India v Australia 4th Test: Australia recover to 231-8 at close on day one

Australia are 231-8 in 98 overs at close after opting to bat first in the fourth and final Test against India at Feroz Shah Kolta ground in Delhi on Friday.

Peter Siddle is unbeaten on 47 off 125 balls with four boundaries.

James Pattinson is with him on 11 off 57 balls with one boundary.

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Ravichandran Ashwin is the most successful bowler capturing four for 40 off 30 overs with 17 maidens.

Ravindra Jadeja has claimed two for 34 off 22 overs with six maidens.

Ishant Sharma has figures of two for 35 from 14 overs with three maidens.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has none for 43 and Pragyan Ojha seeking his 100th wicket has gone for 67 in 23 overs bowling six maidens.

Australia frustrated the hosts during the final session adding 78 runs in 31 overs for the loss of Steven Smith.

India delayed taking the second new ball till the 94th over but failed to get another breakthrough during the last 20 minutes of play.

It was splendid recovery by Australia who had been reduced to 136 for seven in the afternoon session in which they lost five wickets.

After losing Warner cheaply in the second over, Phillip Hughes took the attack to India hitting 10 boundaries during his fluent knock of 46 off 145 balls before being bowled bowled by Sharma.

He added 67 runs for the second wicket with Cowan who hit a belligerent 38 off 99 balls before being bowled around his legs by Ashwin having added 35 for the third wicket with Watson.

It triggered a middle order collapse beginning with the dismissal of stand-in captain Watson (17) stumped by Dhoni off Jadeja as Australia lost five wickets for 31 runs in 21 overs to slump to 136 for seven.

Smith (46) staged a determined rearguard fightback with Siddle with a 53-run stand for the eighth wicket consuming nearly 28 overs before falling to Ashwin. 

Siddle continued the fightback with Pattinson adding 42 runs in 16.4 overs for the unfinished ninth wicket as Australia bid to avert a 4-0 whitewash.

EVENING SESSION

Siddle has hit consecutive boundaries off Kumar through point and fine leg to move to 46.

Pattinson has slammed the second over with the second new ball bowled by Sharma over point for his first boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been handed the second new ball has been taken with Australia 215 for eight after 93 overs wiht 20 minutes of play remaining on day one.

Siddle has edged Sharma for only his second boundary to move to 35.

Sharma back into the attack as India mull taking the second new ball which has been delayed for the past 10 overs.

Siddle takes a single off Jadeja to bring up the 200 of the Australian innings in the 87th over.

Australia have made some progress in the hour after tea scoring 54 in 18 overs for the loss of Steven Smith who was caught at short leg by Rahane off Ashwin.

Ashwin has claimed his with fourth wicket with a vicious turner to have figures of 24-13-37-4.    

Steven Smith c Ajinkya Rahane b Ashwin 46

Rahane takes a sharp catch at short leg his first on his debut to dismiss Steven Smith off Ashwin.

Smith's defiant eighth wicket stand with Siddle was worth 53 runs and 27.2 overs.

Smith (below) gets an inside edge after a dogged knock of 46 off 145 balls having hit three boundaries and two sixes.



Siddle has paddle swept Ojha for his first boundary to bring up the 50 partnership for the eighth wicket with Smith off 158 balls.

Australia has now surpassed their lowest total on the opening day of a Test at Feroz Shah Kotla which is 182 in 73 overs made in 1996.

Smith has smashed another boundary off Ashwin over midwicket as he nears his half century.

Smith has hits Ojha for his second six dancing down the track and blasting him over the sight screen

Smith hits the first boundary after the tea interval driving Ojha through the covers.

Jadeja has bowled consecutive maiden overs after the tea interval.

India have taken a stranglehold on the match as Australia collapsed in the afternoon session losing five wickets for 59 runs in 39 overs.

Steven Smith is unbeaten on 25 having faced 104 balls hitting a six and a boundary.

Peter Siddle is with him on five having faced 37 balls.

Ashwin has been the chief destroyer once again claiming three for 33 while Jadeja has picked up two for 17.

Ojha has figures of none for 40 from 16 overs as he looks for his 100th Test wicket.

Cowan (38) was the first to go bowled round his legs by Ashwin after adding 35 runs for the third wicket with Watson (17) who was stumped by Dhoni off Jadeja.

Wade was unlucky to be dismissed after Vijay at silly point claimed a catch off Ashwin with replays showing it had gone off the pad.

Maxwell hit a couple of lusty blows before miscuing to Sharma off Jadeja while Johnson was stunned by a carrom ball from Ashwin which he misread to be bowled without offering a stroke.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Sharma is back into the attack replacing Ojha in what could be the last over before tea.

Even singles are hard to come by for Australia as the Indian spin trio cast a web over the batsman as Ojha bowls his fifth maiden over.

India have bowled 65 overs with 24 of them being maidens.

Siddle steers Ojha uppishly over point for a couple to bring up 150 of the Australia innings in the 63rd over.

Ashwin has bowled consecutive maiden overs to strangle Australia.

Smith has glanced Jadeja to fine leg for a welcome boundary to Australia.

Indian skipper Dhoni is shuffling is spin trio around to keep them on their toes and Australia on the back foot.

Ashwin (below) has figures of 18-10-30-3 with Australia have lost five wickets in the session after lunch with 45 minutes left.    



Australia are crumbling as Ashwin strikes for the third time bowling Mitchell Johnson who squares shoulders only to see his stumps as the ball nipped back inside to the left hander.

Mitchell Johnson b Ravichandran Ashwin 3

This is Ashwin's 25th wicket in the series as Johnson fails to pick the carrom ball and is stunned.

India missed a run out opportunity as Pujara missed with a direct hit with Mitchell Johnson struggling to make his ground at the non-striker's end.

Jadeja has figures of 5-1-7-2 after dismissing Maxwell.    

Australia have lost four wickets for 35 runs in 18.2 overs in the hour after lunch.

Maxwell does not last long pulling Jadeja straight to Sharma at mid on.

Glenn Maxwell c Ishant Sharma b Ravindra Jadeja 10

Jadeja claims his second wicket with a soft dismissal as Maxwell throws his wicket away after hitting a six and a boundary having faced 16 balls.

Glenn Maxwell has decided that attack is the best form of defence smashing Ojha for the second six of the innings back past the bowler six followed by a boundary square of the wicket on the off.

Jadeja is back into the attack replacing Ashwin who has figures of 14-7-28-2.    

Ashwin strikes again with Murali Vijay taking a bat-pad catch off Mathew Wade who is unhappy with the decision with the ball popping up as he played a defensive prod.

Mathew Wade c Vijay b Ashwin 2

Wade lasted just five deliveries scoring two runs as Australia are falling apart once again.

India are tightening the noose now with Ojha bowling a maiden following the dismissal of Watson while Ashwin has been brought back into the attack replacing Jadeja who has figures of 2-0-5-1.

Jadeja strikes in his second over being stumped by Dhoni.

Shane Watson stumped Dhoni b Jadeja 17

Watson departs for 17 having faced 56 balls and hit three boundaries.

Watson gives the charge to Jadeja but finds himself stranded with Dhoni doing the rest.

Smith hits the first six of the match off Ojha dancing down the track and hoisting it to long-on.

India attack with left arm spin duo Ojha and Jadeja with two right handers Watson and Smith in the middle.

Steven Smith is off the mark with a lofted shot off Ravindra Jadeja who concedes the first run in 24 balls as India tighten the screw.

Ojha has bowled consecutive maiden overs to Watson.

Australia are on the back foot now with Ojha and Ashwin sending down consecutive maiden overs.

This is the third time in the series that Ashwin has bowled a batsman around his legs bowling over the wicket.

He has figures of 12-5-28-1.

Ed Cowan is bowled round his legs Ashwin who attempts to sweep and misses the line completely.

Ed Cowan b Ravichandran Ashwin 38

Cowan (below) made 38 off 99 balls with seven boundaries and added 35 runs for the third wicket with Watson.



Cowan nicks one from Ashwin down the leg side for his second boundary after the lunch interval.

Ashwin bowls a maiden to Watson in the third over after lunch.

The 100 of the Australia innings comes in 176 balls in the 30th over.

Cowan (32) is dropped by Pujara at short midwicket off Ojha with the ball just short after crunching pull shot.

Cowan punches the second ball after the lunch interval from Ashwin to the boundary between midoff and cover.

Cowan is unbeaten on 27 off 83 having hit five boundaries while stand-in captain Shane Watson is with him on 16 off 22 balls with three boundaries.

David Warner and Phillip Hughes are the batsman out with Ishant Sharma claiming both wickets to have figures of two for 21 from eight overs.

Warner steered Sharma's fourth delivery in the second over of the match to Kohli at second slip.

Hughes was bowled off an inside edge after fluent knock of 45 off 59 balls hitting 10 boundaries.

MORNING SESSION

Watson has punched a loose delivery from Ojha for his second boundary followed by a pull to the midwicket fence in the last over before lunch.

Cowan breaks the shackles by flicking one to the boundary off Ashwin.

Watson narrowly survives a close call for a stumping off Ojha with the benefit of doubt of a line decision going to the batsman.

This was after a catch by Kohli was turned down before India appealed for the stumping which was ruled not out by the third umpire.

Shane Watson hits his first boundary whipping Sharma off his toes to backward square leg.

Sharma has figures of 7-3-16-2.

Ishant Sharma strikes with the last delivery of an eventful over bowling Hughes off an inside edge as Australia lose their second wicket.

Phillip Hughes b Ishant Sharma 45

Hughes departs after a fluent knock of 45 off 59 balls having hit 10 fours and added 67 runs for the second wicket with Cowan.

Hughes is shaken after being hit flush on the helmet by a delivery from Sharma which reared from a good length.

Hughes has punched Sharma through the covers for his 10th boundary to move into the40s.

Left arm spinner Ojha's first over is erratic conceding four byes while Hughes strokes a late cut for a boundary past slip.

Hughes drives Kumar through the covers for his eighth boundary to the bring up the 50 stand for the second wicket in 95 balls.

Ashwin sends down another maiden over to Hughes who seems to have dropped anchor after the initial burst.

Cowan brings up the 50 of the Australia innings in 95 balls with a sweetly timed straight drive off Kumar to long off for the 11th boundary of the match.

Cowan gets another off Kumar flicking him to backward square leg.

Australia are playing watchfully now after the flurry of boundaries with Sharma sending down another maiden over.

Ashwin bowls a maiden over in what looks like a dirt track at Delhi.

Ed Cowan also gets into the act steering Sharma wide of gully to third man for a boundary.

Hughes continues to bat positively despatching Ashwin to the midwicket boundary twice in his first over.

Sharma has bowled another maiden over while Ravichandran Ashwin has been introduced into the attack after eight overs.

Hughes has cracked three boundaries from Kumar's fourth over, twice through point and one straight down the ground with a carpet drive continuing from where he left off in Mohali.

Sharma's second over is a maiden.

New batsman Phillip Hughes open his account with a boundary smashing Sharma past cover.

David Warner c Virat Kohli b Ishant Sharma 0

Australia are off to another poor start as David Warner is out for a duck after facing just four balls edging a widish delivery from Ishant Sharma to Virat Kohli at second slip in the second over of the match.

Ed Cowan hits the first boundary of the match edging Bhuvneshwar Kumar's fourth delivery through second slip and gully to third man.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat in the fourth and final Test against India at Feroze Shah Kolta ground in Delhi on Friday.

Shane Watson returns to lead Australia as Michael Clarke is injured while Ajinkya Rahane will make his debut for India for the injured Shkhar Dhawan.

Australia make a raft of changes as they bid to avoid a whitewash in the four-match series.

The last time Australia lost four Tests in a series was during the Ashes in 1978/79 and their only 0-4 whitewash was against South Africa in 1969/70.

Mathew Wade also returns at the expense of Brad Haddin. Mitchell Johnson and James Pattinson come in for Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty.

Glenn Maxwell replaces Moises Henriques

Teams

India - Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma
   
Australia - David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson (captain), Steven Smith, Mathew Wade, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon

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