Riding on Marnus Labuschagne’s fifth Test century, Australia scored 274 runs for the loss of five wickets on the opening day of the fourth and final Test against India in Brisbane on Friday. 

An inexperienced Indian bowling attack started brightly and did well to take regular wickets but failed to capitalise on key moments as the hosts threaten to post an imposing first innings total at the Gabba Stadium. 

Three Indian bowlers, T Natarajan (2/63), Shardul Thakur (1/67) and Washington Sundar (1/63),  notched their maiden Test wickets but the focus will undoubtedly be on the injury concern for paceman Navdeep Saini, who was forced off the field after complaints of groin pain. 

Already dealing with an injury crisis, having lost key players like of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, India yet again finished the day with a player forced off due to injury.

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Saini pulled up after bowling the fifth delivery of his eighth over and was escorted off the field with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming the 28-year-old has been taken for scans. 

However, India will take heart from the fight its young bowlers mustered in spells during the opening day’s play. 

Mohammed Siraj, who made his debut in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, got off to the perfect start as he induced a thick edge from out-of-form opener David Warner (1 from 4). 

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Thakur, included in the squad to replace pace spearhead Bumrah, then got his maiden wicket off his very first ball in Test match cricket, as an in-swinging delivery was flicked by Marcus Harris (5 from 23) straight to Sundar at square leg.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne dug in for an impressive 70-run stand before Smith (36 from 77) threw his wicket away, flicking a tossed up delivery from Sundar straight to Rohit Sharma at short mid-on for his maiden wicket. 

Smith’s apprentice took charge of proceedings from there, notching his fifty and forging a 100-run partnership with Matthew Wade. Having been dropped by Rahane earlier, with another edge falling just short of Pujara at first slip, Labuschagne made the most of his chances by bringing up his fifth Test ton at his home ground. 

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At 200/3, the hosts were firmly in the driver’s seat before Natarajan struck twice to remove both set batsmen. Wade (45 from 87) and Labuschagne (108 from 204) both fell to well-directed bouncers respectively as Natarajan continued his fairy-tale run in the national team. 

There were signs of fatigue later in the day as skipper Tim Paine (38 from 62) and Cameron Green (28 from 70) scored freely, adding 61 runs in 127 deliveries, to put the hosts in control at the end of the day’s play.