The West Test: Massive Test summer gets underway in Perth as Australia take on India
The summer of cricket has officially arrived as Australia and India prepare for their box office battle in The West Test.
India has been the final frontier for this Australian side as they look to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.
India is coming off a shock home loss and will be raring to go but can Australia land the first punch on day one of their heavyweight bout?
Follow all the action live!
33rd Over - IND 6-74
Pant survives a DRS call for caught behind. Cummins sent it upstairs but the ball grazed the elbow on the way through after just missing the bat.
He gets off strike with a single.
The debutant Nitesh Kumar faces the music.
Cummins tests him with some short stuff but he survives.
MARSH HAS TWO!
Marsh bowls two no-balls but the effort ball again catches out the Indian batter.
It bounces just a touch and the edge flies straight through to Carey and Sundar can’t believe it.
What a spell from the WA man
31st Over - IND 5-71
Cummins has a deep third after that shot last over from Pant.
Sundar crunches a straight drive down the ground for three. There were suggestions Sundar may bat at three heading into the Test which shows how highly rated his batting is.
30th Over - IND 5-67
Marsh continues as Pant works a single into the legside.
Sundar defends or leaves the rest.
29th Over - IND 5-66
Washington Sundar is the new man in with India in all sorts.
PANT GOES AERIAL! Pant walks down to Cummins and swings him high and hard over slips for four. Audacious stroke.
OUT! MARSH HAS A WICKET
Jurel cuts off Marsh and it falls just short of Lyon though it was a no-ball anyway.
Edges one on the bounce to gully. GONE NEXT BALL.
Just pokes at one and the hint of extra bounce and swing catches the edge and Marnus Labuschagne takes the easiest of catches.
Marsh gets plenty of love from the home fans too.
27th Over - IND 4-58
Cummins on from the Members End for the first time today.
It’s short and wide enough for Jurel to cut away behind point for four. Cummins just a touch below his best and Starc and Hazlewood this morning.
Pitched up this time as Jurel drives off the front foot and picks up three.
Pant looks in some discomfort after he cops one on the body.
26th Over - IND 4-51
It’s military mediums from Marsh which is no great surprise given his injury struggles.
But Pant is not looking to do anything extravagant as he plays out a maiden.
The players are back on the field
Mitch Marsh a slight surprise as he takes the first over after lunch.
He’ll have to do a fair bit of bowling this summer to help cover the loss of Cam Green.
Umpire expert Simon Taufel weighs in on the Rahul decision
“Richard Illingworth had a tough job there, but this camera angle is probably the best one for me, it shows that the ball does graze the outside edge… In my view the ball does graze the outside edge which has caused the scuff marks, but then the bat goes on to hit the pad,” he said on 7 and 7plus.
“So I think from a batter’s perspective, they are looking to see that evidence on the big screens as the decision is made. I think that’s exactly why KL Rahul has a question mark on his mind and Richard Kettleborough as well.
“I imagine there will be an interesting discussion in the umpires room in the lunch break.”
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