India vs Australia 1st Test: Sightscreen Irks Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal; Shane Warne Takes Offense

The first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is going on at Adelaide Oval. International cricket had come to a halt due to the outbreak of coronavirus. It started around September and cricket fans eagerly waited for a Test series between two of the world’s best sides – India and Australia.

Also read: India vs Australia, 1st Test: Virat Kohli Shines with 74, But Aus Keep Ind to 233/6 on Day 1

On the first day of the Adelaide Test, Indian batsmen faced some unusual issue while playing as they complained about a few things. Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s one of the best Test batsmen, was going to face a delivery of Mitchell Starc, but the right-handed batsman suddenly walked away from the stumps and raised his hands to signal the bowler to stop. It was not clear as to why Pujara did that and cricket fans were left confused as there was no staff present anywhere near the sightscreen at that moment.

In another incident, Mayank Agarwal asked for a change to the sightscreen region before the beginning of Starc's sixth over. Agarwal had complained about the sightscreen issue three times, before umpires asked ground staff to make changes as per the bastman’s demand. Following the instructions, the staff removed a small black cover placed on a metal fixture some metres away from the sightscreen.

Photos: India vs Australia 1st Test, Day 1

Sitting in the commentary box, Shane Warne and Allan Border could not stop themselves from reacting to the incident."Look how wide the sightscreen is. Come on, that (cover) can’t be putting him off. Are you for real? That can’t be it! That’s not serious. Did I just see what I think I saw then? To move a plastic cover over the fence?" foxsports.com.au quoted Warne as saying from the commentary box.

Border also agreed to what the veteran spin bowler said. He asserted that he was more worried about the bowler than the batsman. Border said he would not notice even if another game of cricket is on behind the sightscreen.India today won the toss and elected to bat first. Part-sluggish, part-attritional day of the Test match cricket would not have been what the host broadcasters would have had in their minds to back their build-up to India vs Australia blockbuster series, but it was exactly that kind of day in the four-match series opener at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. However, the star of the build-up - Indin skipper Virat Kohli - did live up to his top billing with a solid 74 off 180 balls before he was run-out by his deputy Ajinkya Rahane, late in the day. Rahane's departure soon after swung the day in Australia's favour, who after a solid first session seemed to lose way in the second. India finished day one of the first Test at 233/6 with the Wriddhiman Saha (9*) playing out a tough third session under lights. He has Ravichandran Ashwin for company on 15 off 17 balls.

• Adelaide Test
• Ajinkya Rahane
• allan border
• Border-Gavaskar trophy
• Cheteshwar Pujara
• India vs Australia
• India vs Australia 1st Test Playing XI
• India vs Australia 2020
• India vs Australia first test
• mayank agarwal
• Shane Warne
• virat kohli