Usman Khawaja’s six-year redemption whereas David Warner ‘in somewhat little bit of bother’ — Day 1 Speaking Factors

Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb registered fifties whereas Indian seamer Mohammed Shami was the choose of the bowlers with 4 wickets.

After his shock axing in Nagpur, Travis Head earned a recall, whereas Queensland spinner Matthew Kuhnemann grew to become Australia’s 466th males’s Take a look at cricketer after receiving his dishevelled inexperienced.

The hosts had been 0-21 at stumps, nonetheless trailing by 242 runs.

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WARNER ‘IN A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE’

David Warner’s Take a look at profession is hanging by a thread after one other failure with the bat on Friday.

The veteran opener scratched his method in the direction of 15 earlier than falling sufferer to Shami within the sixteenth over – the Indian seamer delivered an absolute peach from across the wicket, getting the ball to nip away from the left-hander, who feathered a catch by way of to wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.

It was Warner’s highest rating of the collection up to now, having registered 1 and 10 within the collection opener in Nagpur.

Warner’s susceptibility to tempo from across the wicket has plagued the 36-year-old since Stuart Broad tormented him all through the 2019 Ashes collection. His lack of Take a look at runs in India can be trigger for concern – he has mustered 414 runs in 19 innings at a disappointing common of 21.78.

Hypothesis about Warner’s spot within the Take a look at facet erupted earlier this summer season, however the New South Welshman silenced his critics with an emphatic 200 towards South Africa within the Boxing Day Take a look at on the MCG.

Sadly, that marathon knock is beginning to look extra like an outlier moderately than a long-awaited return to type – it stays his solely Take a look at century over the past three years.

Apart from the outstanding double-century towards the Proteas, Warner’s most up-to-date Take a look at knocks are 15, 10, 1, 10, 3, 0, 28, 21, 48, 5, 24, and 5, 10* and 25.

“I feel he’s in somewhat little bit of bother, David Warner,” former Take a look at all-rounder Brendon Julian mentioned on Fox Cricket.

“I do know he missed out on the primary Take a look at match and he made that nice 200 on the MCG. However I don’t know. I simply suppose second innings, is he underneath somewhat little bit of stress right here?”

Australian legend Allan Border continued: “And also you’ve nonetheless bought to provide, though he’s constructed up a whole lot of coupons.

“All of the speak would’ve been about how he copes with the spin bowlers in India. Everyone seems to be weak. You’ve all the time bought to maintain producing.

“It’s simply trying like he’s a yard behind the ball to me.

“If you happen to stroll out within the second innings and get rolled and lose the Take a look at match, unexpectedly the selectors suppose, ‘We’d have to begin planning for the long run a bit extra’. And given his final Tour of England was a horror, they may be pondering, ‘That is the time’.”

It stays unlikely that nationwide selectors would drop Warner in India contemplating his expertise and uncooked expertise, however murmurs about his place within the Take a look at facet will solely develop in quantity except he rediscovers some type within the second innings.

Australian captain Pat Cummins threw his full help behind Warner forward of the Delhi Take a look at.

“You noticed this yr on the Boxing Day Take a look at when he places stress again on the opposition he’s fairly laborious to bowl to. You don’t get as many good balls, so he is aware of that. I’m certain that’d be a part of his plan,” Cummins advised reporters on Thursday.

“He has been batting rather well right here. Even within the lead-up I believed he was incredible.

“I do know there’s a whole lot of speak about spin bowling by way of the center, however with that new ball it’s generally the toughest time to bat as properly.”

Warner was not on the sector when the Indian innings bought underway late within the night session, with a Cricket Australia spokesman revealing he was feeling unwell following repeated blows to his physique whereas batting.

KHAWAJA’S SIX-YEAR INDIA REDEMPTION

Khawaja was the hero for Australia on day one of many Delhi Take a look at, peeling off a gritty 81 — his highest Take a look at rating towards India — to make sure the guests posted a defendable complete within the first innings.

It was something however a flawless innings from the veteran left-hander, who was aided by a few fortunate DRS calls and a dropped catch at brief leg.

Khawaja briefly thwarted India’s elegant bowling assault at Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier than falling sufferer to Ravindra Jadeja within the afternoon session, trying a reverse sweep that was caught fantastically by KL Rahul at level.

It was only some years in the past that Khawaja was pigeonholed as a batter incapable of scoring runs within the subcontinent. After a profitable house summer season towards South Africa and Pakistan in 2016/17, Khawaja was dropped forward of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India a few months later, with Australian selectors preferring all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

The Queenslander was recalled for the primary Take a look at towards Bangladesh in 2017, however axed as soon as once more after registering scores of 1 and 1 in Mirpur. Khawaja out of the blue averaged 14.62 after 5 Assessments in Asia with a excessive rating of 26.

Nationwide selectors would have been tempted to drop Khawaja once more forward of the 2018 Take a look at collection towards Pakistan within the United Arab Emirates, however Australia’s high order was determined for knowledgeable gamers following the ball-tampering saga.

Khawaja’s career-defining 141 in Dubai proved a turning level – since that heroic knock towards Pakistan, he has averaged 79.08 with the bat in Asia, peeling off three centuries and 5 fifties in 9 Assessments.

The 36-year-old’s redemption in Asia resides proof a younger cricketer shouldn’t be branded a home-track bully after a handful of failures within the subcontinent.

HANDSCOMB ‘STRANDED’ AFTER SELECTION MASTERSTROKE

The Australian selectors have copped loads of criticism over the past couple of weeks, however credit score the place it’s due — recalling Peter Handscomb has confirmed a masterstroke.

The Victorian scored a cultured 72 not out within the first innings in Delhi, combining with captain Pat Cummins for a 59-run partnership for the seventh wicket to frustrate India’s bowlers within the night session.

It was Handscomb’s first Take a look at fifty since September 2017, ending a 14-innings streak of low scores in Australian whites.

Handscomb is coming off a prolific house summer season within the Sheffield Defend, accumulating 571 runs at 81.57 in 5 matches for Victoria, headlined by an unbeaten 281 towards Western Australia at Junction Oval.

After 4 years out of the Take a look at facet, Handscomb earned a Take a look at recall forward of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring a affected person 31 within the first innings of final week’s collection opener to stem the stream of wickets in Nagpur.

However Friday’s knock in Delhi was validation for nationwide selectors, who had taken a raffle on Handscomb with their courageous horses-for-courses choice.

The best-hander was affected person within the center, hardly ever dropping focus or misjudging a supply. He revered the great balls and pushed the unhealthy ones into gaps within the area, rotating the strike with ease.

“This can be a very, crucial innings for Peter Handscomb’s Take a look at profession … properly performed,” former Australian batter Mark Waugh mentioned in commentary.

“This has been such a stable innings. He’s put a excessive value on his wicket, he’s defending that fort like its important.”

Handscomb oozed class on day one, and Australia could be tempted to raise him up the batting order within the second innings, notably contemplating he was left stranded with the tail.

“I’d take into consideration swapping Handscomb and Head within the order,” commentator Gerard Whateley mentioned on SEN.

“Head doesn’t want time, he’ll assault, Pete is a grafter and he will likely be stranded right here once more.”

SHOULD AUSSIES HAVE ABANDONED ‘BLUEPRINT’?

Did Australia make a mistake choosing three strike spinners for the Delhi Take a look at? For a quick second on Friday morning, it actually appeared that was the case.

For the primary time since 2017, Australia chosen a trio of turners for a Take a look at match – Kuhnemann was handed his dishevelled inexperienced to turn out to be the nation’s 466th males’s Take a look at cricketer, accompanying Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy within the beginning XI. Cummins was the lone seamer, with all-rounder Cameron Inexperienced unavailable for choice with a finger damage.

Forward of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald emphatically declared that Australia couldn’t choose three strike spinners except Inexperienced was match and out there to bowl, however after assessing the situations at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Australian selectors took a raffle.

“It’s a bit uncommon going the three spin and one fast. We really feel the pitch right here, the situations, we really feel that spin will dominate the sport as soon as once more,” nationwide selector Tony Dodemaide advised reporters on Friday.

“From what we perceive this pitch has been used thrice already this yr and there’s already substantial cracking within the areas the place a lot of the sport goes to be performed. That’s the rationale for going for the three spinners.”

Nevertheless, Dodemaide and the choice panel might have been questioning their choice after watching the opening half-hour unravel in Delhi.

Shami and Mohammed Siraj unearthed a shocking quantity of bounce with the brand new ball on Friday morning, with the wicket providing loads of help for the quicks. It was a stark distinction to final week’s pitch in Nagpur, the place short-pitched bowling was a rarity.

Warner was troubled by Siraj on a number of events, hitting the veteran opener on the helmet and the elbow to depart the left-hander in noticeable discomfort. The 36-year-old ultimately departed for 15 after Shami bought a supply to nip away off the floor, kissing the surface edge and carrying by way of to wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.

Shami, who completed with 4-60 from 14.4 overs, returned within the afternoon session to take away Travis Head, edging the ball in the direction of second slip the place KL Rahul claimed a wise catch. As soon as once more, the supply had seamed away noticeably from the left-hander.

Nevertheless, the Delhi wicket will behave very otherwise over the weekend, with the dry pitch anticipated to take loads of activate days three and 4.

The deck was already aiding spinners within the morning session on day one, with Ravichandran Ashwin’s dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne turning previous the within edge.

Six of Australia’s wickets fell to spin — Lyon, Murphy and Kuhnemann will likely be licking their lips on the prospect of bowling on this deck within the fourth innings.

Former Take a look at batter Matthew Hayden declared he didn’t approve of the Australian XI in commentary, however confessed it was the “proper crew for these situations”.

“There’s been a blueprint for Australia, and it’s all the time been to play three quicks, a great high quality spinner and an all-rounder,” Hayden mentioned.

WORRYING LBW TREND EMERGES

Why can’t Australia’s batters get their pads out of the best way within the subcontinent?

It’s turning into a worrying development for Australia’s high order, with 19 wickets falling to LBW of their two most up-to-date Assessments in Asia.

Throughout final yr’s second Take a look at towards Sri Lanka, 9 of the 20 dismissals had been leg earlier than, with debutant Prabath Jayasuriya wreaking havoc on a turning pitch in Galle.

And that development continued in Nagpur final week, the place 10 Australian wickets had been LBW within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy collection opener towards India. Khawaja, Peter Handscomb and Matthew Renshaw had been every trapped on the pads in each innings at Vidarbha Cricket Affiliation Stadium, completely outclassed by Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

“The final couple of Take a look at matches in Asia, which was Sri Lanka and clearly Nagpur, bought out loads to LBW, bought out loads lacking on the within,” Julian mentioned on Fox Cricket.

Border continued: “It’s a standard downside with all our batsmen. You’re simply anticipating the ball to show constantly and sometimes pitches will do this.

“On spinning wickets they’re probably the most harmful balls, those that go straight on. That’s the one you’ve bought be actually taking part in for and if it turns previous the surface edge, then so be it.

“We’ve bought to be a bit extra aggressive as in using the toes and actually watch the ball out of the arms as shut as you may.”

Marnus Labuschagne fell sufferer to LBW on Friday, however in all equity, it was a superb supply from Ashwin, who bought the ball to spin viciously off the deck and beat the right-hander’s inside edge.

Within the night session, Cummins performed throughout a Jadeja supply, additionally trapped on the entrance pad.

— with Andrew Jackson

Initially printed as Usman Khawaja’s six-year redemption whereas David Warner ‘in somewhat little bit of bother’ — Day 1 Speaking Factors