Mitchell Starc claimed career-best Test figures of 6-48
as Australia seized the initiative on day one of the second Test against India.
Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to make first use of
the pitch at the Adelaide Oval, but India were rattled out for 180 thanks to
some high-class bowling from Starc, who confirmed his status as the most
dangerous bowler in day-night Test cricket.
The left-arm quick set the tone for an impressive Australia
attack when he trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw with the first delivery of the
match.
Starc's haul also included the top-order wickets of KL Rahul
and Virat Kohli before another menacing spell later in India's innings blew
away the lower order.
His figures eclipsed the 6-50 he took against Sri Lanka at
Galle in August 2016 and underlined his mastery with the pink ball - nobody
comes close to his 72 wickets in day-night Tests.
Nitish Kumar Reddy struck three sixes as he top scored for
India with a counter-attacking knock of 42 off 54 balls, including a
spectacular reverse scoop off Scott Boland.
Australia faced a testing session under the floodlights with
Jasprit Bumrah hungry for wickets on his 31st birthday.
The India seamer was left looking to the heavens when Nathan
McSweeney edged him to Rohit at slip on five, only for the chance to be
grassed.
Bumrah subsequently removed fellow opener Usman Khawaja with
a brute of a delivery which climbed into the left-hander's ribcage and nipped
to take the edge with Rohit holding a more straightforward catch.
However, McSweeney and the under-pressure Marnus Labuschagne
diligently battled through to stumps without further loss, and will resume on
38 and 20.
The concentration of the pair was not even broken by two
brief floodlight failures and a spectator wobbling a beer snake next to the
sightscreen.
Starc tickled pink in Adelaide
Australia needed a response after a comprehensive drubbing
by India in the first Test in Perth - and Starc duly provided the
impetus.
This was a high-calibre display of bowling from Starc who
showed why he is such a handful in day-night Test matches with his fingers
positioned over the seam of a pink ball.
Starc's vicious cocktail of full, swinging yorkers and
steepling bouncers were unpalatable for India's batters as they were shot out
in two sessions.
The 34-year-old gave the hosts an electric start as Jaiswal
joined Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne and, more famously, England opener Rory
Burns in the Ashes, in falling to Starc from the first ball of a Test match.
It was a rasping toe-crusher for Jaiswal - a centurion in
India's win in Perth - to get first up as the ball swung late into his pad to
trap him in front as he attempted a leg glance.
India briefly rebuilt with a stand of 69 for the second
wicket before Starc ripped the heart out of the tourists' top order when he
found extra bounce off a tricky length.
Both Rahul and Kohli were caught in two minds, drawn into
edging deliveries they desperately tried to pull out of.
Boland, in for the injured Josh Hazlewood, looked a threat
and snared Shubman Gill and Rohit at key points even if Reddy took a shine to
him - taking 16 of 21 runs in what was the seamer's most expensive Test over.
Pat Cummins (2-41) removed Rishabh Pant as he looked set to
take on the Aussie attack before Starc returned to finish the job for
Australia.
It was Starc's fourth five-wicket haul in day-night Tests -
two more than anybody else - and he has 29 more wickets than the next-best
bowler in Nathan Lyon (43 wickets).
McSweeney shows his mettle
Pink ball. Under lights. Bumrah charging in to an
inexperienced opener in McSweeney.
This can only go one way, right? Well, no, actually.
The 25-year-old Queenslander used up a life when he nicked
Bumrah and Pant dived across Rohit to leave India's captain with a tougher
chance.
It did not lead to a specific mental or technical change of
approach from McSweeney, who finished the day with 38 runs from 97 balls and an
asterisk next to his name, but he did leave well.
According to CricViz 30 of those balls McSweeney left or
shouldered arms.
Parachuted in at the start of this series to open for
Australia, having done so only once before in first-class cricket, this was the
kind of judgement and mental fortitude required for the assignment.
McSweeney was not the only man in the spotlight on day one.
Labuschagne's Test career has been written off in some
quarters following a decline.
But in testing conditions another of Australia's
under-pressure batters dug in, leaving the hosts in a dominant position heading
into day two as they look to square the series.
'We were bang on with the ball' - reaction
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc on ABC
Grandstand: "It was a good day all round. We were a fraction wide
in the first hour but after that we were bang on with the ball.
"With the pink ball you are never out of the game in
terms of it doing something. There might be periods when it doesn't do as much
but then it might start doing things. But not a lot of what I do changes.
"To get batting on day one and go to stumps with grit
and determination was fantastic, in what are the most difficult conditions in
pink-ball cricket. If we have a successful first session on day two we hold the
cards."
Former Australia seamer Glenn McGrath: "Australia
did well to come through that last session losing just one wicket. It was tough
going.
"They weren't scoring too quickly but they hung in
there and I think India got a little bit frustrated at the end.
"Batting under lights is going to be hard but they
fought hard and that's what you want to see from the Australian team."
Ex-Australia coach and batter Darren Lehmann: "All
in all Australia's day with the way they bowled and batted.
"Mitchell Starc was superb with the ball. Nathan
McSweeney was excellent under the pressure and so too was Marnus Labuschagne
even though it took him 19 balls to get off the mark.
"I know people will say they scored too slow but they
did what they had to do. If Australia bat half-decent they win this Test
match."
