Marnus Labuschagne’s century gives Australia edge on first day at Gabba

By
Sneha Roy
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0

Brisbane: After a strong start by India, a century to Marnus Labuschagne helped Australia to 274/5 at stumps on the first day of an evenly poised fourth Test at the Gabba on Friday (January 15).

The home side was in trouble at 17/2 after skipper Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat, with openers David Warner (1) and Marcus Harris (5) out cheaply.

Alarm bells were ringing for Australia when Steve Smith (36) departed soon after lunch, but Labuschagne helped steady the ship with his fifth Test century. Labuschagne, who was dropped on 37 by India captain Ajinkya Rahane, blasted nine fours before he skied a simple catch off the bowling of debutant T Natarajan on 108.

Paine (38) and Cameron Green (28) will resume on Saturday morning. On a ground where Australia haven’t lost a Test match since 1988, India had the locals on the ropes early in the series decider, despite fielding a desperately inexperienced attack.

The tourists were forced to make four changes to the line-up that fought out a courageous draw in the third Test in Sydney to leave the series tied at 1-1.

Washington Sundar and Natarajan made their Test debuts, with Mayank Agarwal and Shardul Thakur also coming into the side to replace the injured quartet of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari.

India’s wretched run of luck continued on Friday when paceman Navdeep Saini pulled up sore with a groin problem just after Rahane had dropped Labuschagne during his eighth over. The seamer left the field for treatment and is in doubt to continue. The injury put a dampener on an impressive performance in front of 12,998 fans.

In the first over of the day, Mohammed Siraj ensured Warner’s lean patch continued when the quick had the opener caught brilliantly by Rohit Sharma at second slip.

Harris, who came in for the injured Will Pucovski, failed to grasp his opportunity. The opener was on his way after he found Sundar at square-leg off the bowling of Thakur, who claimed his first Test wicket playing in his second match.

Australia were 65/2 at lunch, but India landed another huge blow when Smith departed shortly after the break. Sundar snared the prized wicket, his first in Test cricket, when Sharma took the catch at short mid-wicket to end Smith’s 70-run partnership with Labuschagne.

Matthew Wade failed to convert a solid start, falling to Natarajan on 45. Natarajan impressed on his debut with figures of 2/63, with Siraj (1/51), Thakur (1/67) and Sundar (1/63) the other wicket-takers.

Brief Scores: Australia 274/5 (Marnus Labuschagne 108, Matthew Wade 45; T Natarajan 2/63, Md Siraj 1/60) against India.

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