NEW DELHI: India batters fell like a pack of cards on a treacherous spinning wicket of Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Australia spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon ripped into India’s batting as the hosts were bowled out for 109 runs in just 33.2 overs.
Kuhnemann claimed a five-fer, while experienced Lyon bagged three wickets and Todd Murphy got the prized wicket of India’s batting icon Virat Kohli.
Australia were in a commanding position, reaching 156/4 at stumps, leading by 47 runs at the close of Day 1 play. Peter Handscomb (7) and Cameron Green (6) were unbeaten at the crease.
In reply to India’s 109, Australia had lost Travis Head for 9 runs. He was dismissed lbw by Ravindra Jadeja.
Khawaja and Labuschagne resurrected Australia’s innings and formed a 96-run stand before the latter was bowled by Jadeja for 31 runs.
Khawaja became Jadeja’s third victim when he tried to sweep but ended up giving a simple catch to Shubman Gill in deep.
The 34-year-old star allrounder then claimed his fourth wicket by dismissing captain Steve Smith for 26 runs.
Like the last two Tests, the pitch was expected to offer plenty of turn but the ball turning square in the first hour of play and the odd one keeping low came as a slight surprise.
Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden, on air, called the black soil surface at the Holkar Stadium a day-three pitch and it sure behaved like one.
Three batters including skipper Rohit Sharma (12), Jadeja (4), and Shreyas Iyer (0) perished while trying to attack.
Kohli looked assured in the middle before being trapped lbw by Todd Murphy towards the end of the session. Kohli top scored for India with 22 off 52 balls while opener Shubhman Gill, who replaced struggling KL Rahul, contributed 21.
Winning the toss for the first time in the series, India expectedly decided to bat first.
Starc’s first over to Rohit was among the highlights of the morning session. Before the spinners ran through the Indian batting, Starc got the ball to swing giving the India skipper a tough time.
Rohit got a faint outside edge on the very first ball he faced but Australia did not take a review. Three balls later, Starc got the ball to swing back in and it flicked Rohit’s pads. Ball tracking showed the ball would have hit the off stump but Australia decided against taking DRS again.
Gill faced Green from the other end and began his innings with an elegant cover drive.
Spin was introduced in the sixth over and Kuhnemman got the ball to turn sharply. In the last ball of the over, Rohit stepped out to play across the line and got beaten in the flight and Alex Carey made a clean stumping.
Kuhnemann had Gill caught at first slip with the opener getting a thick outside edge while offering a forward defence.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s stay lasted only four balls as Lyon got one to turn massively from wide off stump that crashed into the middle stump. The ball kept a tad low as well and Pujara was found wanting on the back foot.
Jadeja’s fall made it 44 for four.
After surviving a close DRS call, the southpaw went for the attack against Lyon and was caught at short extra cover.
Kuhnemann got this third wicket of the morning when Iyer played an attempted cut on to his stumps and within the first hour of play, India had lost half their side.
Kohli and K S Bharat shared 26 runs for the sixth wicket before departing towards the end of the session.
Kohli was adjudged leg before off Murphy while trying to flick one that pitched on the off-stump and turned to hit the middle.
Bharat, who slog-swept Murphy for a six, was out lbw to Lyon while offering a long defensive stride.
(With inputs from agencies)