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SYDNEY : Scott Boland has played 13 tests always as a replacement for one of the triumvirate of bowlers who have locked up the Australian pace attack for the best part of a decade but he rarely fails to deliver for his country.
It was a show of pure grit and resilience from Indian cricket team wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant on Day 1 of the fifth Test match against Australia in Sydney on Friday. Pant remained strong in face of fiery pace bowling from Australia and although wickets continued to tumble on the other end, he scored a significant 40 off 98 deliveries. During his innings, he was left bruised on the arm by a stinging delivery from Mitchell Starc while a bouncer from the same bowler hit him on the helmet. He was forced to receive treatment from the physio on multiple occasions but it did not dampen his spirits.
India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant said he batted with restraint on the opening day of the fifth Test against Australia because character of the SCG pitch did not allow him to be in his customary aggressive self. Pant, who copped severe criticism from all corners for his callous approach to batting during the previous Test at Melbourne, made a 98-ball 40 in India's 185 all out here on Friday. "In this innings, I wasn't in frame of mind where I felt I could take charge of the game looking at nature of the wicket," Pant said in the post-day press meet.
Team India's struggles against the new ball continue in Sydney as the likes of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal fail early to pacers. India seemed to have made some amends as Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill began forming a partnership but the latter departed on the final delivery of the first session, with Nathan Lyon emerging as his wicket-taker. Gill looked solid and decisive with his strokeplay until that delivery from Lyon but slip fielder Steve Smith also deserves credit for unsettling the India star.
Australia: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
SYDNEY : Jasprit Bumrah won the toss for India after replacing the axed Rohit Sharma as captain and elected to bat first in the fifth and final test against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
SYDNEY :All-rounder Beau Webster will make his test debut for Australia in place of the dropped Mitchell Marsh in the fifth test against India on Friday, captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday.
India pacer Akash Deep was on Thursday ruled out of the the fifth and final Test against Australia starting here on Friday owing to a stiff back. Akash had taken five wickets from two Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne so far. He was a bit unlucky to not get more as multiple catches were dropped off his bowling during the two games. "Akash Deep is out with back issue," India coach Gautam Gambhir said in the pre-match press conference in Sydney.