India and Australia have faced off in first Test match of the 2013 Border-Gavaskar series, held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk Chennai on February 22, 2013. The visitors got off to a good start with captain Michael Clarke scoring 103 not out, while the team reached 316 at the close of play. R Ashwin picked up 6 wickets for the Indians, while R Jadeja chipped in with 1 wicket.
There is no love lost between India and Australia when it comes to playing against each other. The old rivals have a history of competitive cricket behind them and one of the main protagonists in the story – Harbhajan Singh, is making a comeback in this Test.
Harbhajan did not have much influence on the day’s play though, giving away 71 runs in his 19 overs. The Indian quick bowlers also did not fare too well, with both I Sharma and B Kumar giving away over 4 runs and over. The game was reduced to a spin-fest, as India employed 3 spinners.
For the Australians, David Warner and M Henriques managed to rack up half centuries, scoring 59 and 68 respectively, while Cowan and Watson managed scores in the 20’s. Everyone in the subcontinent will be looking forward to the next day’s play, as these old rivals get another shot at claiming the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
