3 big questions Australia need to answer after Day 1 of the 1st Test vs India
Australia's quest to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy got off to a rocky start on Day 1 of the first Test against India in Nagpur on Thursday, February 9.
After Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat, the visitors folded for just 177 as none of their batters crossed the 50-run mark. Ravindra Jadeja led the way with a five-wicket haul, while Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with three scalps.
Australia couldn't make big inroads with the ball either, with Rohit Sharma taking India to a comfortable 77/1 at the end of the day's play. Cummins and Co. will have a lot on their minds and will need to pull their socks up on Day 2.
Here are three big questions Australia need to answer after Day 1 of the first Test against India.
#3 Can Australia afford to depend on just their spinners?
Australia opted to shore up their batting department for the first Test, going in with just four specialist bowlers. Pat Cummins and Scott Boland made up the pace attack, while the off-spin duo of Todd Murphy and Nathan Lyon were also picked.
However, Cummins and Boland were toothless on Day 1. Rohit picked off boundaries with ease against the former, who was uncharacteristically wayward throughout his spell. Boland, meanwhile, sent down only three overs and didn't look like he was going to pick up a wicket.
Can Australia afford to depend on Lyon and Murphy for their wickets? Both off-spinners bowled well, but the fact that Cummins was taken for runs meant that the Indian batters were in no hurry against them. The hosts are packed with right-handers, and it might be too tall an ask for Lyon and Murphy to pick up the majority of 20 wickets on their own.
#2 Did the Aussies get their team selection all wrong?
Australia sprung a couple of surprises while naming their playing XI for the first Test. Cummins and Boland were always going to be the premier pacers, but the spinners and their middle order had a couple of slightly unexpected changes.
Ashton Agar's exclusion left the Aussies without a bowler who can take the ball away from the right-handers unless Labuschagne is trusted with a few overs of leg-spin. Also ousted was the in-form Travis Head, who was replaced by Matt Renshaw.
Australia's thinking was understandable; Renshaw is a better player of spin and has also toured India before. But Head's counter-attacking game and intent would've greatly helped the Kangaroos, and his bowling isn't too shabby either. Renshaw bagged a first-ball duck, further shining a light on the selection decision.
Did the Aussies get their team selection all wrong? It remains to be seen how Renshaw and Murphy will perform over the course of the Test match, but they're not in a great position as of now.
#1 Who will step up with the bat apart from Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne?
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are easily Australia's two best Test batters, and that was completely evident even in the first innings.
While the former made 37 off 107 in a controlled innings, the latter scored a team-high 49 in his first Test innings in India. Both Smith and Labuschagne were dismissed by rippers from Jadeja.
Apart from the duo, who will step up for Australia with the bat? David Warner was beaten all ends up before he even got to his biggest challenge in Ravichandan Ashwin, while Usman Khawaja was trapped in front with ease by Mohammed Siraj.
Although Peter Handscomb and Alex Carey showed promise, they too were dismissed in their 30s and left the tail with too much to do. Renshaw, meanwhile, lasted just one ball.