The Ferozeshah Kotla wicket in Delhi, has come under severe criticism, as it started turning from the first session itself and provided low and slow bounce, making it difficult for the batsmen to hang on. The Kangaroos found it tough to handle, as Ashwin and Jadeja wrecked havoc on their batting line-up.
The match may end in just three days with a rare 4-0 whitewash in favour of India. From 106/2, Australia slumped to 136/7 at one stage. They finally ended Day 1 on 231/8, thanks to two good partnerships for the 8th and 9th wicket. Ed Cowan (38), Phillip Hughes (45), Steven Smith (46) and Peter Siddle (47*) offered some resistance, but that was not enough.
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For India, Ashwin took four wickets, while Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each. Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first for the fourth time in a row.
Skipper Michael Clarke could not play in today’s game due to an injury. Shane Watson led the team in his absence. Pacers Mitchell Johnson and James Pattinson are also playing in this Test match, while Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty and Moise Henriques sat out. Matthew Wade made a comeback after recovering from the injury. For India, Ajinkya Rahane made his Test debut in place of injured Shikhar Dhawan.