India vs Australia 2017, 1st Test, Day 1: Mitchell Starc’s Late Fight Avoids Five-Fer For Umesh Yadav
Feb 23, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Australia’s Mitchell Starc played a resilient knock of 57 off 58 balls to keep his side’s innings going, after Umesh Yadav daunted the visitors with his fiery four-fer on Day 1 of the first Test at Pune.
On a dusty track of Pune, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. Led by Ravichandran Ashwin, the spin attack kept the openers David Warner and Matthew Renshaw on back foot, courtesy some deceiving turners off the pitch. Though, the pair was successful in keeping the scoreboard ticking. However, it was Umesh Yadav and no spinner, who provided India their first breakthrough in the name of David Warner on 36.
One ball later, Matt Renshaw left the field too complaining about some pain in his stomach. Though, he came later on and scored 68 runs. By lunch, Australia was 84 for one.
Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh, who replaced the openers, didn’t bother the scorecard for long as Jayant and Ashwin picked them up in successive overs. Middle-order too failed to leave a mark, as Mitchell Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Matthew Wade could add just 34 runs among them. Spinners had the better of the visitors in the following session before Umesh Yadav wrecked havoc with his vicious pace in the last one.
Ripping apart the tail, Umesh came close to pick up his second five-fer in Test but was denied by some lusty yet controlled batting from Mitchell Starc. For the last wicket partnership, Hazlewood and Starc clubbed 51 runs, which also saw the latter completing his half-century. At stumps on Day 1, Australia were 256/9.
Brief Scorecard:
Australia – 256/9; Matthew Renshaw 68(156), Mitchell Starc 57*(58), Umesh Yadav 4/32