WICKET! Chahal, who has been expensive today, gets his first wicket and India have two in quick succession. Stoinis is out for a duck, sharp catch with the gloves by Rahul. From IPL to Sydney, back-to-back ducks for Stoinis. 272/3 after 41 overs. Maxwell is the new man in. Smith had hit another superb six in that Chahal over too.

After 40 overs, AUS 264/2 (Smith 63): WICKET! Just as he was accelerating after his century, Bumrah finally ends Finch’s stay in the middle. Goes for an inventive shot, but Rahul takes an easy catch. AUS 264/2, Finch out of 114. (40 overs)

CENTURY FOR AARON FINCH! Looks up at the sky, then acknowledges the crowd. Has taken 117 balls. The Aussie captain has led from the front in Sydney. Virat Kohli must be wondering, apart from how to get Finch out today, where was this during IPL, perhaps?

After 38 overs, Australia 238/1 (Finch 99, Smith 52)

FIFTY FOR STEVE SMITH! HE HAS FOUND HIS HANDS, INDEED. The former Aussie captain has raced to a half century off 36 balls, hits a couple of boundaries off Shami. His last five scoring shots have been boundaries.

After 37 overs, Australia 226/1 (Finch 97, Smith 42): Jadeja must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. After Smith hit two good shots for fours, he mishits a slog sweep that would have gone straight to Dhawan if he was on the fence at long on. Instead, he is a few yards in, and the ball drops overhead. 0/63 in 10 overs for Jadeja.

Jadeja for his last over.

After 36 overs, Australia 214/1 (Finch 97, Smith 30): Still no century for Finch. Missed out on a few gifts on his pads from Shami, there.

Shami returns for his 7th over.

After 35 overs, Australia 208/1 (Finch 96, Smith 27): Another quick, tight over by Jadeja. Finch seems to have slowed down a bit, run a ball stuff in the last few overs.

After 34 overs, Australia 203/1 (Finch 94, Smith 24): A brilliantly placed pull shot by Smith for four. Saini’s lengths have indeed been off today. 200 comes up for Australia.

After 33 overs, Australia 194/1 (Finch 91, Smith 19): A boundary for Smith to rub salt into Jadeja’s wounds. He has actually bowled decently without reward today.

GOOD REVIEW: There have been a fair few appeals from Jadeja today. He finally gets a decision in his favour, but DRS overturns on-field decision by the barest of margins! Smith is not out. Bounced JUST above the stumps.

After 32 overs, 188/1 (Finch 91, Smith 13): Finch is into the 90s. A four over point to finish that Saini over.

After 31 overs, 179/1 (Finch 86, Smith 9): Chahal has been off colour today, it must be said. A four for Smith off a full toss. But the Indian spinners do tend to take wickets closer to the 40th over mark.

After 30 overs, 169/1 (Finch 81, Smith 4): Saini back into the attack. Six runs in that over. Cliche dictates Australia should look to double score from here. That would be 338.

After 29 overs, 163/1 (Finch 78, Smith 1): The great start from Australia won’t matter much here, if they can’t push on. India will look to tighten the noose here if they could. A delayed free hit call to end that Chahal over. Finch puts it away for a four, with what seemed to be a switch hit. India did not need that. Poor cricket.

Good call from the TV umpire: Really glad that was given out when the deviation was clear in the traditional replays when technology was inconclusive. Common sense call.

WICKET FOR INDIA, FINALLY! Who was going to provide the breakthrough, we wondered. The answer is Shami (and a good review by Kohli). Big appeal for caught behind, India review the decision. And there is a edge. David Warner walks back. Smith is the new man in. AUS: 156/1 (27.5)

After 27 overs, AUS 149/0 (Warner 63, Finch 72): Jadeja was going at a good ER before that over (0/29 in 6) but Finch has decided that’s not good enough for Australia. Dances down the ground and hits a six that clears long on. 11 runs from that over.

After 26 overs, AUS 138/0 (Warner 62, Finch 62): Shami returns with a 4-run over.

STAT (via broadcaster): India’s bowling struggling a bit in ODIs. 6 matches in 2020: 51.30 balls/wicket, 28 matches in 2019: 36.10 balls/wicket, 20 matches in 2018: 34.20 balls/wicket.

After 25 overs, AUS 134/0 (Warner 59, Finch 61): Halfway stage of the innings, no wickets yet for India. What’s the target going to be? A lovely reverse sweep from Warner in that Jadeja over for four.

After 24 overs, Australia 127/0 (Warner 52, Finch 61): A maiden over is foiled. After five dot balls from Chahal, Warner takes a single.

HALF CENTURY FOR DAVID WARNER! The Aussie opener is picking up from where he left off in the IPL. He got into into great hitting form in the latter part of the tournament, and this has been reflective off his form. Finch, who is striking at a slower pace, hits a four in that Jadeja over. 126/0 (23)

After 22 overs, Australia 118/0 (Warner 48, Finch 56): Indiscipline from Bumrah. No ball, followed by one so far down the leg side to Warner. Would have been four even if it wasn’t a free hit.

After 21 overs, Australia 107/0 (Warner 43, Finch 55): Jadeja continues, four singles.

After 20 overs, Australia 103/0 (Warner 41, Finch 53): BIG CHANCE! Jadeja misses a direct hit and Finch was short of his crease by some distance. Bumrah is back into the attack and Kohli is getting understandably desperate for a wicket.

HALF CENTURY FOR AARON FINCH! After a below par IPL, Finch is back to his best at the top of the order for Australia it would seem. Gets to the fifty in the 19th over off Jadeja. Hit a massive six off Chahal in the previous over too. 100 comes up for Australia as well. 100/0 after 19 overs.

After 17 overs, Australia 86/0 (Warner 37, Finch 40): Another big appeal in that over, for caught behind against Finch. But no review. Right call, brushed the pads.

After 16 overs, Australia 81/0 (Warner 35, Finch 39): A chance for India! Brilliant effort running back by Dhawan at point but the dive is not sufficient to reach the ball. Great effort. Mishit lofted shot by Finch as Chahal slows one down wide.

After 15 overs, Australia 76/0 (Warner 34, Finch 36): A couple of LBW appeals in the Jadeja over against Finch. The second one was really close. India don’t review thinking it’s bat first but it’s not, however would have been umpire’s call anyway.

Time for Jadeja... will Australia look to target him?

After 14 overs, Australia 72/0 (Warner 33, Finch 34): The intent back on display after a couple of tight overs as Warner lofts one for four over midwicket while Finch attempts to hit a big one but mishits. India cannot afford Chahal to be expensive here.


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Time for the first drinks break...

After 13 overs, Australia 64/0 (Warner 27, Finch 32): A bouncer from Saini but it’s too high. There have not been too many too test the openers, yet. Finch, Warner content rotating strike now.

After 12 overs, Australia 56/0 (Warner 23, Finch 29): Always a pleasure to watch Chahal in action. You know he is going to test the batsman, irrespective of conditions and match situations. Good first over, a wide and a single.

After 11 overs, Australia 54/0 (Warner 22, Finch 29): Better over from Saini. Time for Chahal at the other end.

After 10 overs, Australia 51/0 (Warner 20, Finch 29): The first 10 comes to an end with a tight over. Shami, returning for a change of ends, concedes just 2. But this is a superb start for Australia.

After 9 overs, Australia 49/0 (Warner 19, Finch 28): A boundary each for Warner and Finch in that Saini over. Australia setting a strong platform.

After 8 overs, Australia 40/0 (Warner 15, Finch 23): Tight over by Bumrah, and a speedy one too.

After 7 overs, Australia 37/0 (Warner 13, Finch 22): Saini into the attack after a brief delay and Finch cuts one away for four. Good recovery from the pacer after that.

After 6 overs, Australia 37/0 (Warner 13, Finch 17): Finch overtakes Warner with a pull shot for four. Lovely hit off a short ball from Bumrah. Reaches 5000 ODI runs in that over as well.

After 5 overs, Australia 27/0 (Warner 13, Finch 12): The ante is being upped. Aggressive shots in that Shami over by Warner and Finch, a couple of threes taken too. The timing is not there still, perhaps but the intent is.

Correction: After 4 overs, Australia 17/0 (Warner 9, Finch 6)

After 4 overs, Australia 8/0 (Warner 9, Finch 6): A series of 144-plus kph deliveries from Bumrah. Finch plays an uppish off-drive for four, that just evades the fielder and then Warner puts in a sensational dive to complete a quick single. Kohli’s direct hit is great, but Warner survives.

After 3 overs, Australia 8/0 (Warner 6, Finch 2): Another tight over by Shami, who looks in nice rhythm.

After 2 overs, Australia 1/0 (Warner 6, Finch 1): After five good balls, a hint of width from Bumrah. And Warner cuts it away for the first boundary. Good tussle early on.

After 1 over, Australia 1/0 (Warner 1, Finch 0): Sham starts off with a peach to Warner! Finch must be glad there’s no Bhuvi darting in with the new ball. Just a single in the first over.

Here we go. With real fans cheering on, and not artificial noise, the ODI series begins! Shami to start off, Warner and Finch in the middle for the hosts. Play!

National anthems time.

09.04 am: At the pitch report, Mark Waugh said there was a hint of grass on the SCG pitch. There might be help for the pacers early on, perhaps? Bumrah and Co will look to strike early. As well, Saini is fit to play after reports of back spasms last night.

Playing XIs:

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood  

India XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah  

There you go, in case you missed it, India’s latest jersey. A throwback to 1992. Yay or nay?

(Courtesy: BCCI / Twitter)

08.40 pm: TOSS: Australia have won the toss and Aaron Finch opts to bat first at SCG.

08.19 am: First things first. In classic BCCI fashion, we received important updates close to midnight Indian time on Thursday. Rohit Sharma had to return to India from UAE to be with his ailing father, and now, Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Test series. T Natarajan, meanwhile, added to India’s ODI squad.

After Virat Kohli calls for clarity, BCCI say Rohit Sharma’s fitness will be assessed on December 11

08.15 am: Hello all and welcome to the live coverage of a significant moment in 2020: the return to action of the Indian men’s cricket team at the international stage.

By most accounts, 2020 has been a bizarre one for sport and cricket has been no exception. In an era where international cricket is almost non-stop, no one would have imagined it would take 270 days (that’s 73.77% of the year) between international matches for the Indian men’s team.

But here we are. We are not just welcoming the Indian team back in action, we are also witnessing the return of spectators to the venue for a cricket match. A matter of little concern in the years past, but one that is of immeasurable significance in 2020.

The lack of international cricket this year makes it hard to determine form, although Australia head into the white-ball series on the back of beating 50-over world champions England in September.

India haven’t played together since a tour of New Zealand in February, when they clinched the Twenty20 series but were whitewashed 3-0 in the ODIs and 2-0 in the Tests.

But they can take solace from winning their last Test and ODI series in Australia two summers ago.

What’s in store over the next few weeks Down Under? We can’t wait to find out.

(With AFP inputs)