Australia vs India

In the first part of a three-part series on foxsports.com.au, Australia legends Adam Gilchrist and Jason Gillespie reflect on the first Test of the 2004 ...

“Rather than getting caught up in my own uncertainty or doubt on how I was going to play.” Gillespie and co. [Green the latest Aussie loss as India delivers four-spinner ‘prepare turners’ warning](https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/cricket-news-2023-nagpur-pitch-australia-could-confront-three-or-four-spinners-in-first-test-in-india-latest-inspection/news-story/f3ab8d68c4e660ffbdcdd56eb320b556) [3-1 AUSTRALIA? “Everyone had a lot of trust and faith and belief in each other, and belief in what our strategy and plans were, and just going out there and getting the job done.” “I dived into it actually and it turned out to be a really valuable - not distraction – but a valuable opportunity for me to just focus on the bigger picture,” he said. While the plan with the ball was to be disciplined and patient, the Australians would need to be more proactive with the bat, otherwise they would be a sitting duck for Harbhajan or Anil Kumble. “What we felt was a good option was to maybe attack the stumps more,” Gillespie said, “which in turn bowls to the India batters’ strengths. The Australians were armed with a new bowling game plan, but first had to set the tone with the bat having won the toss for the first Test in Bengaluru. “I speak from a bowling point of view, we learnt that you couldn’t bowl like you bowl in Australia on the subcontinent, which we tried to do in ’01.” Sure enough, Gilchrist was elevated to the top role and tasked with the massive assignment of plotting an Australian Test series win in India. In the first part of a three-part series on foxsports.com.au, Australia legends Adam Gilchrist and Jason Gillespie reflect on the first Test of the 2004 Border-Gavaskar Series. Earlier – and in many ways, this remains the case – the holy grail was winning a big away Test series, with India being the toughest place to tour.

13th over: Australia 29-2 (Smith 6, Labuschagne 14) Siraj gets a spell and Shami returns. Australians will recall the veteran India quick from the 2015 ...

“Sky” has become a people’s hero with his six-hitting in the white ball formats and after 79 first-class matches he will finally gets to pull on the Test shirt for India at the ripe old age of 32. That was a big toss to win and Pat Cummins’ run of luck with the coin has continued. There was much talk in the lead up to this series about Head’s disappointing record on the subcontinent and his plan to combat it with the all-out aggression so successful in the home summer. 3rd over: Australia 6-2 (Smith 0, Labuschagne 0) Even two wickets down after three overs, the names Smith and Labuschagne inspire confidence. His first ball of the series is wide and skids low. He pulls his head in on the last and lets it drop at his feet. He wants more of a look at the leftie and a single is sufficient from this 10th over. However Smith swipes at the fifth ball and pulls it just short of a fielder. 15th over: Australia 33-2 (Smith 6, Labuschagne 19) Shami returns and so does the Australian stalemate. 18th over: Australia 44-2 (Smith 10, Labuschagne 24) Here comes Patel, a slower action to Jadeja but all the venom comes from that final flick of the wrists. 11th over: Australia 27-2 (Smith 6, Labuschagne 14) Siraj steams in for a fifth over, this one to Labuschagne who has now faced twice as many balls as Smith. Australia have broken the deadlock now and the pace is quickening.

Australia meets India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur. Check out all the live scores and stats in our live scorecard.

[follow along in our live blog](/news/2023-02-09/live-updates-india-vs-australia-first-test-day-one-nagpur/101933640). Check out all the live scores and stats in our live scorecard, or Australia meets India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur.

Smith 77% after 30 balls. I'm getting the feeling that's because Smith is actively trying to attack the spinners more than Labuschagne is. And at one of those ...

Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das are the only other pair to account for more than 10% of their team’s runs. No other pair has proved as prolific for their team in Tests in recent times than this one. All through this partnership, Smith and Labuschagne have been spectacularly decisive.