3 high-profile player battles to watch out for on Day 2 of the 1st IND vs AUS Test
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy got off to an entertaining start as Team India assumed a commanding position at Stumps on Day 1 of the first Test against Australia in Nagpur.
After the visitors won the toss and elected to bat, India made light work of them. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin shared eight wickets as Australia were bowled out for 177.
The battle between the spin duo and Australia's best batting pair of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne was one of the highlights of Day 1. Smith and Labuschagne did well to survive more than 33 overs, but Jadeja had the last laugh against both of them.
More such important battles are on the cards for the second day, which promises to be an enthralling day of Test cricket. Here are three high-profile player battles to watch out for on Day 2 of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
#3 Suryakumar Yadav vs Pat Cummins
India chose to hand Suryakumar Yadav his maiden Test cap, consigning Shubman Gill to the bench despite the youngster's recent red-hot form. SKY is expected to bat at either No. 5 or No. 6 and will have the license to go after the bowling to make some quick runs.
Suryakumar is an excellent player of spin even in red-ball cricket and will enjoy taking on Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy. He could run into a real challenge in the form of Pat Cummins, though.
The Aussie skipper was wayward with his lines and lengths on Day 1, but he's bound to find his bearings soon. Suryakumar is known to be troubled by "Test match lengths", and that's exactly what he will encounter if he faces Cummins on Day 2. If the fast bowler gets the ball to reverse, SKY's task will get even harder.
#2 Virat Kohli vs Todd Murphy
Virat Kohli has garnered a reputation for getting out to debutants, and some fans were even certain that he could become Todd Murphy's first scalp for Australia. That distinction went to KL Rahul, but that doesn't mean the off-spinner won't trouble the star Indian batter on Day 2.
Murphy bowled challenging lines and lengths throughout Day 1. He got a few to straighten off the surface and challenged both edges of the Indian batters, especially from around the wicket. The 22-year-old bowled slightly slower than Nathan Lyon and was a tough proposition to tackle.
Kohli's footwork against spin has been found wanting of late, and Murphy's accuracy could force the former Indian skipper into another tame dismissal. How he counters the youngster will be a major talking point on Day 2 of the first Test.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara vs Nathan Lyon
Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 521 runs against Nathan Lyon at an average of 52.1. Of course, that means that the veteran off-spinner has dismissed the dogged Indian batter a whopping 10 times. Player battles don't get any more interesting than this.
Lyon bowled well on Day 1 without much reward. When he faces off against Pujara on the second day, he will need to be at his best versus one of the best players of spin in the Indian side. The star batter, meanwhile, will look to make the most of his stellar home record and notch up a big score.
Can Lyon outfox Pujara once more? Or will the 35-year-old continue to be his assured self against the Aussie bowler?