Game in balance as an inexperienced Indian bowling lineup puts its hand up

The intimidating Australian team at the Gabba where the hosts have not lost a Test match since 1988 could well have put jitters in any Team. But a Team India donning a makeshift look with two debutantes, a combined experience of 5 Test matches between the five bowlers put up a fight, and by the end of Day one have put the team in a position that they would not be utterly disappointed with.

For an inexperienced bowling lineup, four of whom have made their debut on this very tour, while the other had only bowled 10 balls in Test cricket prior to the Test, the bounce at the Gabba would’ve felt like a box of chocolates presented on a cheat day after a month of stringent dieting. Despite their collective freshness at the international stage, the quintet largely resisted the temptation of bowling too short, a trap the visiting bowlers are often known to fall into.

Australia have struggled throughout the series with their opening partnership, and for the 6th instance in the four Tests that the opening pair failed not muster more than 20 runs - Mohammed Siraj finding David Warner’s outside edge for the second time in three innings. 

Australia had their guardian angels yet again pull them out of trouble. Steve Smith looking back to his chirpy, fidgety self, while Labuschagne did his best imitation of his idol. Steve Smith would have been relieved to see R Ashwin’s name missing from the playing eleven, but the off-spin of debutante Washington Sundar returning for his second spell, who had bowled 3 maiden overs till the point, accounted for Smith who appeared to have had a brain-fade of a different kind this time around, flicking an innocuous delivery straight to mid-wicket. The curse of Number 87 had struck again.

Thus far, the Indians had not given any hint of missing their senior pros. But, with a slightly older ball, a less venomous track, and possibly a tiring bowling lineup to deal with allowed the Aussies to get a move on. Labuschagne and Wade putting on a stand of 113 that threatened to take away the game from the Indians. But, in trademark style, Team India made a comeback, yet another debutante T Natarajan putting his hand up. Two wickets - both the set batsmen dismissed in a span 13 balls in identical fashion tilted the balance of the game back towards the center.

The encouraging aspect for Team India would have been their ability to keep producing wicket-taking deliveries even late in the day. With a 9-over-old second new ball and a fresh morning wicket at the Gabba, India would be hoping to rattle past the last five Australian wickets quickly on Day 2.