned that decision with a plan. Marsh is, shall I say, underwhelming to start with.
“Lovely mockers work on Vijay. Super stuff,” says Michael Tilley. “He’s now guaranteed to eat too much at lunch and get out to a loose shot in the first over of the afternoon. We can only hope so, anyway.” Safe so far, Michael.
More Vijay love:
@rustyjacko re: Vijay, he's got 3/4 of the highest partnerships against Aus in the past five years - each with different partners, too.
— Glenn Valencich (@glennvalencich) December 17, 2014
Vijay brings up his half-century in style
26th over: India 95-1 (Vijay 52, Pujara 15)
Mitchell Starc was perhaps fortunate to claim a spot in this Australian line-up and he desperately needs to discover some rhythm in this second session. To start with here he’s clipped off Vijay’s pads for two and then gets creamed through cover for the batsman to bring up another impressive half-century, which came off 79 deliveries and featured 7 fours.
Shane Warne says that Starc lacks the traditional ‘presence’ of the great Australian bowlers, but basic line and length would be something to focus on before the huffing and puffing.
“Peter Leybourne’s missive,” says reader Sam Fiddian, “reminds me of one of the absolute truths of sport and supporters: Losing hurts, but it’s the hope that kills you. I say this as a Richmond FC and Arsenal support, so you can trust me on this.” Ouch.
Bold prediction time
I will admit that I have only watched him closely in the 2013 Indian home series against Australia, during the recent 5-Test series against England in in these first two Test of the Australian summer, but I firmly believe that Murali Vijay is on track to become the most assured opener in world cricket.
Dave Warner has him covered for pyrotechnics and momentum-changing brilliance, but the guy is just a classical batsman and far better, as the cliche goes, than his average suggests. Is there anyone else out there with a Vijay-crush? I’m greatly looking forward to watching him in this session and really think that the stifling heat might work in his favour as Australia’s bowlers operate in short, energy-sapping spells.
Smith's refusal to bowl himself is the big negative for Australia in that first session. #AUSvIND
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 17, 2014
My Angel is a Centerfold
It’s not quite the Madden Cover Curse, but reader Peter Leybourne has some alarming stats on Cricket Australia’s 2014 calendar, which would appear to be a mozz of sorts.
“I am a very superstitious player and spectator.When I unfurled the December page of my official ACB 2014 calendar mounted upon my filing cabinet at work and it revealed a certain Ed Cowan swinging lustily, I surmised that, with his mountain of runs at domestic level, he was a dead set cert,” he says. “Now I’m assuming his ACB file is marked “DNP” - do not pick. So much for omens.”
“For what it’s worth, the 12 months of players featured in the calendar also includes Michael Clarke (injured), Mathew Wade (DNP), Peter Siddle (DNP), James Pattinson (injured), Ben Hilfenhaus (DNP), and George Bailey (DNP).A year is a long time in test cricket ...”
I can only assume that 2013’s equivalent featured John Hastings, Rob Quiney and Fawad Ahmed? What a sight to be mocking you as you work. As a long-suffering St Kilda supporter, I used to keep a 2010 Grand Final replay ticket pinned to the notice board next to my desk. I thought it would serve as a daily reminder that no matter how excited I was about any positive development in life, there remained an overwhelming likelihood that it would soon turn to farce.
The highlight of the session for me
Putting aside the excellent footwork and general awareness of off stump shown by India’s batsman, it was nice to see Mitchell Marsh take his first wicket in Test cricket after 345 unsuccessful attempts.
Of interest to stats nerds: Ian Chappell’s Australian record of 536 deliveries still stands. What would Les Favell have had to say about that? Probably something aggressive.
Afternoon OBOers
Russell Jackson here, taking you through until stumps on what has been India’s day so far. Are the the Australian bowlers suffering from performance anxiety today? Is this the calm before the storm? The way Murali Vijay is batting in this series, one would have to conclude that this is a far more hardy and capable Indian batting line-up than we perhaps anticipated in the lead-up to the series.
If you’d like to contact me with all of your theories, predictions and even mockery, try russell.jackson@theguardian.com or get me on twitter: @rustyjacko
Lunch - India's session at 89/1
They would be very happy with that, India, after winning the toss and electing to bat. The slightly odd and unfortunate dismissal of Dhawan was their only casualty, and getting through that session one wicket down would have been more than acceptable before the game. Now they need to try to cash in as the game goes on. They already have 89 on the board.
Australia bowled a little erratically, some balls that weren’t too threatening and a fairly inconsistent line. When they did hit the spot outside off they beat the bat, and when they found the spot for the bouncer, it whistled through. Add in that dropped slips catch from Vijay and a couple of lucky edges past stumps and past slips, and the session could have been very different.
Geoff Lemon out, and Russell Jackson will be here after lunch. Email him at russell.jackson@theguardian.com.
25th over: India 89-1 (Vijay 46, Pujara 15)
A moment of fortune for Pujara, as Marsh bowls full and the drive comes off the inside edge and past the stumps for two runs. Drifts full and Pujara crashes the drive, but straight to Hazlewood at mid off.
That’s lunch.
24th over: India 87-1 (Vijay 46, Pujara 13)
India just running down the gears as they approach the lunch interval. It’s damn hot, they might be tiring. Vijay, at any rate. Only a Pujara single from Lyon’s over.
23rd over: India 86-1 (Vijay 46, Pujara 12)
Another maiden from Hazlewood, his third, as he bowls a dry line to Vijay outside off.
22nd over: India 86-1 (Vijay 46, Pujara 12)
Pujara pulls Lyon away through square for three, then Vijay works a single with the turn. No undue fuss yet facing Lyon.
A challenge from Lucca: “Was thinking, apropos the Mitchells, about how many players of the same name have featured in the same team, in the same match. Had quite a few Coles in the England football team in the early 2000s, was trying to figure out if all the Burgesses got together, but then googled it and discovered this. First names are much harder though, any thoughts?
21st over: India 82-1 (Vijay 45, Pujara 9)
Pujara tips-and-runs a single to point, then Murali is tied down by a good over from Hazlewood, some short ones. Until the last ball that is, when Murali crashes a fuller ball over cover. That’s the second time today he’s made no effort to keep his shot down, he seems to think that when it’s in his spot, he’ll get enough on it to send it to the rope. This time he’s right.
20th over: India 77-1 (Vijay 41, Pujara 8)
Already Lyon has moved back around the wicket. Three catchers for Pujara: slip, leg slip, short square leg. The man at point is also probably there for a catch on the cut shot. The batsman is mostly playing off the back foot, waiting.
Most of Lyon’s ones have been over-spinners, zipping through, then he bowls a beauty, gives it more revs, and it dips very sharply on Pujara, and turns after it pitches, and beats him completely, but also beats his off stump, and beats Brad Haddin, and goes for four byes. Pujara gets a single through square from the final ball.
Australia behind the over rate already. 17 minutes to lunch, and they’re supposed to bowl 10 overs in that time.
19th over: India 72-1 (Vijay 41, Pujara 7)
Hazlewood replaces Johnson, for his fifth over. A maiden to Vijay, blocked and left.
Poor old Clarkey. I’ve heard all kinds of comments in his time, but a bit harsh?
@GeoffLemonSport Didja see this from The Age yesterday? Bit of blooper. pic.twitter.com/TCmanqfzYG
— sarah jane bacon (@sportzzzgirl) December 17, 2014
18th over: India 72-1 (Vijay 41, Pujara 7)
Time for Nathan Lyon. He likes the Gabba, takes plenty here with the extra bounce. He starts around the wicket and is turned square by Vijay for a Kraft Single. Pujara is back on his stumps and whipping down to long leg as it gets a bit short, taking two. Lyon attacking Pujara’s leg stump, but the batsman is equal to it thus far.
17th over: India 69-1 (Vijay 40, Pujara 5)
Johnson is a bit of an odd one, isn’t he? Vijay drives the ball straight back to him slowly, and Johnson picks it up and underarms it toward square leg. Except there’s no one there, because Nathan Lyon is at point. The batsmen cross.
Pujara gets a snorter past the face, then a short one at the ribs. He eludes the first with the sway, then defends the next off the back foot. Short leg is in, and backward square, and a couple of slips. Pujara playing well... then he drives that last ball for four! Fabulous response to get on the front foot after the short barrage. Johnson is still a threat, but India aren’t scared of him. That’s a crucial difference.
16th over: India 64-1 (Vijay 39, Pujara 1)
Snorter. Marsh is settling into a good spell here, and rips past Pujara’s outside edge. Pujara gets off the mark with a single to midwicket, and Vijay takes another.
15th over: India 62-1 (Vijay 38, Pujara 0)
Four. Shot of the day so far. Vijay just played a simple drive, no attempt to smash it, and times Johnson through cover for four. But then...
Dropped! Vijay trapped on the crease, Johnson bowls the perfect line and length, just outside off but just back of a length, and Vijay can only push and nick. Shaun Marsh is a good slipper but he had to learn a long way left and low to this ball, and gets his hands under it but shells it. Vijay drives two more through cover.
“India lost the last Test, but they weren’t beaten to death,” says Mark Taylor, who has been to Subtlety Class.
14th over: India 56-1 (Vijay 32, Pujara 0)
India’s openers started well, they put on 56 runs together, but Dhawan couldn’t keep it going. Marsh beats Cheteshwar Pujara the ball after the wicket, too. That’s a wicket maiden.
WICKET! Dhawan 24, c Haddin b Marsh
Mitchell Marsh finally gets his first wicket in Tests, in his fourth match and 57th over. A shocker of a ball, short and wide, and a shocker of a shot as Dhawan just aims a beefy cut at it, misses, and edges it to the keeper.
13th over: India 56-0 (Vijay 32, Dhawan 24)
An all-run four from Dhawan’s flick through square leg, as Marsh dived to save the ball but knocked it a long way along the boundary and had to go and fetch it.
So there it is! India’s first 50-run opening stand since 2011, ticked off. Who would have picked the Gabba as the likely venue?
Johnson digs one in, and it leaps at the glove and grille once more. Then a really sharp bouncer next ball - a high one that still clocked 142 km/h. Dhawan isn’t afraid to come forward to the next ball though and drove it on the up. He didn’t make a sweet connection but hustled to run three as it went through the covers.
Vijay ducks an even faster bouncer from the last ball, 143.5 km/h.
12th over: India 49-0 (Vijay 32, Dhawan 17)
Vijay is growing in confidence and/or recklessness. Marsh bowls short and wide and Vijay goes after it with everything he’s got, playing it deliberately up and over point. It wasn’t even entirely a cut, it was a bit like he was playing a back-foot drive, angled bat, that came up and under the ball and lifted it away. It got him four runs, any rate.
11th over: India 44-0 (Vijay 28, Dhawan 16)
Weird old shot. Starc sent it well wide of off stump, and Vihay went after that one - had to get down on one knee and extend his bat horizontally to reach the ball. It earned him three, then Dhawan takes a single.
10th over: India 40-0 (Vijay 25, Dhawan 15)
Mitchell #2 (Marsh) on for his first bowl nice and early. The Aussies have just had the ball changed after complaining that it had become misshapen in the heat. Certainly ont due to being smashed around the ground, so far Dhawan especially has played with uncharacteristic and admirable restraint. He pushes two runs through cover, in control. Two more after a good sliding save from Starc at fine leg from the glance. The rest are wide and Dhawan leaves.
This is now India's 2nd best opening stand at Brisbane The best: 61 btw Virender Sehwag & Akash Chopra in December 2003 #AusvInd
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) December 17, 2014
9th over: India 36-0 (Vijay 25, Dhawan 11)
Thick edge from Starc’s first ball as he gets a straight one angling acoss Vijay - it went in the air past gully and away for four. Some fortune there. Vijay regains his composure to drive through cover for three runs, then Dhawan goes to the same region for a single. Starc 13 from his first two overs.
8th over: India 28-0 (Vijay 18, Dhawan 10)
India have not had a 50-run opening stand in Tests since 2011. Since 2011. They get halfway there as Hazlewood bowls full and Dhawan doesn’t cleanly connect with the drive but gets enough on it, very straight, for three. A big inside edge goes in front of his pads down to long leg, just after Vijay knocked a comfortable single to the on side. Still plenty of slips in place. Vijay drives one more run past mid off.
7th over: India 22-0 (Vijay 16, Dhawan 6)
Mitchell #3 comes on for Australia - that’s Starc. India are down a Sharma but Australia have boosted their Mitchells and their Marshes. He gets a little swing as well, but gets worked around a little by the Indian openers: three singles and a brace. They’re making a steady start here.
6th over: India 17-0 (Vijay 13, Dhawan 4)
Dhawan punches two down the ground from Hazlewood, then finds a single after bouncing one over short leg.
A good morning in return to Matt Harris, who has wished me one along with this excellent question. Excellent because it’s interesting and because I can answer it.
“Does Dhoni really deserve to bat at 7? 4600 odd runs at 38 isn’t exactly Tendulkar-like, but he’s got a double-century and he’s played a lot of Tests. Interesting that his ODI average (53.28) is miles ahead of his Test average. Any thoughts on why that would be (and could it be from batting too far down the order)?”
Sometimes he bats six, especially at home if they want an extra spinner (like Jadeja at 7). But his record overseas is not very good (average 45 at home to 33 away), plus they like to have him as an insurance man to cover the tail. He’s not so good at the long-form batting that Test cricket requires. So he’s probably more likely to score an ODI hundred because he can do it in faster time. Also ODI pitches are more uniform around the world.
Dhoni’s deal is that he’s an excellent finisher in ODI cricket. He’s great at coming in to face 10 to 15 overs and marshall a chase. 56 half-centuries in ODI cricket tells you about that. (Given its similarity to an ODI chase, Dhoni would probably have iced the last Test in Adelaide.)
So Dhoni ends up getting a lot of fairly chunky scores around the half-century mark in ODI cricket, and gets a comparatively high number of not-outs - over 29 per cent of his ODI innings are undefeated. Hence the disparity in averages.
5th over: India 14-0 (Vijay 13, Dhawan 1)
Another sharp over from Johnson. He drew an uncontrolled push past gully from Vijay, then an uncontrolled leg glance that nonetheless went for four. Beat him with a beauty and bounced him with a snorter. This is great stuff.
4th over: India 8-0 (Vijay 7, Dhawan 1)
Another good over from Hazlewood, a maiden to Dhawan. There was plenty of fishing for shots outside the off stump, then a couple closer to him that drew false shots.
3rd over: India 8-0 (Vijay 7, Dhawan 1)
The first four of the match goes to Mural Vijay, who reaches outside off to play at a full Johnson delivery and gets a thick edge along the ground past gully.
But... zing! A couple of balls later as Johnson bowls his first vicious short one. It leaps at the face, Vijay is trying to come forward and suddenly gets his gloves up, and a leg slip would have swallowed that. He gets a single, then Dhawan gets a low full toss that he clips (some hand-eye co-ordination there) to fine leg for his first run.
@LiebCricket @ithilienorthend All they need now is a Marshall Mitchell.
— Lev Parikian (@LevParikian) December 16, 2014
2nd over: India 2-0 (Vijay 2, Dhawan 0)
A tight start from Josh Hazlewood, who also gets a touch of swing while Vijay watches most of those balls go by. He gets a single from another defensive stroke from the last ball, and keeps the strike again.
India’s other opener, according to Ian Healy, is named Sugar Darwin.
Now, for a better run-down of Australia’s selections than I gave below...
TEAM STATS Mitches: 3 Marshes: 2 Mitch Marshes: 1 Non-Mitch Marshes: 1 Mitch Non-Marshes: 2 Non-Mitch Non-Marshes: 7 Non-(Mitch Marshes): 10
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 16, 2014
1st over: India 1-0 (Vijay 1, Dhawan 0)
Here we go. Ooh, nice stuff from Johnson to start with, plenty of bounce and carry, even if he’s a bit wide of off stump his first two balls. His third ball swings in toward the right-handed Vijay’s stumps, even as he leaves.
A tinge of green on the pitch, but it’s no jungle. Mark Taylor describes the colour as ‘bone’ in a way that would make Richie Benaud very happy.
Nice movement from Johnson as he tightens his line. Vijay almost coughs up a leading edge, then just keeps a ball out of his stumps and it skews to the on side for a single.
It’s hot here in Brisbane, damn hot. Sticky as well, it’s all over you like a wet dog. Would it be wrong to crack a beer at 10am? Look, forget I mentioned it.
Krishnan Patel writes: “Don’t you reckon the Aussies have softened it up a bit since they blew us away precisely one year ago? I was watching the highlights of the Gabba test of last year and I reckon that was the match which changed English cricket forever. Can they end Dhoni’s reign in similar fashion?”
It could get ugly on this pitch: Johnson and Hazlewood going flat out at an Indian side unfamiliar with the conditions. The question is whether the Aussies can get as fired up as they did for the opening Ashes contest after a humiliating defeat in the previous series. I don’t think there’ll be that same intensity after such a good win in Adelaide, but Dhawan and Vijay have a lot of tough work to do.
Adam Langerak fires off the first question of the day.
“Do you have any concerns about the balls to the wall nature of the Aussie pace battery? With no line and length bowler aside from the relatively toothless Mitch Marsh, I feel like things could get out of hand in a hurry. I know our hands are relatively tied with Harris and Siddle out, plus almost all the up and coming supporting cast, but would you have selected any differently?”
Well, Siddle didn’t have to be out, and I’m not sure that was the right move. Johnson and Starc have a similar line and can be similarly erratic, so I wouldn’t have been keen to pick them both. Siddle bowled tidily in Adelaide, even without much threat, and he’s taken hat-tricks and five-fors at this ground.
India win the toss and will bat
SPD Smith is looking adorable out there in his new captain’s blazer, but he loses his first spin of the coin and Dhoni chooses the blade. Not a bad toss to lose, says Smith, as there’ll probably be some juice in the pitch earlier rather than later. Dhoni thinks the same, but backs his team to bat through that and then profit later on. We shall see.
Drop me an email throughout the session to share any thoughts or objections: geoff.lemon@theguardian.com.
Australia
Rogers
Warner
Watson,
Smith*
Marsh
Marsh
Haddin†
Johnson
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood
India
S Dhawan
M Vijay
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane
R Sharma
Dhoni*†
Ashwin
I Sharma
Aaron
Yadav
Hello world. Geoff Lemon indeed taking you through the first session, before Russell Jackon will tackle the remainder of the day. Plenty of changes and things to talk about in this Gabba Test match. Both sides have a different captain to last outing: Australia have a new one in Steven Smith, India have a pre-loved version in MS Dhoni returning. That means Michael Clarke is out injured and Virat Kohli has handed back temporary control of the team that he held for that very exciting Adelaide Test.
Other changes for Australia include a Test debut for Josh Hazlewood, replacing the injured or rested Ryan Harris, and a return for Mitchell Starc to replace the demoted Peter Siddle. A little tough on Siddle after battling through the decks of the UAE and Adelaide to miss out on this bouncy wicket where he’s had success in the past, but he has looked down on pace.
Shaun Marsh comes in for Michael Clarke, joining his brother Mitchell - the first time brothers have played since the Waughs, who were probably a tiny bit better.
For India, Ravi Ashwin’s off-spin replaces Karn Sharma’s leg-spin. Fast man Umesh Yadav comes in for fast man Mohammed Shami, while Dhoni replaces Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps.
Apparently Michael Clarke’s surgery went better than expected, so he’s still some chance for the World Cup. Whether he should play is another debate, but no doubt there’ll be plenty more Hammy Watch over the weeks to come.
Updated
Good morning and welcome to the live blog. There’s much to talk about this morning and Geoff Lemon will be along in a minute to get things rolling.
But consider first a couple of top Gabba facts. Australia have not lost a match here since 1988, the year before new captain Steve Smith was born. And India have never won here, albeit in only five attempts ...
