Mitchell Starc's aggressive 57 takes Australia to 256/9 on Day 1

Australia finished the first day of the first Test against India in Pune at 256/9, after Steve Smith won the toss and decided to bat first.

On a raging turner, Australia got off to a half-century plus opening stand but lost their bearings thereafter. David Warner was bowled for 38 and his fellow opener Matt Renshaw also retired ill. Australia collapsed from 119/1 to 205/9. Renshaw returned, in between, and scored a well-composed 68 on debut.

Despite the nature of the pitch, it was pacer Umesh Yadav who was the star of India’s bowling attack. He accounted for David Warner at the beginning and then took out two wickets in two balls at the tail end of Australia’s innings. Yadav finished the day with figures of 4/32, just reward with his persistent pace and length.

However, Mitchell Starc interrupted the flow of wickets and hit a flowing, counter-attacking half-century to take Australia’s score past 250 at stumps. The last-wicket partnership put on 51 runs in 12.1 overs.

Live updates:

4.30 pm: And that’s the day. Australia finish Day 1 of the first Test in Pune at 256/9. Remember they won the toss and chose to bat. From 119/1, Steve Smith won’t like the score. But from 205/9, he will love it. Mitchell Starc has been fantastic in his unbeaten 57....the last wicket partnership has put on 51.

Whose day is it? Steve Smith won’t be very disappointed, but it’s probably Virat Kohli who is the happier captain, despite the last wicket. He won’t be too bothered with Australia’s score as he’s seen opposition teams score even more runs and still lose. As for the wicket, well, you know what they say, always judge a wicket after both teams have batted on it.

Best moment of the day? Without doubt...

4.24 pm: Starc is having a ball out there. There’s a big grin plastered on his face even when he’s played and missed. Partnership 49 now. Just around six minutes left till end of play so India won’t be batting today even if they get the final wicket.

Rohit Sharma may not be playing, but he’s fully behind his team.

4.15 pm: This is going to be annoying for India! Mitchell Starc gets 50 with a boundary, Australia reach 250 and the partnership is nearing fifty. He’s scored his runs at more than run-a-ball!

4.08 pm: Well, well, well...Mitchell Starc is having a right good time, here. Gets an inside-edge four and then flat-bats Jadeja away to mid-wicket for another boundary. Hits another six two balls later. The partnership is now 30. Australia 241/9. How vital could this be?

Here’s that wonder catch from Saha. Watch it and be amazed.

4.00 pm: The last wicket has not been taken yet. Instead, Mitchell Starc has hit a four and a six to try and keep Australia out there as long as possible. I’m sure he doesn’t want to bowl today. And Umesh Yadav still has a chance to take that fifer.

Meanwhile, Harsha Bhogle is again back to sparring on Twitter.

3.47 pm: Umesh Yadav gets a chance to get a five-wicket haul. On this kind of pitch, this would be some achievement...

3.42 pm: Two in two for Umesh Yadav. Hits Nathan Lyon plumb in front. There was a review but it was half-hearted. Australia 205/9. What a collapse!

3.39 pm: WRIDDHIMAN SAHA, YOU BEAUTY! That’s a Jonty Rhodes catch. Thick fast edge off a Umesh Yadav delivery. Saha just flies to his left, one-handed and takes the catch. WOW. What a catch. Australia 205/7.

And on a turning track, put your hands together for Umesh Yadav. Unlucky through the New Zealand series, unlucky through the England series. Finally, gets his just rewards. Three wickets on this track is worth six anywhere else. Well done, Umesh.

3.30 pm: Drinks here with an hour to go in the day. Australia are 199/7 after 80 overs, a stark collapse from 119/1 at one stage. It’s similar to their collapses in Sri Lanka last year where they were whitewashed 3-0. No one in the middle order managed to play one big knock. Not great batting.

A good outing overall for India. Two wickets each for Jadeja, Ashwin and Umesh Yadav. Jayant Yadav also pitched in with one.

3.25 pm: Ahh, we did put the jinx on him. Renshaw pushes at it, almost nibbles and edges to Murali Vijay at second slip. Great knock, but he couldn’t do it all alone. He departs for 68, Australia 196/7.

3.20 pm: Right then, 195/6 after 78 overs. What are Australia aiming for? 250 has to be a bare minimum, 300 has to be a realistic target. Remember, however bad the pitch looks, India may not be as troubled. Their batting is in prime form.

To be fair, two key Australian wickets, Shaun Marsh and Steve Smith, were self-imposed. With those two batting, Australia looked very comfortable.

3.10 pm: OUT! Umesh Yadav nips another partnership in the bud. Wade was going across and he was hit on the back leg. Umpire gave it out, Wade review. The ball-tracking showed “umpire’s call” on ball hitting the leg stump so the decision stays. Australia in further trouble at 190/6.

3.00 pm: The new ball is just four overs away. Will Kohli take it? Or does he keep his spinners on? Especially when Renshaw looks so comfortable.

Speaking of Renshaw, another young overseas opener does well in Indian conditions. Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings did very well for England and even James Neesham for New Zealand.

2.58 pm: Does Renshaw remind you of someone?

Now let’s hope we haven’t put the jinx on him...

2.50 pm: Fifty for young Renshaw. Great knock and he’s kept Australia standing. The only blip in his innings was his toilet break but otherwise, he’s been calm and composed. Imperative that he carries on for Australia’s sake. Australia 178/5 after 70 overs.

2.45 pm: Plumb, plumb, plumb....Ravindra Jadeja’s straighter one gets another Australian batsmen playing for the turn. Mitchell Marsh never looked comfortable back and is caught in front, rooted to his crease. India on top now, Australia 166/5.

2.35 pm: We’re back after tea and here’s what the scorecard looks like:

2.10 pm: And that’s TEA! Australia are 153/4 with Mitchell Marsh and Matt Renshaw.

What a session. Just an hour back, Australia would have been quietly confident despite Shaun Marsh’s wicket. Then Peter Handscomb misjudged the straighter ball from Ravindra Jadeja and then Steve Smith chipped straight to Virat Kohli at mid-wicket. Three wickets in that session, then and India are well on top.

Someone really likes poetry but he’s making his point well:

The toilet jokes are still continuing...

And the predictions:

2.03 pm: Almost another one? Umpire thought Mitchell Marsh had nicked it behind but he reviewed and it was overturned Very close there. That’s three Australian wickets down already in this session.

In the midst of all this, Matt Renshaw, who was the source of much (toilet) humour for going off with a supposed stomach upset, has come back to resume his innings. Whew. What a time to come out to batt.

1.57 pm: ASHWIN strikes! Oh, what has Steve Smith done?! Comes down the ground, tries to hit Ashwin away but hits it straight to Virat Kohli at mid-wicket! Oh what a blow, What a massive blow! Australia 149/4.

1.55 pm: India get the wicket they wanted just before tea! Peter Handscomb has missed the arm ball from Ravindra Jadeja and the umpires gives him out. He wanted the review but his captain didn’t, and he’s got to make the long walk back to the pavilion. Key wicket for India there as they enter Australia’s middle order.

1.44 pm: Good analysis from Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box about Australia’s batsmen’s bat-speed. Handscomb and Smith’s partnership has now gone to 25 in 10.1 overs. Both of them have looked solid. To be fair, all the Aussie batsmen have looked solid so far. Warner was a tad unlucky to inside-edge onto his stumps while Marsh was unfortunate to get the back of his bat to his attempted sweep shot. Australia 144/2 in 57 overs.

1.35 pm: Australia’s crawl continues. They reach 142/2 after 56 overs. Two fours in that over but the run rate still hovers around 2.5. It’s steady batting but what it means is that Australia don’t have a lot of runs on board. And if wickets fall quickly, well....

Aakash Chopra has advice for India’s bowlers:

And more on how Steve Smith is really playing within himself:

1.25 pm: It’s a scorching afternoon in Pune, with the temperature in the mid-thirties, as the players pause for some hydration.

1.20 pm: Less than hour to go for tea. Whose session till now? Shared probably...India have that one wicket, Australia haven’t had a lot of damage. It could all change though. Steve Smith holds the key. 131/2 after 52 overs.

1.10 pm: Australia are 128/2 after 50 overs. Only 44 runs have come in the 17 overs since tea. Very tight and Australia haven’t been able to get away. They wouldn’t have minded but the Marsh wicket came at a very bad time. All upto Steve Smith now to anchor the knock. The players are taking drinks so while they do that, why don’t you check out why his stance is so unique?

1.06 pm: Who is Peter Handscomb, the batsman who came out at the fall of Marsh’s wicket? He plays for Victoria and has had an impressive start to his still-fledgling Test career. With two centuries against Pakistan to his name, he also has a good reputation against spin.

1.00 pm: Gone! Jayant Yadav strikes! He’s made up for that big no-ball. Marsh went for the sweep, gets the back of the bat and it goes to leg slip. Big wicket, big big wicket. The partnership is broken! Australia 119/2.

Sweeping isn’t easy and what’s worse is that Marsh missed the sweep the first time and went for it again, the next ball. He’ll be gutted.

Australia’s supporters aren’t happy.

12.48 pm: Steve Smith hit Jadeja for a four last over and Shaun Marsh expertly rocks back and cuts Jayant Yadav for a four now. Australia thinking of getting a move on? They’re 117/1 after 43.

Also, check out how Twitter reacted to Matt Renshaw going off the field.

Ayaz Memon weights in:

12.45 pm: Nope, nothing much to report here. Umesh Yadav is getting a few to play and miss but both Marsh and Smith are looking solid. It’s that sort of pitch though where 105/1 can easily become 130/5. If you’re in, you really need to make it count.

And if you’re wondering why Steve Smith is such a key batsman for Australia, maybe it’s because he can play shots like this:

12.33 pm: India’s two reviews are up! Virat Kohli goes for a punt on Umesh Yadav’s ball hitting Smith. The ball misses leg stump by quite a distance. Not a great review. And India are now dependent on the umpire. Australia 104/1 after 39 overs.

12.30 pm: The hundred is up for Australia. 100/1 in 38 overs. And Smith and Marsh are looking more and more settled in the Pune heat.

Allan Border hasn’t taken too kindly to Renshaw walking off the pitch mid-knock:

12.18 pm: Does IPL experience really matter in a Test when the conditions are so different? Shaun Marsh may agree as he hits Umesh Yadav for a lovely drive for four through the covers. Australia reach 90/1 in 35.

Here’s Shaun Marsh’s century in IPL 2008 where he rocked the party:

12.13 pm: First over after lunch and Steve Smith-Shaun Marsh stay unmoved against Ravindra Jadeja.

And oh look, we’ve finally managed to find out what happened to Renshaw. Thanks, BCCI!

12.05 pm: Some more reactions as we await the start of the second session:

Will the toss prove to be the difference?

This is what all the fuss is about

Key line there...”things could change rapidly”.

And also if you’re from India, you can keep an eye on the live election results in the BMC elections.

11.30 am: LUNCH it is. Australia go back to cool their heels at 84/1. They’ll be pleased, but not happy at David Warner’s wicket. Hopefully Renshaw will come back to resume his knock, looked quite composed out there.

What else? Well, the pitch will definitely be the focus now. Some deliveries have turned square and it looks more like a Day 4-Day 5 pitch than a Day 1 one. What would be a good score? No one knows, because there’s always the chance that it’ll flatten out later. Australia need to hold firm and grimly weather the blows.

We’re still not exactly sure what happened with Renshaw, mainly because Star Sports never decided to tell us...

And Harsha Bhogle ponders...

11.28 am: Zero runs scored in the last 29 balls. Steve Smith and Marsh haven’t managed to get off the mark yet. Very very tight. India probably smell one more wicket before lunch.

Over on Twitter, Harsha Bhogle is already defending the pitch...

11.25 am: Steve Smith solidly blocks out Umesh Yadav’s second over. Yadav has kept it tight and bowled a disciplined line. Should have probably been brought in earlier. Nearing lunch right now and Australia will just look to get over the line without anymore damage. 82/1 after 30.

11.15 am: So there are actually two new batsmen out there. David Warner was dismissed and even Renshaw retired, it seems. So Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh are out in the middle. Double blow for Australia.

It seems Matt Renshaw retired ill. They did not show it on television.

11.11 am: Umesh gets David Warner! He’ll be kicking himself, playing out the spinners and then succumbing to Umesh Yadav in his very first over. Gets an inside edge onto his stumps. Australia 82/1.

11.09 am: Eventful over from Ashwin. Strikes Warner in front but the umpire says no. Then Warner gets a leading edge but falls just short of Ashwin. He survives. Australia 81/0 in 27 overs.

11.00 am: Oh wow! Renshaw is hitting his stride. Steps out and this time, hits Jadeja for a six over mid-wicket. The Aussies are in town, people. And they’re slowly making their presence felt. 74/0 after 24 overs.

10.55 am: Renshaw went down the ground to Jadeja and hit him over mid-wicket for a four. First signs of aggression for Australia. Renshaw’s played the majority of deliveries in this partnership and is looking a little more settled. Still a difficult pitch to bat on. They’re 63/0 after 23.

And here’s the part in the first session, where India messed up, big time. Turn away if you’re an India fan...

10.50 am: Australia have successfully negotiated the first 20 overs without a blow. Against an Indian team at home, that’s an achievement, on this pitch, doubly so. Runs are going to be key, key, key in this Test. Australia have got a good start but if they lose one, they might lose all. 57/0 after 21 overs.

10.40 am: Ravindra Jadeja is brought into the attack. The commentators say he’ll be a handful on this surface. To be honest, he’s an handful everywhere he bowls. Australia play him out watchfully. Still no wickets lost. 49/0 after 18.

10.27 am: BOWLED HIM...but it’s off a no-ball! Warner walks all over a straight ball from Jayant Yadav which crashes onto leg stump and runs away to the boundary. Oh wow. HUUGE no-ball from Yadav. What a lucky break from Warner and Australia. Australia 40/0 in 15.

10.19 am: There’s plenty of turn in just the first 12 overs. Ashwin is getting the ball to zoom past the left-hander’s edge. Already plenty of played-and-missed. Yup, this is a good ol’fashioned turner. Australia 28/0 in 12 overs.

And already there’s talk about the pitch...

10.13 am: Kohli moves to spin on both ends by bringing Jayant Yadav into the attack to join Ashwin at the other end. Warner takes the cue and decides to switch on attack mode, hitting Yadav for two boundaries in his first over.

India think they have a wicket in the following over after Ashwin’s delivery brushes past Renshaw’s bat. The umpire says no, but India review the decision. It turns out to be a bad call, as replays show the bat hit the pad and not the ball. One review out of two lost in less than 10 overs.

10 am: Ishant Sharma and R Ashwin have managed to keep the Australian openers quiet, although David Warner has hardly got any of the strike (11 balls compared to Matt Renshaw’s 31). After seven overs, Australia have reached 18/0.

Still no sign of Umesh Yadav for India. Kohli looks to be reserving him until the ball gets a bit old so that Yadav can get some reverse swing. Ashwin, meanwhile, isn’t getting a lot of turn off this dry Pune surface.

9.45 am: Australia have managed to survive the first three overs. They got a four off Ravichandran Ashwin in the second over and they’ve already shown good running in the last over. 11/0 after three overs.

Renshaw has a long stride. He’ll try and combat the spinners that way. There is a bit of a resemblance to the that great Aussie opener who had managed to conquer India, Matthew Hayden.

9.33 am: Matt Renshaw gets a streaky boundary off the first ball in the over to get off the series off. Ishant Sharma’s bowling a tight line. No loose balls, no freebies. He’s already beaten the bat once.

Regarding winning the toss in Indian conditions, it’s obviously an advantage. But Steve Smith would do well to have a look at the India vs England series. Alastair Cook won the toss in four out of the five matches they played. These were England’s first innings scores:

537

283

400

477

England lost three out of those four matches.

9.15 am: Good morning on the first day of the first Test of this highly anticipated India-Australia series. It’s also a red-letter day for Pune as the city hosts its debut Test.

Steve Smith will be happy to have won the toss while Kohli was nonchalant, pointing out that they had lost the toss quite a few times against England but still gone on to win. Here are the squads:

And a look at the pitch. Quite dry and abrasive...