Loose from the opener, trying to flay the final ball of Hazlewood’s first over through the cover but edging into the safe hands of Aaron Finch at third slip. Nothing special about the delivery, well outside the off-stump. “He was late with the downswing of his bat,” adds Simon Katich on SEN. “That’s what did him. And you can’t underestimate how crucial it was for them to take that early catch. They need those little moments.”
2nd over: India 3-1 (Vijay 1)
1st over: India 2-0 (Rahul 2, Vijay 0) So we’re away, Starc over the wicket bringing it back at Rahul. Ooof, third ball of the day nearly sorts out the right-hander, leaving a delivery that just missed his off-stump. He takes a couple through midwicket to get going after the close call. Starc finishes with a beauty, beating the opener with a ball that held its line.
A big day also for the new commentary teams across the TV and radio dials. Channel Seven and Fox Sports were the big winners from the new deal struck with Cricket Australia over the winter, broadcasting Tests at home for the first time. On Fox, Brendon Julian was given the chance to call the first ball, which is only right given he’s been the networks main commentator for many years away from home.
The players are on the field! Mitch Starc has the ball in his hand. He will be sending down his left-arm rockets to Murali Vijay and KL Rahul (on strike). Three slips and a gully the catchers. A short leg too. PLAY!
Here they come. Tim Paine and Virat Kohli lead their teams out ot the middle for the Indian anthem then Advance Australia Fair. Looking up, the crowd isn’t strong. Not at all. The big eastern grandstand is a tenth full if that. Hmmm. Of course, this is the first day Test at the ground since 2014-15. I suspect this will be a bit of a yarn by stumps tonight.
In keeping with the custom since Tim Paine took over as captain, the sides shake hands after the formalities. It’s hard to fault the new Aussie leader.
“Good morning, Adam!” G’day, Seventh Horcrux. “It’s been a good start to the morning. Liverpool won, found cashew shake at 4 a.m., got through the preliminary stage of a University I’ve applied for. Time for the cricket to deliver, eh?” Too right it is.
Marcus Harris will have to wait for his chance to bat in a Test for the first time but he will be standing for the national anthem shortly. His is the type of story we like as cricket fans, a player who struggled at First Class level early before finding a way to thrive, making plenty of runs in the Sheffield Shield over a few solid seasons before earning a baggy green. Here is is with family after receiving the cap from Mike Hussey.
Kohli at the toss confirmed that Rohit Sharma won the final available batting position and will come in at six. No real surprises there given his international experience. The Indian captain noted the healthy grass cover but didn’t hesitate in batting anyway. Kohli, of course, made twin tons here in 2014 (his first Test captaining India) and reached three figures for the first time in Test cricket here as well in 2012. Understandably, then, he identifies this is his favourite foreign ground.
Tim Paine acknowledged that he also would have batted but spoke of “damp spots” on the track that his trio of big quicks will try and exploit in the first hour. It’s a tough loss to lose given how hot it is in the middle but there should at least be something there for the seamers early on.
We know plenty about the pitch, of course, because at Adelaide the curator (read, head grounsman for those in the UK) holds a huge press conference on Test eve each year to discuss the surface in detail. There must have been 40 people in attendance yesterday. I love this city.
The XIs as named at the toss.
Australia: Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c & wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
India: Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.
The captains are in the middle… stand by for the toss.
On the way in? Big day ahead in the members out the back? Waiting for the new TV broadcast to start? A couple of bits for you to tuck into before the captains walk out. There was only one thing that I was going to write about yesterday and that was the sound of Virat Kohli’s bat.
And speaking of using your ears, Geoff Lemon and my Final Word pod is back for another summer. Everyone else has had the chance to ask Geoff about his new book about the ball tampering fiasco (among other things), so I took my opportunity to interview him in this ep. Enjoy.
There are no shortage of storylines to begin our conversation this morning. Let’s begin with the Australian XI, which was confirmed by Tim Paine at his pre-Test press conference yesterday. The point of interest was whether Mitch Marsh would keep his spot, and he hasn’t with Victorian Peter Handscomb stepping in at number six.
There’s a bit going on here. Of course, Marsh is the newly-minted vice-captain of this side, taking that gig in Dubai in October. As Paine said, they are confident he’ll be back in this team soon; this summer even. But for now, he’s riding the pine with the hosts happy enough not including an all-rounder with their big three quicks all fresh at the start of the season.
Marsh’s old man, of course, was dropped from the team when he was Allan Border’s deputy at this very ground in 1992, also when India were in town. He never played Test cricket again. Border was so furious at the decision, he refused to take the field the morning the news was broken to the team, spending an hour berating the chairman of selectors. Ahhh, the good old days.
Travis Head is playing alongside Handscomb in the middle order, the local boy scheduled to bat at number five as he did in the UAE. The SA captain is a player they have been wanting to roll out in a home summer for some time now and he has his chance under Justin Langer. Aaron Finch, 11 years after making his bow for Victoria, is also turning out for Australia at home for the first time in the creams.
Then there is Marcus Harris on debut, who we will come to shortly with some shots from his cap presentation down on the field.
There is something special about the first day of the new Test summer and that is no different in 2018, despite all that has come before it for the Australian men’s team. Over the next five weeks, they have the chance to knock off the top-ranked side in the world; an Indian outfit striving to win in this part of the world for the first time. It doesn’t get tastier than that.
I can report from my vantage point in the press box at the southern end that it is an absolutely belting day. It must already be nearing the 39 degrees forecast without a cloud in the sky. There is surely no prettier cricket ground than the world than Adelaide Oval on a day like today.
I’ll get stuck into the teams and toss and all the rest as we build to the first ball, scheduled 55 minutes from now. Between times, let’s chat in the usual OBO way. How’s this all going to play out? Will Tim Paine get his wish for the cricket to do the talking? Is Virat Kohli going to have a summer like no other on these shores? Email me for your considered thoughts, tweet here for the hot takes. Summer!
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