🏏India vs Australia - 1st Test: VCAS, Nagpur: 09 - 13 Feb 2023 🏏 - Page 30

Tired Australia walk off the field. India's day but the visitors can be proud of their fight. Rohit held the top-order together with a classy innings. Todd Murphy continued to impress as he prised out Ashwin, Pujara and Kohli in quick succession. Lyon crashed through SKY's gate, but Jadeja came in and dropped anchor to take over the baton from his captain. Cummins, who looked off colour till the afternoon bowled a brilliant spell with the second new ball where he sent Rohit's off stump cartwheeling after a dropped chance at slip in the same over. Murphy got Bharat to complete his fifer and it looked like India weren't going to gain great first innings advantage but Axar joined Jadeja and the duo really wore out the Aussie bowlers with their defence and attack. Axar was the aggressor in that unbeaten 81-run stand. India currely 144 runs ahead. Already a very good lead. Pitch still good enough to carry on if the batters adapt. The Aussies quickly need to wrap this up and dig deep tomorrow to stay in this game.

Todd Murphy (1/3): Coming into the game, I was sort of hoping to get one wicket at least. To finish the day with five on debut is a special day. It's been a pretty surreal week, it's all happened quite fast. From the moment I found out I'll be playing until now, just tried to embrace it and enjoy everything that comes with it. I try to make sure that my body language is quite good and I believe in myself. The message I got from a lot of guys was don't change anything that I've been doing in state cricket. I looked at Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar, they were so consistent with what they were doing. They didn't go searching for too much. That was something I was looking at - putting enough balls in that area to ask questions for long enough. It's awesome to have them (family) here, I found out two nights before, it was mad rush for them. They had a 2 AM leave from home to get to the airport. they're really grateful that they had the opportunity to get in here.

Murphy (2/3): [The wicket which he enjoyed the most] The one that got Virat out even though it wasn't the best ball of the day. That's dream come true. A guy I have watched for so long, he's a hero for all these guys. The roar when he came out to bat sort of took me back a little bit and it was quite special to share the field with him. I tried to embrace it and play with a smile on my face. When Virat walked out to bat and the crowd went off ... that's amazing sort of stuff ... I think that's going to live with me forever. It's awesome to get the opportunity to mix it with guys like that. I heard the little inside edge, hoping that Carey would hang on to it, thankfully he did, he's kept beautifully behind the stumps, he's helped me with a couple of reviews too. He had a big part to play in those wickets today.

No 50 from Aus innings

But India despite failure by top player excluding Rohit gained lead of 144

I am surprised to see Pujara dismissed against spin bowler after 99 test

Dream debut by todd Murphy 5 fer.

Murphy (3/3): The game was right in the balance until that last partnership. Credit to those two guys, they've been able to absorb everything we threw at them and build that partnership. The ball is still doing enough when you put it there but there's no actually demons there. The guys that applied themselves and just looked to bat long periods of time were able to reap the rewards. We need to come with a really good attitude in the morning and try and press hard for those three wickets. The sooner we get them, the sooner we can get batting and try and eat into that deficit and post a lead. If we can get 150-200 runs in front, then you've got something to bowl at.

Stumps: India lead by 144

Australia were 162 for 5. They were bowled out for 177. India were 168 for 5. They're still batting on 321 for 7. That's the story of this Test match.

Rohit Sharma produced a masterful century in conditions where runs are hard to come by but survival is possible. It's his genius that he managed to get his 120 at a strike rate of nearly 57.

His innings stood out for the timing of his strokeplay as much as the sensibility of it. He took several calculated risks - including the shot that brought up his hundred, a down the track, inside out loft over extra cover soon after a wicket, and barely seconds after the camera caught him looking skyward and shaking his head at his team being five down. All of these shots were designed to keep Australia from ever feeling they could work an advantage.

Ravindra Jadeja, playing his first Test since March 2022 now with a newly repaired knee, has added a half-century to go with his five-for. Axar Patel, coming in at No. 9, has fifty as well, at a control percentage of 90.

India's spinners picked up 8 for 117. They have also made 141 runs in 334 balls. India's depth in home conditions is just ridiculous. So much so that they made light of perhaps the best spell of bowling in this match from Australia captain Pat Cummins (nine false shots in 30 balls, so on average, one in three). At the other end, Todd Murphy, 22, picked up a five-for on debut.

Cruel game

India force Cummins back into the attack. And he looks tired. That burst - that incredible burst just after tea - has sapped him. It's only been 13 overs since that effort. So its understandable that there's a long leg stump half-volley in his first over back at 130 kph and India's No. 9 Axar Patel whacks it down the ground for four. Damn. This game. So cruel.

Lyon's apprentice Murphy tops his master in the rough of Nagpur

Murphy shelved the overspin typical of bowling in Australia and consistently bowled around 95kph with high side spin, and had five wickets to show for it.

Hello everyone. Day three is often termed moving day, there's a sense this could be fast-forward day for this match. India have a big lead and while this pitch has not quite lived up to some of the pre-match talk, you'd think their trio of spinners will make life very tough for Australia. First, though, they will be looking for more runs. Ravindra Jadeja will be eyeing a hundred (Axar Patel might be, too!). I'm Andrew McGlashan and along with Sid Monga will bring you all the action.

AUS 177

IND

(116.4 ov) 324/7

Day 3 - Session 1: India lead by 147 runs.

Current RR: 2.77

• Min. Ov. Rem: 87.2

• Last 10 ov (RR): 17/0 (1.70)