As IT Happened: Bowlers have put Australia firmly on top as the Indian batting has cut a sorry figure apart from Pujara. Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have all impressed. Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bat first in the first Test of the four-match series. (LIVE SCORECARD)

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13:00 hrs IST Cummins runs out Pujara, that is STUMPS What a sad end to a brilliant innings from Pujara. Scores 123 valuable runs before Cummins runs him out with a quality direct hit. But the batsman has definitely brought India back into the game. The wicket leads to the end of the first day’s action in Adelaide. Indian players will feel much better thanks to the knock from Pujara after the top-order failed to take control.





12:53 hrs IST Pujara looking to excel Pujara is starting to excel here and dealing in fours and sixes. Not to forget the doubles that he is running hard with Shami for company. The partnership has already moved to 33 from 26 balls and all these are crucial runs considering that India have just two wickets left.





12:43 hrs IST Pujara brings up 16th century Brilliant knock here from Pujara and brings up the century with a double towards the mid-wicket boundary. Ian Chappell had spoken about dropping him for Rohit Sharma before the start of the game, but the India No.3 once again shows his class when the going gets tough. The Indians will hope that he can go on and add as many runs as he can.





12:40 hrs IST Pujara moves into the 90s with a six A six and then a boundary. This is just the way he has rushed from 89 to 99. Add to that 5000 Test runs. This is an innings that Pujara will remember for some time here. Brilliant knock considering the other batsmen just failed to apply themselves. India’s score moves to 224/8.





12:32 hrs IST Starc gets Ishant Ishant’s stay in the middle ends as he goes for 4 with Starc knocking off the off-stump. Starc is known to clean up tails with his immaculate line and yorkers and he is doing the trick here again as Pujara battles on. Fighting a lone battle here as just Shami and Bumrah will follow. The score reads 210/8.





12:20 hrs IST Aussies take second new ball Mitchell Starc gets the new cherry as the Indian tail has its work cut-out. The new ball here as soon as it was available and Ishant Sharma takes strike. Pujara has moved closer to his 100, can he get his first one on Australian soil? The score reads 206/7.





12:10 hrs IST 200 up for India It has been a long struggle for the Indian batsmen on the opening day of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval, but Pujara has managed to hold one end up and the 200 is up for the visitors with just three wickets left in the bag. Pujara is batting on 80 and it will be interesting to see if he can bring up his 100 tonight.





12:00 hrs IST Pujara looks at tail for support Pujara has been batting exceedingly well and has Ishant for support now. Ishant can spend long hours in the middle and Pujara will pray that the tail can provide him the support that he needs to bring up his maiden century on Australian soil. He still needs another 25 runs.





11:50 hrs IST Cummins gets Ashwin Brilliant ball from Cummins and that takes the edge and heads straight to the slip cordon. That was jaffer and Cummins is loving it. Just when the partnership was looking threatening, Ashwin goes for 25 with the score reading 189/7. The Indian fans are wearing a gloomy look at the Adelaide Oval. Not the start to the Test series they wanted.





11:40 hrs IST Ashwin shows grit and determination 50 partnership for 7th wicket between Pujara and Ashwin is the 2nd fifty plus score partnership between them and 1st in an away Test between them. This is also 1st fifty partnership by an Indian pair for 7th wicket in Australia after 4 innings. It is the 5th instance of a fifty partnership by an Indian pair for 7th wicket in a Test in Australia after losing first 6 wickets for 130 or below. The last such partnership came in 2012 at Sydney between Ashwin and Dhoni.





11:32 hrs IST Paine looking to motivate his boys Even as Pujara and Ashwin are starting to look comfortable in the middle, Tim Paine is looking to motivate the boys as he knows that the team needs one more wicket here to break into the tail. With the new ball round the corner, this will be just how Paine will want things to unfold. The score reads 183/6.





11:22 hrs IST Can Pujara-Ashwin take India to safety? The two have been batting well here and the new ball is still 12 overs away and that means that there are 12 overs to be taken advantage of because the Aussie pacers will now want to take it easy as they come back with vigour with the red cherry in hand. The partnership has gone into the 50s.





11:12 hrs IST Lyon bowling his heart out With the ball not doing much off the wicket, Paine has turned to Lyon to get him a couple of wickets here as the Pujara-Ashwin partnership is starting to look good. Lyon is looking to keep it tight here and get the close-in fielders into the game. The score reads 168/6.





11:02 hrs IST Ashwin looking good With the top-order getting out to flashy shots, Ashwin has shown the attitude to stick it out in the middle and give Pujara the support he needs on a wicket that has nothing much to offer for the bowlers. All the previous dismissals have been thanks to poor shot selections.





10:52 hrs IST Aussies looking to break into tail The Australians have had two quality sessions on the opening day of the first Test and they need one more wicket here in the third session to break into the tail of the Indian batting. Lyon is going on effortless. Ashwin is giving Pujara company and the two must try and strike a partnership.





10:42 hrs IST 20th Test fifty for Pujara Pujara has done it here. This shows what discipline can do even on a wicket where the bowlers are getting a tad bit of help. There is not much on the wicket, but the Indian batsmen have failed to apply themselves apart from Pujara. The score reads 148/6.





10:32 hrs IST The boys are back on the field The all-important third session of the opening day gets underway and there is no doubt that the Australians will want to clean up the tail here and take strike. The Indian batsmen need to add some runs here as the score reads 143/6 and with the hosts right on top here. Not the kind of start to the Test series that Kohli would have wanted.





10:12 hrs IST Tea on Day 1 Tea on the opening day of the first Test and this session too has belonged to the Australians with Pujara holding fort amidst the ruins. The score for India reads 143/6 with Pujara batting on 46. Ashwin is giving him company and this pair needs to bat long into the last session as after this India has the tail to follow.





10:00 hrs IST Pujara moves into the 40s An upper-cut from the otherwise subdued Pujara as the ball races into the thirdman boundary. Pujara moves into the 40s and if he gets to a fifty here, that will be very well deserved and once again show the importance of playing red-ball cricket like true traditionalists. All the wickets so far, except for Pant, have been bad shots.





09: 56 hrs IST Onus on Pujara With all the other regular batsman back in the hut, it is now on Pujara to ensure that India get a decent total on the board in the first innings of the opening Test of the series. Doesn’t look like things are getting any better as only Ashwin is left with Pujara. After that comes the pure tail that doesn’t have any history of wagging. The score reads 131/6.





09:46 hrs IST Lyon picks his second What a ball!!! The perfect delivery from an off-spinner to left-handed Pant as the Indian wicket-keeper gets the faintest of edges to that one for Paine to complete a regulation catch behind the wicket. India are in deep trouble with the score reading 127/6. Can Ashwin show some support to Pujara as Pant goes for 25.





09:40 hrs IST Hazlewood back in the attack Tim Paine turns back to Hazlewood as the Australians realise the need to get one more wicket here because Pant is the last recognised batsman with Pujara. While Ashwin can bat, but you cannot bank on the off-spinner. Hazlewood on his part has bowled in the right areas from the first ball.





09:30 hrs IST Pant starting to look solid After the initial outburst, Pant has started to look better and more composed now. Looks like the nerve has settled down and he is looking to show his mature side as Pujara has really looked comfortable in the middle and needs someone to bat with him. The score reads 117/5





09:18 hrs IST Pujara holding one end up He has played over 100 balls here and has looked rock solid. Batsmen have come and gone around him, but Pujara is looking to play his natural game. All the top-order batsmen have perished trying to play flashy shots, but Pujara has shown the need to grind it out.





09:10 hrs IST Pant looking to play natural game There is no stopping Pant here as he looks to attack Starc here. A mistimed loft over mid-on, a flick for a six and then an edge through gap between slips and gully. This is why he is dangerous because if he can stay for 30 mins, he will change the complexion of the game here. India also do need some quick runs here as they have lost 5 wickets and a long tail.





09:05 hrs IST Aussies looking to dominate With Rohit back in the hut, it is clearly Australia on top here as Pant is the last recognised batsman giving Pujara company. It is important that Pujara does not lose shape. Needs to stay calm and focused here and ensure that he stretches the Indian score to as much as possible. Pant will want to strike some runs here and give Pujara company.





08:56 hrs IST Lyon gets Rohit That is a sad end to the Rohit innings. He was looking really good, but fails to keep at it. Tries one shot too many and top edges Lyon as the ball lands into the safe hands of Harris at square leg. Rohit goes for 37 and that is not a good sign. The score reads 86/5.





08:48 hrs IST GOAT into the attack Back into action post the lunch break and Lyon is looking as if he has been bowling all along. Into rhythm straightaway and bowling in the right areas to trouble the Indian batsmen. Australia need one more wicket early into this session here as this is the second last recognised pair with Pant to follow.





08:40 hrs IST Six over covers for Rohit Phewwww!!! That was vintage Rohit as he hit Cummins over covers into the stands. That was like Rohit saw the red ball white. Brilliant batting here from the ODI deputy as he has looked to play every ball on its merit. Pujara playing perfect second fiddle here as he has the job of holding one end up. The score reads slightly better at 72/4.





08:33 hrs IST Cummins and Hazlewood at it The two pacers have looked very good this morning and even now in the post-lunch session, they have been extremely impressive as they are looking for one more wicket here. Pujara and Rohit will want to bat this session out to ensure that the game is in the bag for India.





08:24 hrs IST Rohit looking solid Playing as he sees it, not looking to be overtly cautious, Rohit has looked good in the middle and has been the perfect partner to Pujara. The Australians will want one more quick wicket here because that will see the tail walk into the middle. Cummins and Hazlewood have looked very good so far.





08:14 hrs IST Second session begins Pat Cummins bowls the first over after lunch and Rohit Sharma hits him for a boundary towards the covers on the second ball. Rohit is looking good so far and he will look to bat for the longest period in the day. Second boundary of the innings for the stylish right-hander.





07:50 hrs IST All eyes on Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma has looked good so far in his short innings and all eyes will be on him in the second session. While Pujara has looked as solid as ever on one end, Rohit has hit couple of good shorts to make his intentions clear. India need a big partnership from these two.





07:35 hrs IST First session ends That’s the end of the first session and India have reached 56/4. Bowlers have put Australia firmly on top in the first session as four Indian batsmen have been sent back into the hut. KL Rahul, Murali Vijay ,Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have been dismissed. Josh Hazlewood has picked up two wickets thus far while Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have scalped one each





07:27 hrs IST Huge hit from Rohit Pat Cummins bowls short and Rohit Sharma was waiting for it as he pulls the ball over the square leg boundary for a huge six. Second six of the innings for India as Rohit is looking increasingly settled in the middle with every passing over.





07:23 hrs IST Starc keeps it tight Mitchell Starc returns into the attack and bowls a good fiery over Rohit and Pujara. On the penultimate ball of the over, Starc clocked 91 miles per hour and Pujara did well to duck away from the bounces. Starc conceded just 1 runs off it.





07:18 hrs IST India cross 50-run mark Nathan Lyon tosses the ball up and Rohit Sharma obliges by hitting the ball through the covers for a boundary. First four of the innings for Rohit and this will give him immense confidence. India have also crossed the 50-run mark.





07:11 hrs IST Stage set for Rohit Sharma This is an ideal situation for Rohit Sharma to show his mettle in the longest format. If he ends up getting a big score here, he may end up sealing his place at number six. It has been universally agreed that Rohit is too good a player not to succeed in Tests.





07:02 hrs IST Hazlewood strikes again India have lost their fourth wicket now as Ajinkya Rahane heads back into the hut for 13. Another Indian batsman tried to poke at a delivery outside the off stump and Rahane is caught by Handscomb in the slip region. What a start from the Aussies this morning!



Live coverage HERE: https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/F0fWlMTl6A — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2018





06:54 hrs IST Half-chance goes a begging Rahane once again comes down the track to Lyon and tries to defend the ball but it takes an inside edge. The ball went agonisingly past the fielder a forwards short leg. Rahane is living on the edge at the moment.





06:45 hrs IST First six of the innings Ajinkya Rahane is making his intentions clear early on in his innings as he hits the first maximum of the series. Rahane uses his feet well and comes down the ground to Lyon and hits the ball over the deep mid wicket ropes for a six. India need Rahane to play a pivotal role today following the loss of three early wicket.





06:37 hrs IST Dropped catch Spin has been introduced into the attack by skipper Tim Paine as Nathan Lyon comes to bowl. He almost got Australia their fourth wicket of the day as the ball took an edge off Rahane’s (2) bat but debutant Harris spilled the catch at forward short leg.





06:30 hrs IST Stat attack Pat Cummins sends Virat Kohli packing for 3 in his very first over. 7th caught dismissal for Kohli in last 8 innings. He stays 5 runs away from completing 1000 Test runs in Australia. Consecutive 5th under 20 figure for Kohli against Australia.





06:22 hrs IST Skipper dismissed, visitors in serious trouble! This is the wicket that Australia were searching for and it has been provided by a piece of brilliance in the field by Usman Khawaja. Virat Kohli edged a delivery and Khawaja took a brilliant diving catch to send the India skipper back into the hut.





06:18 hrs IST India need a partnership The onus is now on Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli to put on a good partnership here and bat India out of trouble. India’s opening woes came to the fore once again in the match and because of that they are on the backfoot yet again in a Test. Bowling change - Pat Cummins comes into the attack and he replaces Starc.





06:11 hrs IST Stat attack Murali Vijay gets caught for consecutive three times against Australia. Vijay stays 7 runs away from completing 500 runs in Australia. Starc has now dismissed Vijay 4 times in Tests and he becomes the third bowler to do so after Watson and Hazlewood





06:05 hrs IST Starc strikes now India have lost their second wicket of the day as Mithcell Starc has gotten rid of Murali Vijay. The right hander tried to drive the ball but edged it into the hands of keeper Paine. Both openers have been sent back into the hut by the Aussie pacers who are ruling the roost in Adelaide.





06:00 hrs IST Edge but four First boundary of the innings for India but it has come in a rather risky fashion. Full and wide from Hazlewood and Vijay lashed out at it. Luckily for him, the ball went in between point and gully for a boundary. Welcome four for the visitors.





05:52 hrs IST AUS bowlers on top Starc and Hazlewood are bowling well in tandem and they haven’t given any loose delivery thus far. Indian batsmen are struggling to deal with the swing and pace of the two Aussie pacers. The onus is now on Vijay and Puraja to stitch together a good partnership.





05:45 hrs IST Stat attack Fourth single digit opening stand for India in last 5 innings on foreign soil. First single digit score for Rahul after 6 consecutive half centuries against the Aussies. He gets caught after 10 innings in Tests. After yet another failure, it comes to mind that ‘Does KL Rahul deserve the long rope he is being given as Test opener?’ This is an interesting read for all of you till the time we add this latest failure into the long list of Rahul’s recent out of sort performances.





05:40 hrs IST Aussies strike early Perfect start for the hosts as KL Rahul is dismissed early. The right hander pokes at a delivery outside the off stump and gives away an edge into the hands of Finch in the slip cordon. KL Rahul’s poor form continues. The first wicket of the Test summer! https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/qAIm6k6Uw0 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2018





05:36 hrs IST Good start for Starc Starc conceded just two runs from the first over of the day. Rahul picked up a double in the over to get off the mark. Jos Hazlewood will now be bowling the second over of the day to Murali Vijay.





05:31 hrs IST Match begins Murali Vijay will face the first ball of the series and he is partnered by KL Rahul on the other end. As for Australia, Mithcell Starc has the new ball in his hand and he will be bowling the first over of the day.





05:25 hrs IST National Anthem time The players are out in the middle and we are getting ready now for the respective national anthems. The two teams are all geared up for the blockbuster opener.





05:20 hrs IST Skipper Kohli during toss “It looks like a nice hard wicket with a nice covering of grass on it. Runs on the board will be always handy in any condition. Every tour is an opportunity and it’s always a difficult challenge in Australia. We are taking nothing for granted and are looking forward to a challenging series, to measure ourselves against one of the best sides in the world.”





05:12 hrs IST Playing XIs Australia: Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine(w/c), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon India: Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami





05:03 hrs IST Toss India have won the toss and skipper Virat Kohli has opted to bat first. Australian captain Tim Paine says during toss that they would also have liked to bat first on this track.





04:58 hrs IST Both teams devoid of regular starters Injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s absence does upset the balance of the side but getting an Australia side, which is still reeling under the after-effect of the ball tampering scandal with Steve Smith and David Warner serving their respective one-year suspensions.





04:50 hrs IST Debutant in Aussie ranks Batsman Marcus Harris has been handed his Test cap and he is all-set to take part in the Test. Welcome to the club, Marcus Harris #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/mSihxGoPh9 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 5, 2018





04:25 hrs IST India’s opening issues Opening issues continued to plague India in England as well. After only 26 runs in two Tests, Vijay was sent home. While Rahul did scored 299 runs in five Tests there, 149 of those came in the final innings of the series at the Oval. His previous nine innings on tour yielded only 150 runs and 37 was his highest score, again in the first innings at the same ground. Shikhar Dhawan, who is not part of the current Test squad, scored 162 runs in four Tests. Prithvi Shaw’s ankle injury has opened doors for the Rahul-Vijay combination.





04:15 hrs IST No support for skipper Virat Kohli India have faced two key issues, and the first has to do with the batting line-up not firing enough to support skipper Kohli. While Kohli scored 286 runs in three Tests in South Africa, the next highest cumulative total was 119 by Hardik Pandya and he scored 93 of those in one innings at Cape Town. Cheteshwar Pujara only managed 100 runs in three Tests, while Murali Vijay (102 runs in three Tests) and KL Rahul (30 runs in two Tests) came a cropper.





04:00 hrs IST India’s 12-man squad for first Test Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah. ODI deputy Rohit Sharma has been included in the 12-member team while Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav are the notable absentees. With both Rohit and Hanuma Vihari making the 12, it is clear that the Indians wish to go into the game relying on a heavy batting line-up. Kuldeep Yadav too has missed out as R Ashwin is the only spinner in the team.





03:45 hrs IST India’s abysmal record Down Under India’s past Test record in Australia is quite abysmal. In 44 Tests on Australian soil, they have only managed five wins thus far. In 70 years and over 11 tours, only two drawn series, under Sunil Gavaskar in 1980-81 and with Sourav Ganguly in charge in 2003-04 is more a reflection of temperament of touring sides over the years rather than quality.



