#INDvAUS 3rd Test: Gain for Aussie, pain for Kohli

When India took three wickets in a space of 39 runs in the first session on Thursday, reducing Australia from 50/0 to 89/3 and going into lunch at 109/3, they had wrested back the initiative from the visitors.

Bouncing back in style has been India's feature this home season, having done it frequently against England late last year. However, that wasn't to be on Thursday.

The first session was the only fruitful session India had on the opening day of the third Test at India's latest Test venue here.

In the second and third sessions, the host bowlers could do precious little as the rival captain Steve Smith and comeback man Glenn Maxwell posted the highest partnership of the series – unbeaten 159 for the fifth wicket – and in the process helping Australia register the highest total so far in the rubber, 299/4 at stumps.

Contrary to the expectations on how the pitch would behave here, Thursday saw a good batting surface that was assisted by fast outfield. It meant that Australia took the opening day's honours, leaving India on the back foot.

The man behind that was Smith, who led the Australians from the front. Coming into this game under a lot of pressure following the DRS controversy in the previous Test in Bengaluru and the exchange of words between the two teams, Smith put behind all that and walked the talk, which was about focusing on the game.

Also, there was hardly any exchange of words between the players, indicating that the teams have moved on from the bitter incidents of the recent past with the focus being on cricket.

Australia gained the upper hand when Smith won the toss and chose to bat without hesitation. Making the most of the fine batting conditions, Australia had fruitful little partnerships: 50 between Matt Renshaw and David Warner for the first wicket and 51 for the fourth between Smith and Peter Handscomb.

But the stand that sealed the day for Australia was between Smith and Maxwell. The series had earlier seen Smith score a crucial, match-winning century in the second innings on a Pune dust bowl. And with these conditions suiting batting, Smith was not going to let go of the opportunity to make it big.

Smith came out with a positive intent at the fall of opener Warner, who was yet to set the series afire with the manner in which he is known to scoring. Warner watched Renshaw pick up fours with his first six scoring shots, not being in a hurry to score and curbing his aggression.

Perhaps, that caused his downfall as he hit a full toss from Ravindra Jadeja back to the bowler when he could have slammed it anywhere outside the ground. Australia lost Renshaw and Shaun Marsh before lunch, the latter being caught bat-pad by Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg but the appeal was negated by umpire Ian Gould. However, upon a successful DRS by India, Marsh was on his way to the pavilion for just two.

And, when Handscomb was trapped by Umesh Yadav with a yorker-length delivery with the ball crashing onto this toe, India were even contemplating having to bat before stumps on the day.

But Smith and Maxwell had different ideas, batting undefeated the entire post-tea session.

The bowling changes made by Ajinkya Rahane in the absence of the injured Virat Kohli in the 40th over did not bear fruits. Smith did not show the same urgency to score quickly in the second half of the day. After taking tea at a personal score of 80, Smith used a further 66 deliveries to reach his 19th Test century in his 53rd game.

But while Smith was slowing down, Maxwell took charge. Even though his first four came in his 57th delivery, he did not show any signs of nervousness that showed he was playing his first Test since November 2014. He posted his maiden Test fifty and outscored Smith in the fifth-wicket partnership. Two sixes off Jadeja – a pull to mid-wicket and one straight – showed that Maxwell was in his elements.

India will have to come out with better plans on Friday to pull back the strings while Australia will be keen to bat the hosts out of the Test before the pitch deteriorates.

N ZONE

97
No. of innings Steve Smith has taken to cross 5,000 Test runs – he achieved the feat on Thursday – which is the joint seventh-fastest in the world

159*
No. of runs Smith and Glenn Maxwell added in their unbroken partnership, making it the highest stand in this series so far in either team

DID YOU KNOW?

Glenn Maxwell is playing his first Test match for Australia in 28 months, and just the fourth of his career