IND vs AUS: Pucovski gets 50 on debut as Aus reach 93/1 at Tea

Australia had reached 21/1 when the rain came pouring in the seventh over and players left the field. Umpires called for early Lunch and the play resumed only after a lengthy break in the second session.

Sydney: Debutant opener Will Pucovski scored a gritty half-century and was well supported by Marnus Labuschagne on Thursday as Australia reached 93/1 at Tea on Day One of the third Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

At the end of the second session, Pucovski and Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 54 and 34 respectively, stitching together an 87-run partnership and laid a perfect platform for Australia to post a big first-innings total.

• The future of Australian Test cricket ✨#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zCCla7OjuL

  — ICC (@ICC) January 7, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  The future of Australian Test cricket ✨#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zCCla7OjuL

  — ICC (@ICC) January 7, 2021

  ">

  The future of Australian Test cricket ✨#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zCCla7OjuL

  — ICC (@ICC) January 7, 2021

Earlier, after winning the toss, Australia didn't have a great start as they lost the opener, David Warner, early in the innings. Warner, who is coming back from a groin injury after having missed the first two Tests, was caught in slips by Cheteshwar Pujara off the bowling of pace bowler Mohammed Siraj in the fourth over. Warner scored five runs of the eight balls he faced.

Australia had reached 21/1 when the rain came pouring in the seventh over and players left the field. Umpires called for early Lunch and the play resumed only after a lengthy break in the second session.

• A close call there.
  
  Debutant Pucovski gloved it to Pant, who grabbed the ball on second attempt, but it has been declared not out. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/H6xOOAlt2w

  — BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  A close call there.
  
  Debutant Pucovski gloved it to Pant, who grabbed the ball on second attempt, but it has been declared not out. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/H6xOOAlt2w

  — BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021

  ">

  A close call there.
  
  Debutant Pucovski gloved it to Pant, who grabbed the ball on second attempt, but it has been declared not out. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/H6xOOAlt2w

  — BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021

Indian bowlers -- Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin -- all bowled on tight lines and lengths and made sure the hosts didn't score freely in the start of the post-Lunch session. However, in the last 45 minutes of the session, the visitors were a bit sloppy in the field as wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant dropped two catches of Pucovski -- one against Ashwin and other against Siraj -- and allowed the debutant to reach his maiden half-century.

• That will be Tea on Day 1 of the 3rd Test.
  
  Australia 93/1
  
  Scorecard - https://t.co/xHO9oiKGOC #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6NxxLXwJBe

  — BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  That will be Tea on Day 1 of the 3rd Test.
  
  Australia 93/1
  
  Scorecard - https://t.co/xHO9oiKGOC #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6NxxLXwJBe

  — BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021

  ">

  That will be Tea on Day 1 of the 3rd Test.
  
  Australia 93/1
  
  Scorecard - https://t.co/xHO9oiKGOC #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6NxxLXwJBe

  — BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021

For India, debutant pacer Navdeep Saini bowled the final over before the Tea break in which he conceded nine runs.

Brief scores: Australia 93/1 at Tea (Will Pucovski 54*, Marnus Labuschagne 34*; Mohammed Siraj 1/33)