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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Geoff Lemon (earlier) and Scott Heinrich (later)

Australia v India: third Test, day one – as it happened

Will Pucovski
Australia’s Will Pucovski made a half century on debut before being dismissed for 62 on day one of the third Test against India at the SCG. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Summary

A day limited to 55 overs by rain but one dominated by Australia. It started well for the hosts when they won the toss, hit a speed hump when David Warner fell cheaply after looking anything but fit running between the wickets, and then ended with no shortage of reasons to think Australia can go on to regain the lead in this series.

The Warner miss aside, Australia’s top order looked assured on a tepid pitch that is conducive to batting for now, but will likely take to spin as the game progresses. Will Pucovski’s debut was much anticipated and worth the wait. The Victorian was dropped twice by Rishabh Pant, on 26 and 32, but otherwise was impressive in crafting a composed 62 before falling to a fellow debutant in Navdeep Saini.

Pucovski put on 100 runs for the second wicket with Marnus Labuschagne, who then added 60 unbroken runs with Steve Smith at a speed superior to anything Australia have mustered this series. It’s a stand that isn’t finished yet and could go on to have profound ramifications for not only the match, but also the series.

Thanks for your company today. Geoff Lemon will be back to kick it off again tomorrow, nice and early.

Stumps - Australia 166-2

Smith and Labuschagne see out the remainder of the session to steer Australia into a dominant position. Their partnership is now worth 60, with plenty more likely to come on a second day that will start early owing to the time lost to rain today.

55th over: Australia 166-2 (Labuschagne 67, Smith 31) Rahane turns to Saini for the last over of the day. What has Jadeja done wrong? Bumrah, anyone? Interesting road to go down but we shall see. Around the wicket to Smith, the debutant starts with two bouncers down the leg side - with leg-side catchers in place - and then angles one in across the body. Smith scampers through for a single, leaving Labuschagne to face the final three balls of the day. No problems for Marnus and that is stumps.

54th over: Australia 165-2 (Labuschagne 67, Smith 30) Wow. Plenty of turn and bite all of a sudden for Ashwin. It takes Smith completely by surprise and he aborts any attempt at a shot. Lucky, could easily have taken the glove. A single from the over, the penultimate of the day.

53rd over: Australia 164-2 (Labuschagne 67, Smith 29) Labuschagne turns Jadeja square for one, the first run the left-armer has conceded into his third over. He then gets a bit of bounce to catch Smith between two minds before dropping one in a tad too short and leaking a single through midwicket.

52nd over: Australia 162-2 (Labuschagne 66, Smith 28) Australia, or more specifically the incumbent pair, have gone after Ashwin today and Labuschagne has the chance to supplement gains but fails to score with an off-drive and an attempted sweep. He does manage a single forward of square, the only score in the over.

51st over: Australia 161-2 (Labuschagne 65, Smith 28) Jadeja again, short-leg in place for Smith. Jadeja is as Jadeja does, fairly well racing through his over. Smith barely has time to blink and he even misses out on a short one outside off-stump as another maiden results.

50th over: Australia 161-2 (Labuschagne 65, Smith 28) Ashwin continues with India, perhaps, set to see out the day with spin from both ends. Smith fends one - nay, pads one - into the hands of short-leg and India appeal. The decision is not out, and comfortably so. The ball was nowhere near the bat and India think better of going for a review. They would’ve burned it. Two singles from the over.

49th over: Australia 159-2 (Labuschagne 64, Smith 27) Jadeja does finally get a go with the ball. And it’s like he’s been released from a strait-jacket as he prances and speeds through his first over of the match, a maiden to Smith.

48th over: Australia 159-2 (Labuschagne 64, Smith 27) Labuschagne does his best Steve Smith impression, dancing down the pitch to Ashwin and driving high down the ground for four. A metre or two farther and it would’ve been six. The shot brings up the fifty partnership for Australia’s third wicket, scored from just 81 balls. In the context of the series, the match even, that’s lightning quick.

47th over: Australia 155-2 (Labuschagne 60, Smith 27) Siraj continues and it’s hard work on a pitch that’s slowing by the minute. A Labuschagne single is as eventful as the over gets. Eight overs remaining today. What will Rahane do? Bumrah, surely. Jadeja, maybe?

46th over: Australia 154-2 (Labuschagne 59, Smith 27) Smith continues to use his feet to the turning ball, but this time Ashwin beats him for flight and drift as Smith tries to hit through midwicket but misses as the ball clatters onto his pads and to safety. Two singles from the over, including one from a misfield on the last ball, in a very good offering from Ashwin.

45th over: Australia 152-2 (Labuschagne 58, Smith 26) Peach of a delivery from Siraj as Labuschagne is late on the shot, the ball sneaking past the inside edge and just missing off-stump. Really, really nice bowling on a pitch that isn’t doing much to help the seamers. Maiden over.

44th over: Australia 152-2 (Labuschagne 58, Smith 26) Ashwin continues with these two now scoring almost at will. The field is now back a bit, though with catchers still in place on the leg side, and singles flow easily as the over goes for four runs.

Updated

Labuschagne fifty off 108 balls!

43rd over: Australia 148-2 (Labuschagne 56, Smith 24) Siraj returns to the attack and almost makes an immediate impact as Labuschagne plants his feet and inside-edges onto his pads. Entirely unconvincing from Marnus but he soon reverts to type, cover-driving for four to register his ninth Test half-century and then celebrating with another boundary, this time driven past mid-on. Twelve runs from Siraj’s 12th over. His first 11 went for just 33 combined. Time for drinks.

42nd over: Australia 136-2 (Labuschagne 44, Smith 24) Very few batsmen in the world use their feet better to the turning ball than Steve Smith and this boundary is pure Smith as he waltzes down the pitch and carts Ashwin flat over mid-on. Shot of the day? Perhaps not, but stunning all the same. Twenty-four off 30 balls, Smith is going at near ODI speed.

41st over: Australia 132-2 (Labuschagne 44, Smith 20) Saini, over the wicket, continues bowling to his leg-side field but Smith maintains his composure and discipline. Just two from the over but Australia’s run-rate is now three-and-a-bit, as good as it’s been this series. As it should be - this looks a better batting deck than both Adelaide and Melbourne.

40th over: Australia 130-2 (Labuschagne 43, Smith 19) Rahane turns to the spin of Ashwin as Bumrah’s probing spell comes to an end. And it’s a very good over until Smith moves forward, catches the ball on the half-volley and flicks the ball through midwicket for four. Very good shot. Smith looks on.

39th over: Australia 125-2 (Labuschagne 42, Smith 15) Saini does away with the full stuff and his control is better, conceding just two runs in the over. Sixteen overs left in the day. It’s only day one, but a crucial period awaits.

38th over: Australia 123-2 (Labuschagne 41, Smith 14) Bumrah continues to keep things tight, with a couple of singles the only scores in the over.

37th over: Australia 121-2 (Labuschagne 40, Smith 13) Glorious, glorious shot from Smith, who gets in line with the pitch of a decent enough, if slightly full, delivery, and driving Saini right out of the screws for four down the ground. Another boundary soon follows but it was a half-chance for India as Smith turns Saini uppishly backward of square and just evades the diving fielder at leg gully.

36th over: Australia 112-2 (Labuschagne 39, Smith 5) Bumrah to Smith. The former skipper is all over the crease with his manic footwork. Bumrah zeroes in on Smith’s off-stump before dropping in a short one and then overpitching, fairly well pleading with Smith to smack him down the ground for four. A man under some pressure to score runs, Smith will enjoy that.

WICKET! Pucovski lbw b Saini 62 (Australia 106-2)

35th over: Australia 108-2 (Labuschagne 39, Smith 1)

A single brings up the century partnership but next ball Pucovski is gone, shuffling across his crease to a full inswinger and being trapped plumb in front by Saini. No need to review that one. A great response by the India debutant to get rid of the Australia debutant, having been taken for 15 runs in his first two overs. Pucovski has shown a tendency to get across his crease and that is indeed how he perishes. A fine debut knock, nevertheless. Dropped twice, yes, but 62 first go is a success no matter which way you slice it.

Updated

34th over: Australia 105-1 (Pucovski 62, Labuschagne 38) Three more for Labuschagne, who pushes hard at Bumrah and beats Ashwin at mid-on. Pucovski is then suckered into a big hook shot and he picks up two as the ball lands safely at deep backward square. Frankly, that could’ve gone anywhere.

33rd over: Australia 100-1 (Pucovski 60, Labuschagne 35) Saini again, having had plenty of time at tea to ponder his debut over that went for nine runs. His first ball is a bit too short and a bit too wide, inviting Pucovski to punch through the covers for two. Saini then corrects his length, in fact overcorrects, and it’s full enough for Pucovski to drive down the ground for three. Nothing flash or fancy about it; just a good, uncomplicated cricket shot. We might have one here. A single then takes Australia into triple figures.

Fifteen runs from Saini’s first two overs in Test cricket. Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard.

32nd over: Australia 94-1 (Pucovski 55, Labuschagne 34) Bumrah returns to the attack, unimpeded by his brush with the greasy outfield in the middle session. Pucovski resumes the scoring with a single through the covers. Labuschagne then lets a couple go through to the keeper, extravagantly of course.

Players now returning to the field. Twenty-four overs left in the day.

It has been raining. A little bit. The covers were on. Now they’re off. Slight delay.

No pressure.

Tea - Australia 93-1

An excellent session for Australia but not one without drama. Pucovski was dropped twice, both times by Pant, before going on to register a half-century on debut in the last over before the game’s second interval. After a rain-interrupted first session that cost Warner his wicket and saw just 7.1 overs bowled, Pucovski and Labuschagne go to tea having put on 87 unbroken runs for the second wicket.

Of the drama, there will be more to be written and said about Pucovski’s second life.

Pucovski half-century off 97 balls!

31st over: Australia 93-1 (Pucovski 54, Labuschagne 34) Pucovski, on debut, faces Saini, on debut. The batsman punches Saini’s first ball through the covers for four before pulling through midwicket for four more, bringing up his half-century at the very first time of asking. It hasn’t been chanceless but it’s still a debut fifty. Well done, Will. Saini’s first over in Test cricket goes for nine runs. And that is tea.

Updated

30th over: Australia 84-1 (Pucovski 45, Labuschagne 34) Ashwin continues but around the wicket now. Pucovski picks up three through the point region before Labuschagne sees his partner and raises him with a boundary past the same part of the ground. The flow of runs sees Ashwin revert to over the wicket, the leg-slip fielder vacates to strengthen the off-side ... and Labuschagne sweeps for two.

29th over: Australia 75-1 (Pucovski 42, Labuschagne 28) Confusion reigns as Bumrah stumbles and slips in the damp outfield, compelling Pucovski to chance another run. But Labuschagne doesn’t want any part of it and sends his partner back to the striker’s end. India might well have been on for a run-out but Pucovski scrambles over his crease just in time. But a direct hit would have made it interesting. Bumrah looks to be fine after his tumble.

Here’s Pant’s second, far more controversial, dropped catch to hand Pucovski another reprieve.

28th over: Australia 68-1 (Pucovski 35, Labuschagne 28) Far too short from Ashwin and Labuschagne, who’s been stuck in a rut these past few overs, breaks the shackles with a boundary through the covers. And just like London buses, another four follows next ball backward of square that sees the batsmen scamper through for an all-run four before the ball trickles to a halt.

27th over: Australia 59-1 (Pucovski 34, Labuschagne 20) Excellent again from Siraj, who looks to be growing into this series, and Test cricket, nicely. Good pace to Labuschagne and that leg-side line is going nowhere. Back to the second Pucovski drop, I wonder if Pant had any idea the ball was grounded before he gained possession of it. The answer, I guess, would have to be: no.

26th over: Australia 58-1 (Pucovski 33, Labuschagne 20) Two singles from Ashwin’s over, both of which I saw very little of. I was a little distracted by that latest dropped catch.

The ball is in there somewhere...

25th over: Australia 56-1 (Pucovski 32, Labuschagne 19) Siraj continues his lively spell. A single brings up the fifty partnership between these two, at a run-rate of a tick over two per over. That might be uneventful on face value but there’s no shortage of drama as Pucovski survives another DROPPED CATCH!

Pucovski tries to hook a short ball but does no more than spoon the ball into the air off his glove. The pace on the ball takes the ball over the keeper’s head and Pant does a good job to get his gloves the ball as it initially bobbles out before seemingly returning to the keeper’s keeping. The initial decision is OUT but on review the ball clearly kisses the turf before Pant regains control. Decision overturned. Pucovski survives. Again. Drama indeed.

24th over: Australia 55-1 (Pucovski 32, Labuschagne 18) This has been a good little period for India with the runs drying up and Pucovski surviving a catching chance, but Pucovski releases the pressure with a delightfully struck cut shot that whistles past point for four. Nice shot from the man who almost wasn’t there.

23rd over: Australia 49-1 (Pucovski 26, Labuschagne 18) Labuschagne chases Siraj down the leg-side and India look interested as Pant takes cleanly, but there doesn’t seem to be any bat involved. Another maiden to Labuschagne.

Here’s the dropped catch.

22nd over: Australia 49-1 (Pucovski 26, Labuschagne 18) Ashwin again to Pucovski and he’s determined to bowl full to a man who’s determined to play back. Leg slip in place, the debutant prefers to use pad only to one that angles across his body before punching one through the covers for four.

Pucovski finally gets on the front foot and India should have their man but it’s a DROPPED CATCH as Ashwin collects the outside edge only for Pant to spill the regulation chance off his left glove. It was a very good ball, too good for batsman and keeper. A life for Pucovski. What will he do with it.

21st over: Australia 47-1 (Pucovski 24, Labuschagne 18) Bumrah is indeed given a well-earned breather as Rahane goes back to Siraj to preserve pace from one end. The leg gully is there for a couple of reasons and the over ends with Jadeja stopping Labuschagne’s neat turn to save certain runs. Time for drinks.

20th over: Australia 46-1 (Pucovski 23, Labuschagne 18) Labuschagne finally stays in his crease to Ashwin, looking to cut, but the ball seems marginally quicker and the batsman is beaten. It’s a good delivery that keeps Marnus watchful for the remainder of another maiden over.

Here’s that Labuschagne boundary.

19th over: Australia 46-1 (Pucovski 23, Labuschagne 18) Bumrah continues his now lengthy spell. He looks to tempt Pucovski with an effort ball but the right-hander ducks safely beneath before keeping out a full, straight one to finish the over. Another maiden. Is that Bumrah done for now?

18th over: Australia 46-1 (Pucovski 23, Labuschagne 18) Ashwin mixes things up, altering his line, length and speed to try to get something out of this pitch. When he overpitches, Labuschagne catches him on the half-volley and drives through the covers for two. Marnus remains committed to getting forward to the spinner and he’s untroubled for the rest of the over.

Updated

17th over: Australia 44-1 (Pucovski 23, Labuschagne 16) Labuschagne defends a straight one to Bumrah, following through as if his blade suddenly morphed into a light sabre. A single follows before Pucovski plays a rare false shot, hanging his bat out to one outside off-stump and (luckily for him) missing. That shot was an outside edge waiting to happen. Excellent over from the mighty Bumrah.

16th over: Australia 43-1 (Pucovski 23, Labuschagne 15) Pucovski uses his feet to the turning ball, cutting Ashwin for two. He plays back again, and then again, to balls of good and fullish length. No more scoring in the over.

15th over: Australia 41-1 (Pucovski 21, Labuschagne 15) Bumrah continues. One keeps a little low and that’s probably what saves Labuschagne as his genuine edge lands safely in front of first slip. Bumrah follows up with a real beauty, drawing Marnus forward and beating the bat with just a touch of away swing. He’s a great bowler but Labuschagne is pretty good too, and he finishes the over with a neat on-drive that he punches to the fence.

14th over: Australia 37-1 (Pucovski 21, Labuschagne 11) Time for a change of bowler and a change of pace as Siraj makes way for Ashwin. Labuschagne shows the spinner all three stumps but keeps out a straight one. Not a great deal of turn and not a great deal of help from the pitch after the rain delay. One Labuschagne single from the over.

13th over: Australia 36-1 (Pucovski 21, Labuschagne 10) Bumrah again. The Indian overpitches down leg to Pucovski and is lucky to be taken for only a single. That was a rare four-ball from Bumrah. Another single follows as Labuschagne drops one on the crease with soft hands and catches the infielders napping.

12th over: Australia 34-1 (Pucovski 20, Labuschagne 9) Another assured shot from Pucovski, who rolls his wrists and almost plays across the line to a decent delivery from Siraj, collecting three through midwicket. Some might have looked to punch that ball through the covers or down the ground. Interesting batsman who is so far impressing on his Test bow.

Updated

11th over: Australia 31-1 (Pucovski 17, Labuschagne 9) Labuschagne leaves a Bumrah off-cutter entirely on length and it’s a very nice leave seeing as, on line at least, the ball was destined for the off-stump. There’s no leaving later in the over, however, as a shortish ball that’s a bit too straight is pulled confidently to the fence by Marnus. Not one of Bumrah’s finest deliveries and that is precisely what you have to do to those: put them away. You don’t get many of them.

“Good to see play resuming,” writes David Markham. “Can I tell a little tale from my grade cricket umpiring career? We got the players back out in a similar situation. On about the second ball, the bowler’s foot smashed down and kept going as he slid down the pitch gouging a great hole in the ‘danger area’. We agreed we may have gone back a bit early.”

10th over: Australia 27-1 (Pucovski 17, Labuschagne 5) Better from Siraj, not quite as full as the previous over, but he’s clearly viewing lbw as a likely mode of dismissal for Pucovski, who is possessed of a slight shuffle across his crease. Just to keep the batsman guessing, Siraj drops a couple in short and the result is another maiden. This is a gripping battle between bat and ball, between two young men.

9th over: Australia 27-1 (Pucovski 17, Labuschagne 5) Bumrah at the other end, over the wicket to Labuschagne. The fast bowler is trying to entice Marnus outside off-stump but he’s not falling for that one. Maiden over.

We’re onto something here with the pronunciation of names.

“On the topic of names,” writes Sean Dunne. “It gets weirder with my wife’s family whose name is Russo (originally from Italy) but her dad pronounces it Russ-o almost like rustle, whereas his wife and kids say Roos-so. His family brought it over as immigrants but started making it sound more Australian to fit in, whereas the others want to embrace the way it would be pronounced in Italy.

“These things evolve I’m sure over time and look to fit in. There are plenty of Europeans who fleeing WW2 certainly adapted their names similarly to fit in.”

Good point, Sean.

8th over: Australia 27-1 (Pucovski 17, Labuschagne 5) Siraj continues his interrupted over, over the wicket to Pucovski. Two slips in place. Forward defensive first-up from Will. Middle of the bat. Labuschagne wants a single but nothing happening. Siraj then gets one to swing in to the tight-hander, collecting the pad. Not out but it is a shot across the bow of the debutant. Speaking of shots, Pucovski follows up with a measured off-drive that he punches down the ground for three. Upright, compact, patient: this is Pucovski on debut. Labuschagne then replicates the shot and the outcome as five balls go for six runs. Live cricket. It’s good to have you back.

Players are back on the field. Get ready.

Play to resume at 3pm EDT!

Very good. Hopefully there are no more false dawns.

Restart: 3pm
Tea: 4.40-5pm
Stumps: 6.30pm

Also very good. Yes, Gary, you may.

Back to the topic du jour.

On a similar theme consider Collingwood AFL player, Jordan de Goey. He, like his entire Australian brethren I would imagine, voices his surname with a hard ‘G’. Try that on in the Netherlands and they would look at you funny.

The great Ed de Goey, the former Chelsea and Netherlands goalkeeper, went with ‘Hooy’, which is of course the correct pronunciation. But try telling Jordan he’s saying his surname wrong.

Funny isn’t quite how he’d look at you in response, I’d wager.

Updated

And now the blowers are out, drying the area a metre or two behind the stumps. It does look damp. But it hasn’t rained for nigh on half an hour, so why have they waited until now to do it? The two gents with tools in hand can come and do my driveway once they’re done.

“I am delighted that its raining,” writes Sankaran Krishna. “This is what separates the true cricket connoisseurs from the rest. While everyone else is baffled by the illogic of lunch and tea breaks amid such delays, the often farcical “inspections”, the whole ballyhoo about light meters etc., the fact is that it’s the sheer unpredictability of it all that makes cricket.

“On a totally unrelated matter, cricket is going to have to deal with the bouncer issue soon. And its going to be a very hard issue to deal with. On the one hand, taking it away really nobbles the bowlers. On the other hand, as cricketers like Pucovski reach the highest forms of the game, we are going to see a grievous injury sooner rather than letter, when and not if. What does one do? Discuss.”

One does not do away with bouncers, that’s what.

The umpires are having a good look at the pitch, the area just behind the pitch where the bowlers run, while motors with ropes attached are doing their level best to clear the outfield of surface water.

Watching it all unfold, Mark Waugh is only a shade short of apoplectic. He wants cricket. And let’s face it, we all want cricket.

“Why are they inspecting at 2.30pm? Why aren’t we playing at 2.30pm? Put some sawdust on there and let’s play.”

Has Junior even not made sense?

Three interesting takeouts from the telly interview with Tim Paine:

1. David Warner is the most annoying member of the team;

2. Warner is fine, injury-wise, despite looking far from comfortable during his short stay in the middle;

3. Play should resume shortly.

On the third point, the sun is out and there is a pitch inspection at 2.30pm EDT, so the Aussie skipper might well be right.

Updated

Thanks Geoff. Well done on keeping things up vibe and interesting during the rain break. Nothing beats live cricket but ruminations over pronunciation and phonetics might well come second, albeit a distant one. The matters we discuss during weather delays in Test cricket is a discipline in its own right, one that requires application and sincere thought. Nothing trifling about it. That said, let’s hope the remainder of day one in Sydney is filled with action on the field. We’ve waited long enough to see Pucovski in a baggy green.

I’ve done my 7.1 overs for the day, and it’s time to hand over to Scott Heinrich. It’s been an interesting shift though, thanks to everyone for the conversation. It would have been a very dull few hours without you.

Tim Paine is walking out with a football to have a kick and feel the grass, so the rain has fully stopped. For now. Good luck.

Linguistics and OH&S, our topics for today. Alex Kupa writes in.

“I have a few family members with ‘ethnic’ names that are perpetually mangled, and my own middle name, which is from Indonesian, is never pronounced quite right (Guntur, the Indonesian for thunder, is pronounced as if it is of German origin). I would never want to change my name’s pronunciation just for others.”

“The name Labuschagne is originally French. Presumably it was pronounced in the French way, like champagne, before being shifted on migration to South Africa in the 18th century. If one is opposed to the Australian tongue causing a change in the pronunciation I see no reason to be more comfortable with the Afrikaans tongue doing the same. To me, the Aussie pronunciation recalls the original French, and may be more true to the name’s origins than the Afrikaans pronunciation.”

It’s a question of how far along the line of change we are. If the Afrikaans shift happened generations ago, then those bearing that pronunciation may be proud and protective of it. The same as there may be Australian Labuschagnes three generations hence who will see the Australian pronunciation as key to their identity.

In this case, we’re at the point where the pronunciation first shifts, and the person with the name said that he shifted it deliberately because he wanted it to be easier in his adopted country. Wanted to fit in. Which seems a bit sad.

Different linguistic practices will never get every nuance of pronunciation right – I can’t pronounce the current Indian names exactly like a native speaker. But we can try to get as close as possible.

The machines are out in the middle trying to soak up water, looks like the rain might have stopped again. Around we go.

A couple of responses to Scott Lowe earlier. One from David Markham.

“While there are some lunatic fast bowlers out there in the world, fast bowlers who bowl short are generally not trying to hit the batsman in the head – that would clearly be unethical. They are basically trying to mess up batsmen’s footwork so they play back to balls they should be playing forward to. As a Test opening batsman, you can hardly expect the other side to go easy on you.”

Kerrith Britland in Kent says, “I was thinking something similar to Scott. I’m not sure any bowler wants permanently damaging another player on their record, which means they could consider not bowling short at all. This is obviously not in the interest of the game. In boxing, if you don’t protect yourself, the fight is stopped. Perhaps that could inspire a similar rule in cricket; if you can’t protect yourself (either by playing your shots or getting out of the way) you get warnings and suspensions. If you get concussion, it’s an immediate month ban.”

I think Scott’s position was that he knows it’s a legit tactic, it just feels wrong. Uncomfortable to watch as entertainment, especially. I guess there’s the part of the game that isn’t entertainment though, it’s the challenge for the player.

Re Kerrith’s point, putting it in terms of being banned would make it seem punitive rather than preventative. But in some ways that’s already the protocol: that all hits have to undergo concussion tests, and that once that’s diagnosed players are prevented from returning until they’re fit. If teams could get rid of, for instance, the best opposing bowler by badging him, and having him sit out for a month even if fit, that might encourage more dangerous bowling and head knocks.

Gavin Robertson (not that Gavin Robertson, he hastens to add) is at the Test. I think the other Gavin Robertson is there doing radio commentary, perhaps they can Gavout together afterwards.

“Sitting at a social distance in the SCG right now. Isn’t this rain/sun/rain thing frustrating? I’m wondering why Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins is batting for Australia today? Has he ever been seen in a room with Pucovski, or are they actually the same person?”

One Cummins is never enough, I’m sure we can agree. I had the same thought earlier this morning. Your request for a side-by-side, Gavin, is granted.

“In the absence of any cricket, let me ask a question to what everyone else seems to know the answer. I’ve been asleep for a few years. What is the correct and incorrect way of pronouncing Labuschagne?”

Gavin Twedily with the thirst for knowledge. It’s a South African name via Dutch, presumably, so the G is the glottal sound in the back of the throat that you hear in Afrikaans. Think Lah-boo-skagh-nay.

Apparently that’s too difficult for Australia, so we made it Lab-boo-shane.

“So who are the favourites here?” asks Richard Liddle. “India with the momentum but Australia looking so much better on the injury front. And would the Black Caps beat both sides comfortably?”

I doubt they’d beat Australia. New Zealand have been playing beautifully, but they have a remarkable ability to choke against the trans-Tasman rival, no matter the respective situations. The Kiwis were flying in 2015 but came over and got steamrolled. Similarly when Australia visited in 2016, and the same story when NZ toured Australia a year ago.

It would be a great story to see that hold get broken, and to see NZ make it into the World Test Championship final if that can go ahead mid-year.

And now it’s started raining again. Covers coming back on.

The umpires are out there for an inspection, and some of the Indian players are warming up again. Plenty of ground staff still out in the middle.

“On the topic of pronunciations, what about debut?” writes Angus Crouch. “The ever contentious issue alongside wickets before runs or runs before wickets – the latter for me.”

This one’s interesting. Australians of a certain type tend to be sniffed at for saying “day-boo” but that is also how the French original is pronounced. With a bit less sinus, perhaps. The usage that is supposedly more proper in English is “day-bue” in sync with things like “music”, but that version has been changed. Do we blame the Normans? I say why not. But maybe Australians are right.

On the other hand, maybe Australians should accept that when the entire rest of the world does the score a certain way, maybe we’re wrong. Runs are the currency that decides cricket matches, wickets are merely the means to earning it. So yes, runs should come first. I’ve made peace with that. Bowling figures are the other way because a bowler’s main currency is wickets.

We actually had a meeting about it some years ago to decide what should happen on the OBO for Australian matches being covered by Guardian Aus, and decided to go with the global method rather than the parochial.

Some movement at the SCG, with the ground staff emerging from their burrows like groundhogs squinting for the sun. Might be easing off. The inspecting umpires still have their brollies up though.

David Griffiths is whiling away the hours. “The Pucovski conundrum reminds me of travel writer Paul Theroux’s bewilderment at being called ‘Mr Thorax’ by Australian locals while researching his Happy Isles of Oceania book in the 1990s. As a rule, you can opt for the pronunciation the name-bearer uses. It doesn’t always work, however, as I soon discovered on my own travels back in 1999 when I said Sydney (‘Seedney’) to a taxi driver who threw me out on the spot: “You’re taking the piss, mate. Geddout.” Travelling down under as a Brit is a real linguistic tightrope: err one way and you’re an arrogant colonist; err the other and you’re a condescending piss-taker.”

Mr Thorax sounds like a truly horrifying inhabitant of nightmares.

An email in from Scott Ahpee on phonetics. “In regards to Jervis Dean’s (quite valid) observation of the pronunciation of Pucovski, it’s worth mentioning the highest mountain in the land of Mt Ko-zee-os-ko... or Ko-shoo-shko, as my Polish friend Arek has informed me. I am doing my best to follow your lead on the proper Labuschagne pronunciation, but often feel like a dick while I’m doing so... All the best.”

Haha. Me too, and I’m still not sure what the right answer is on that one: do you decide that someone accepting the wrong pronunciation is personal preference, or do you resist it when that personal preference is made under some broader social pressure? Maybe it can’t be untangled.

You won’t believe this, but it’s still raining in Sydney.

If you’re curious, it’s currently not raining in Brisbane, though it’s forecast.

Lovely sunny days in Melbourne and Adelaide, low 20s. Cloudy but dry in Canberra.

Too hot in Perth, max of 38 today. Hobart? It’s 18 degrees. Brr.

This has been your Australian Cricket Capital Weather Round-Up.

Lunch! Australia 21 for 1 after rain

Well, we were looking forward to a big first session, but we got 7.1 overs. Even by today’s rates, that is slow. The rain has forced an early lunch, so the second session will in theory start in 40 minutes, at 1pm local time. (Hint: it won’t actually.)

Do you want something to fill the time? We can’t have one SCG, so we’ll have another.

This is SCG MacGill, a long audio interview that Adam Collins and I had with the great leg-spinner a few months ago. He has the most wickets at the SCG after Warne, and he was a wonderful person to speak to. Very honest, very emotional, about his career and his achievements and his regrets.

You can listen to it here while I grab a sandwich. Back in a tick.

Still raining...

Another Pucovski question, this time from Scott Lowe.

“Throwing this out there for your comment and others – if a batsman hypothetically has had issues with concussions in the past, is it unethical to deliberately bounce them? I suspect many will say no, but I know that even if it’s completely within the laws of the game, it just doesn’t sit right with me.”

I understand the feeling of it not sitting right. But I think the issue comes down to the fact that short bowling is currently part of the game. People can make a decent argument that it shouldn’t be, but it is. And if it is, then I would say that it’s the responsibility of a player to be able to medically cope with it, not an opponent to accommodate them if they can’t.

Just as if a footballer turns out with a dodgy ankle, they can’t expect other players to run away from them more slowly or go easy on a tackle.

Of course concussions have the risk of real lasting damage, in a way that other injuries don’t. But I’d say that fundamentally it’s the player’s choice to play, and that they know that playing will necessitate playing short bowling. So if they’re not able to do that safely, they can’t volunteer themselves to play elite cricket. Ultimately they have that choice.

An email from Jervis Dean, as the wait continues. Not much the OBO audience likes more than pedantry, after all.

“Some pedantry for you. While it is rare for Australian commentators to put much effort into pronouncing the more challenging surnames of our cricketers, it is still somewhat grating to hear on air commentators say Puck-ov-ski. In Czech the C is a soft Z sound like the Z sound in ‘pizza’. So his surname would be pronounced Puts-ov-ski or something to that effect. Not sure how the kid himself pronounces his name but it doesn’t seem like it should be much of a stretch for commentators to be attentive, especially if Will observes the correct pronunciation of his name.”

I haven’t heard it discussed, and there’s a strong tendency in most languages to turn unfamiliar sounds into familiar ones, until the new version becomes the accepted one. Like Phil Jaques (Jakes) or Michael Kasprowicz. Someone like Labuschagne is at the earlier end of that process, having decided himself to tell Australians to pronounce his name the wrong way... so how long does it take to become the right way? I’m not sure where along that timeline Pucovski is.

“Morning, Geoff, from Kent. There’s something so reassuring about hearing the warmth of far-off cricket in the darkness. While my friend says things are getting serious in Sydney, they’ve closed the nightclubs...”

Hello James, I hope you also enjoy the warmth of far-off rain delays. They closed the nightclubs years ago, when Mike Baird tanked the city’s nightlife while moonlighting as NSW Premier. Now he’s a new Cricket Australia board member.

Or not! The hessian is going back on. What’s better than rain? Interminable, light rain that teases everyone.

Looks like we’ll be back underway shortly. The Indian players coming out to warm up, while the rope buggy cuts some sick laps.

The covers are off... and back on

Paul Reiffel and Blocker Wilson are umpiring this Test match, a tall pair who could have opened the bowling together 20 years ago. Today they walked out to look at the pitch, then walked back in again as it got covered up. Now they’re just hanging about on the outfield waiting for some drizzle to stop.

“What’s Pucovski like as a personality? I love Marnus’ hyper type personality and wonder how they’d get along.”

Hello, Ruth Purdue. He’s much more chilled out than Marnus. Not that it would be hard to be that, but mostly Pucovski seems pretty contained, aside from being a bit satirical about the senior players at training. But very quiet and focused when he’s batting. So he’s not at all shy, but not manic.

“How do you see the 4th test proceeding, if at all? The Brisbane test seems less likely day by day, and the briefings / leaks from the Indian set up seem to be gathering steam. Assuming it’s not at the Gabba, how long would it take to prepare a stand by pitch at an alternative venue? Would Victoria have them back? Maybe Manuka Oval is an option?”

Hello to David Marshall. I think we’re fine for Brisbane now. The Indian reaction was to reports that they would be confined to their rooms, but because they’ll have hotel floors to themselves they’ll actually be able to hang out in common areas with the travelling party. That all looks like it’s going ahead as planned.

Rain delay

Who would have thought? At the Sydney Test, of all places. A squall blows in from nowhere and the covers are pulled out. It doesn’t look like this will last long, though.

7th over: Australia 21-1 (Pucovski 14, Labuschagne 2) Pucovski keeps harvesting runs, while Labuschagne has barely had strike. Another couple of runs squeezed off the pads from Bumrah, then a neat single tucked square of mid-on after the previous ball went straight to that fielder.

6th over: Australia 18-1 (Pucovski 11, Labuschagne 2) Siraj tries the bouncer, and Pucovski gets his first Test boundary in streaky style. A fine top edge that goes high but lands safely. More convincing is his on-drive the next ball to a fuller one, picking up three. He’s into double figures on debut.

Captain John Starbuck is on the emails. “You can’t help thinking that how the Aussies perform in their first innings will be the crunch point. It isn’t always the case, especially since 2nd-innings debacles are already assumed as a distinct possibility in this series.”

Updated

5th over: Australia 11-1 (Pucovski 4, Labuschagne 2) Bumrah to Pucovski again, defending on the off stump, but playing through midwicket when Bumrah bowls straighter. The bowler thinks for a second that he’s going to nail the front pad in front of middle stump, but Pucovski gets bat on it.

4th over: Australia 8-1 (Pucovski 1, Labuschagne 2) A big moment for Siraj, breaking the opening partnership and forcing the player on debut to adjust to a new partner and the loss of a senior presence. Here comes Marnus Labuschagne, and he’s off the mark quickly by leg-glancing two.

WICKET! Warner c Pujara b Siraj 5

All that talk, and Warner falls! Siraj moves the field to indicate that he’s bowling straight, then accidentally I fancy bowls very wide. That ball starts outside off stump but keeps tailing further away. Warner has already committed to the big drive but doesn’t account for the movement, and only gets a thick edge to third slip. Gone!

3rd over: Australia 6-0 (Pucovski 1, Warner 5) Again Pucovski faces most of the over, not troubled as yet against Bumrah after Warner drops a single to cover in his usual style.

Updated

2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Pucovski 1, Warner 4) Mohammed Siraj with the new ball to partner Bumrah, and Warner gets on with things straight away! Punches off the back foot out through the covers for two runs. That makes Siraj err onto the pads and Warner glances another run. Comfortable start for him. Siraj is getting swing as well. Pucovski gets his first run in Test cricket with a nudge off his legs.

1st over: Australia 0-0 (Pucovski 0, Warner 0) Will Pucovski gets to face the first delivery and get his work underway right from the start. Bumrah has a false start with his run-up, then a rusty start with a very wide ball swinging away. He gets back on target from then on, letting Pucovski get bat on ball in defence for the first time. There is outswing for Bumrah, noticeably. Pucovski defends a few with soft hands, then receives his first short ball and shapes to play but doesn’t get it.

“Is this where the openers win the Test?” asks John. You could almost sum it up that way. Warner’s return feels hugely important for Australia – indeed, I wrote about that yesterday. Surely Steve Smith will find some runs very soon though? India too have had a shortage of runs, and it was Rahane’s outstanding innings in Melbourne that set them up to claim that Test.

Teams

We already had India’s team last night, and Australia goes as expected: dropping Travis Head to move Matthew Wade down the order and bring in a new opening partnership. “He hasn’t done a whole lot wrong, Heady, we’ve just changed the balance of our side with an all-rounder so he’s unlucky,” says Paine.

Australia
David Warner
Will Pucovski (debut)
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Matthew Wade
Cameron Green
Tim Paine * +
Patrick Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood

India
Rohit Sharma
Shubman Gill
Cheteshwar Pujara
Ajinkya Rahane
Hanuma Vihari *
Rishabh Pant +
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravichandran Ashwin
Navdeep Saini (debut)
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Siraj

Updated

Australia won the toss and will bat

The coin lands for Tim Paine again. It did so in Melbourne and that didn’t help, with India rolling the home team for 195, but Australia get another chance here.

Get in touch

In the grand tradition of the OBO, you can drop us a line. Send your spicy John Barilaro memes, your amateur epidemiology assessments, your outraged invective about state rivalries... no, wait, don’t send any of those things. Just write me a nice email about something interesting or fun if you feel like it. Some will wind their way into the thread of the day’s conversation. My address(es) can be found in the sidebar.

Preamble

A new day dawns, and a new Test match approaches. This being one that is attracting more attention than most, and not just for cricket’s sake. Plenty of political argument about whether it should be going ahead in Sydney, and whether an audience should be allowed to attend. The Australian Medical Association thinks not, the New South Wales government says yes, for those keeping score. The issue is the recent spread of coronavirus in Sydney. For those in places like the UK or USA, the numbers in Australia will look tiny, but as we often see more optimistically in sport, humble beginnings can lead to things of greater magnitude.

The deal in practical terms is that the SCG is capped at a quarter capacity, which I think means 10,000 people maximum. Whether 10,000 people will still show up is another question. The MCG had a 30,000 max on Boxing Day and didn’t quite reach it.

On the cricket side of the equation, we have a series levelled at 1-1 with two matches to play. We have an Australian team desperate to stay in the hunt for a trophy after being squashed in Melbourne, and an Indian team feeling surprisingly good after the all-out 36 debacle at Adelaide not long ago. Two big names are back at the top of the order: David Warner and Rohit Sharma. But this ain’t Hyderabad v Mumbai in Abu Dhabi. They’re both back from injury in a Test match with a need to deliver right away. Two years ago, India made 600+ here and forced Australia to follow on, only stopped from winning by rain. This time around... we’re about to find out.

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