With the amount of spin there, I think 220-240 would have been a really nice effort from us – Marnus Labuschagne

Australia’s batter Marnus Labuschagne admitted that anything around 220-240 would have been a really nice score given the amount of spin on the VCA, Nagpur pitch on the opening day of the first Test match. Australia had the toss advantage as they decided to bat first after winning the toss.

But the tourists got off to a terrible start as they lost both of their openers – Usman Khawaja and David Warner – for two runs on the board. However, Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith took Australia to 76-2 at the Lunch break.

After the Lunch interval, Ravindra Jadeja was able to break the 82-run alliance when he got Labuschagne stumped after Lunch. Australia lost six wickets in the second session of the day as the Indian spinners got a stranglehold on the proceedings.

Australia was bowled out for only 177 runs after Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin scalped eight wickets between them.

Marnus Labuschagne said in an interview with SEN cricket, “I think it’s always hard to determine the par score, now had Smudge and I extended our partnership to a 100 or 150, all of a sudden you can get anything because the guys coming in next come in with confidence to put the bowlers under pressure. All of a sudden you get that momentum swing and anything is possible. I think, with the amount of spin there, I think 220-240 would have been a really nice effort from us.”

Meanwhile, Labuschagne scored 49 runs and he looked solid at the crease before one ball from Jadeja turn viciously and KS Bharat did the rest.

Speaking about his experience of playing in India for the first time, Labuschagne said, “Love it, I said to Smudge, I think it was one of my first balls off Jadeja and it just went sideways and I said it’s going to be fun. It was enjoyable, not ideal losing two wickets upfront, but Smudge and I wrestled it back nicely. The ball is spinning quite big and sliding as well, so it was nice and we should have had the game right there, but unfortunately, the partnership broke.”

The right-hander added that their aim is to win the series and they will look to claw their back into the contest on the second day.

“It’s always nice when Virat thinks you are playing a decent shot out there. There are a few shots I played today that I have definitely learned from him. We are here to win the series and we are going to try and make sure that we scrap as hard as we possibly can and fight our way back in and put a real special performance together with the bat in the second innings.”

India was 77-1 at the end of the day’s play and they are in arrears by 100 runs with Rohit Sharma batting unbeaten on 56 runs.