Ravindra Jadeja takes five wickets as Australia razed for 177 after electing to bat in Nagpur; Marnus Labuschagne top-scores for tourists with 49; India skipper Rohit Sharma hits unbeaten 56 as hosts close on 77-1; India have not lost a Test series at home since 2012
India shredded Australia for 177 on day one of the first Test in Nagpur as Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne en route to his fourth career five-wicket haul against the Baggy Greens.
Australia, looking to win a Test series in India for the first time since 2004 and inflict a first home series defeat on their opponents since 2012, were bundled out inside 64 overs before India reached 77-1 in reply as skipper Rohit Sharma made an unbeaten 56.
Left-arm spinner Jadeja had Australia top-scorer Labuschagne (49) stumped, bowled Smith (37), and trapped Matt Renshaw (0), Peter Handscomb (36), and debutant Todd Murphy (0) lbw as he bagged figures of 5-47 from 22 overs.
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Australia, who elected to bat, lost their final five wickets for 15 runs once Ravichandran Ashwin (3-42) snapped a 53-run stand between Alex Carey (36) and Handscomb by bowling Carey on the sweep.
Smith and Labuschagne had earlier rallied the tourists from 2-2 with a third-wicket stand of 82 after openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja had both been dismissed for one – Khawaja fell lbw to Mohammed Siraj in the second over before Warner was bowled by Mohammed Shami in the third.
Rohit then struck three fours off opposing captain Pat Cummins in a 13-run first over of India’s reply and Australia’s sole success with the ball on day one came when off-spinner Murphy dismissed KL Rahul (20) in the penultimate over.
Murphy made Rahul his first Test wicket when he had the opener caught and bowled, a breakthrough which ended a 76-run alliance with Rohit and led to Ashwin (0no) coming out as night watchman.
