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Five things you might have missed in Pune

Amidst the euphoria of a massive victory there were plenty of little things that are worth revisiting between Test matches

In the wake of Australia’s stunning 333-run upset win against India in the first Test in Pune, much of the deserved attention remains focused on the feats of Stephen O’Keefe, Steve Smith and India’s epic batting collapses.

But amidst the carnage of the opening Test that lasted barely nine sessions, there were a few subtle moments that may have went unnoticed.

Here are five things you might have missed from the first ever Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, and why they are important for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Series.

1. Wade’s a ‘keeper

Image Id: 02C9A688AB8F4B17B9356AF14E7083BE Image Caption: Matthew Wade has won plaudits for his keeping in Pune // BCCI

Matthew Wade entered the first Test under scrutiny about his fitness and form behind the stumps. Having been ruled out of Australia’s one-day tour of New Zealand with a back injury, Wade slowly regained his health, first in the pre-tour training camp in Dubai and then during the warm-up tour match in Mumbai, where he moved freely and unencumbered.

His recall to the Test team was in part due to his ability with the bat, with his predecessor Peter Nevill widely regarded as the best gloveman in the country. But in Pune, the Victorian was practically faultless.

Wade conceded no byes in India’s first innings – a remarkable achievement considering how much the ball was spinning – claimed two catches and pulled off a brilliantly slick stumping to dismiss Jayant Yadav.

Handscomb, Wade dominate in the field

In India’s second dig, the 29-year-old let through eight byes, but to be fair, they were from two deliveries that dramatically spun and had no real shot at stopping. Wade was barely noticed with the gloves in the first Test, which is the greatest compliment for a wicketkeeper.

2. No paceman, no problem

On a pitch that resembled the surface of Mars, according to intergalactic Test legend Shane Warne, there wasn’t a whole lot to do for Australia’s quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The pair bowled 20 overs between them for the match, and only two overs each in the fourth innings.

Starc claims Kohli for second-ball duck

Hazlewood’s match total of nine overs is considerably the fewest of his Test career, while Starc’s 11 is two overs more than the nine he bowled in the inaugural day-night Test in November, 2015, when a foot injury ended his match early.

Despite the limited workload both bowlers claimed first-innings wickets, with Starc capturing the key scalp of India captain Virat Kohli for a second-ball duck. It means the towering tearaways will be fresh for the second Test and they will need to be if, as expected, a flat pitch is rolled out in Bangalore.

3. Crucial extras

Jadeja laughs off his latest horror delivery

The Australians were more disciplined than their rivals in Pune. The tourists’ batsmen played more judiciously, their fielders held onto nearly every chance (Warner had a bad miss at leg slip, but it was an aberration) and their bowlers built pressure by consistently hitting the right areas on a pitch that was only too happy to help out. The Australia bowlers also conceded just one no ball in the entire match – Starc overstepping in the 19th over of India’s first innings – while the hosts bowled six no balls during the Test. In what is a cardinal sin in cricket, four of India’s no balls came from spinners, with offie Jayant Yadav taking a wicket from his first infringement.

Warner gets a huge let off as Australia survive

Bowling from around the wicket, Jayant castled opening batsman David Warner around his legs, but by the time the ball clattered into leg stump on its way to the boundary, umpire Richard Kettleborough had raised his arm to signal a no ball. Replays showed Jayant had overstepped by a considerable margin and let the Australia vice-captain off the hook.

4. Maximum Australia

Of the many battles Australia won during the first Test, one of the more unexpected victories came in the six-hitting category. Australia’s batsmen hit nine sixes in the first Test compared to just one from India’s line-up, and even that sole strike came at a cost. KL Rahul lofted off-spinner Nathan Lyon for a majestic six but before the ball landed 10 rows back into the crowd, the batsman wheeled around in pain clutching his shoulder. Rahul would fall for a well-made 64 in similar fashion, but instead of clearing the rope, his mistimed aerial shot was caught by Warner at wide long-off, with the same aftershock of pain in his shoulder.

Starc swings hard to take India bowlers the distance

Australia, on the other hand, swung freely nine times. Starc was the main master blaster, hitting six sixes by utilising his long levers and powerful slog sweep that took the tricky pitch out of the equation. Rookie Matthew Renshaw, hard-hitting allrounder Mitchell Marsh and Lyon also cleared the rope for the visitors.

5. Batting in the Baggy Green Image Id: 7B8ABC689CF64F138732419496AEBFA6 Image Caption: Warner and Renshaw show off the Baggy Green // BCCI

There is perhaps no better sight in Australian cricket than watching two batsmen out in the middle in the heat of the battle wearing the Baggy Green. Fortunately in the first Test there were plenty of opportunities to pull on the iconic piece of headwear. Of the 183 overs Australia faced in both innings in Pune, 143 were bowled by spinners. In Australia’s second innings, the first 27 overs were shared by spin twins Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with the batsmen opting to don the Baggy Green for the difficult assignment.

Smith scores sublime subcontinent century

It was a pleasure to watch. The icing on the cake would have been to see Smith reach three figures in the sacred cap, but paceman Umesh Yadav was operating at the time so a helmet was necessary. There’s a good chance another opportunity will come for the skipper in the three remaining matches.

Test Squads

India (for first two Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 17-19, Tour match v India A, Mumbai

Feb 23-27, First Test: Australia won by 333 runs, Pune

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala