India vs Australia 2017 First Test, Day 1: 5 Talking points

After collapsing like a pack of cards on a turning track, the Australian team managed to salvage the final session of the day courtesy the last-wicket stand of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood on their first day of their arduous four Test ‘test’ in India. 

Before their valiant efforts, the Indian team seemed like it’ll carry on in the same vein as they did against England and New Zealand, troubling the batsmen with an unrestrained barrage of spin. Yet, it was Umesh Yadav who made the most impact, picking up four wickets to leave the middle order with a gaping hole. 

Here are five talking points from the first day of the opening Test:

Umesh Yadav turns on the heat

Brought in late into the attack, Yadav, who has recently shown signs of belonging to the longest format, picked up wickets in a jiffy to send the middle order into a tizzy. 

It started with the dismissal of David Warner with a full delivery that managed to extract an inside edge that slayed his stumps. After the day’s end, Yadav conceded how he wanted to cram Warner by bowling close to the stumps, especially because the pitch was acting slow. 

He then snared Matthew Wade with a delivery that slid down the leg side, making the Aussie wicketkeeper miss the line completely. Steve O’Keefe was sent back by a jaw-dropping catch from Saha, while Nathan Lyon had no answers to an inswinging delivery that rapped the off-spinners on the pads and right in front of the sticks. The evolution from ‘wayward’ to ‘wicket-taking’ Umesh has been heartening to see.