🏏India vs Australia - 1st Test: VCAS, Nagpur: 09 - 13 Feb 2023 🏏 - Page 41

Cummins: The game moves pretty quickly here at times in India. They played very well. The spinners are always going to be hard work when it's spinning. Rohit played very well. The wicket spun (in the first innings) but wasn't unplayable. Should've scored 100 more runs. Starting here is tough but 3-4 of our guys got in. When you do get in, got to score big scores. Murphy was fantastic.

Rohit: Very important at the start of the series. Happy that I could put the performance for the team. Was unfortunate that I had to miss few Tests because of injuries but I'm happy to be back. Since I was appointed Test captain, have played just two Tests. Got Covid in England, missed South Africa, got a freak injury against Bangladesh. Was ready for this one. The last few years, the kind of pitches we are playing in India, you need to have application and some sort of plan to score runs. I've grown up playing a lot in Mumbai on surfaces that turns a lot. You need to be slightly unorthodox as well, use your feet. Need to put pressure on bowlers as well by doing something different. And that different could be whatever suits you - using your feet, sweeping, reverse-sweeping. It was the first two overs from the seamers. 2/2 - starting a game like that, you're in the ascendancy. Opposition is under pressure from there. We know we have quality in our spin department. But the seamers can be threatening as well on a pitch like that.

Jadeja, Player of the Match: Feeling amazing. When you come back after five months and give your 100 percent, scoring runs and taking wickets.. feels amazing. Was working hard at the NCA. Would like to thank the NCA staff, physios. They have been working hard with me, even on Sundays. Was looking to bowl in good areas. Ball was spinning, going straight, keeping low. Kept telling myself to bowl at the stumps - if they make mistake, I have a chance. I look to keep things simple. Try not to change things with my batting. It's a crucial number - 5, 6, 7.

That is all from this first Test at Nagpur. Australia have been beaten, battered and blown away. Do they have it in them to come back with a better effort in Delhi? So much hype coming into this series, and the opener has gone the way most matches usually go in India, with India's spinners making them dance to their tunes on a pitch where Nathan Lyon was found a bit wanting with figures of 1/126. Todd Murphy's performance will give them some heart though. We'll see you again in six days time, with two extra days off for everyone involved.

STAT: Biggest innings wins for India vs Australia

Inngs & 219 runs Kolkata 1997/98

Inngs & 135 runs Hyderabad 2012/13

Inngs & 132 runs Nagpur 2022/23 *

India win by an innings and 132 runs and could not have made a bigger statement at the start of this series. Australia lose all 10 wickets in basically a session. You know what you are going to get when you come to India, but it's a different question entirely being able to confront it. India were in charge from the very start and, apart from being 168 for 5, were comfortably in front throughout. Ravindra Jadeja was magnificent all-round and Rohit Sharma's hundred set up India's innings. Axar Patel, too, batted very well although as evidenced by this collapse, India would already have had enough runs. There is a lot for Australia to ponder. They had some injury issues leading into the Test and also made the big call to leave out Travis Head. The return of Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc would be timely, but they face a huge call to get back into this series. There will be focus on today's collapse, but making 177 in the first innings was where the game was lost. It's so hard to play catch-up cricket.

Congratssssssssss Team India

Well Awesome come back by Ashwin and Sirjee❤️

Congratulations Team India.Now let's win next 2 and seal the WTC final spot. 😎

https://www.instagram.com/p/CohfR_qhG0q/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Rohit Sharma

Jaddu the Sir

Axar Patel

👏

Were amazing in this match

Hope to see for of them and others in coming matches 👍🏼