Scene set for a golden summer

If day one of the first Test between Australia and India is an indication, the series will be exciting and unpredictable. As they have so many times, Australian pacemen Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins got the home side off to a strong start on Friday morning at Perth’s Optus Stadium. They contained India to 2-18 in the first hour and 4-51 at lunch before the tourists struggled to 150. In retrospect, it was a good score. When Australia took to the crease, India captain Jasprit Bumrah led the fightback, claiming the wickets of newcomer Nathan McSweeney for 10, Usman Khawaja for 8 and Steve Smith for a duck. For Australia, it was all downhill from there, finishing on 7-67 at stumps. Alex Carey, the top scorer on 19, faces the battle of his life to get Australia within cooee of India.

This was Test cricket at its best, setting the scene for an exhilarating series, through to the Adelaide Oval, the Gabba, the MCG on Boxing Day and Sydney in the new year, as Australia’s pursues the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Unlike other visiting teams in recent years, India will not roll over. We look forward to epic contests as the tourists, backed by a billion supporters on the subcontinent, dig in and, when wickets turn, try to spin their way past the team in baggy green caps. Cummins’ men have the class, determination and energy to prevail in a classic battle of good sportsmanship. But it could be tantalisingly close.