Vijay battles to keep India steady

[JUGRAJ SINGH]

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India's top order set up a sound platform against Australia on the first morning of the second Test in Brisbane. M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara went to lunch at a comfortable 1 for 89, after Vijay added 56 in the company of Shikhar Dhawan, their stand broken by Mitchell Marsh's first Test wicket.

Steven Smith did not have everything go his way on his first morning as a Test captain, his bowlers not always as precise as he would have preferred, while Shaun Marsh turfed a chance from Vijay's blade in the over after Dhawan fell. The debutant Josh Hazlewood looked best of Australia's fast bowlers.

MS Dhoni had unveiled a side featuring three changes - his own return, plus the additions of R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav for Karn Sharma and Mohammed Shami. In addition to Australia having a new captain in Smith, the hosts included Shaun Marsh, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the injured Michael Clarke and Ryan Harris, while Peter Siddle was dropped.

The Gabba pitch was hard and evenly grassed, promising some early pace and movement for Australia's fast men, and a significant challenge for India's top three. But Vijay and Dhawan began firmly enough, leaving the ball well, countering a hint of new ball swing for Johnson and Hazlewood and moving things a long with a few well-chosen strokes.

One early Johnson short ball to Vijay might have been gloved to leg gully had Smith posted one, but otherwise the first hour passed with remarkably few dramas for India's opening pair. Mitchell Marsh was clattered to the point boundary by Vijay when he pitched short, but when he tried another half-tracker after morning drinks, Dhawan could only touch it on the way through to Brad Haddin. Marsh had waited 346 balls and four Tests for that moment.

Johnson's second spell was a tad more venomous than his first, and in the next over after Dhawan's exit he coaxed an edge from Vijay that flew at low but eminently catchable height into the slips. However Shaun Marsh tried to perform the party trick of catching this daisy cutter with his hands pointing to the sky, and felled the chance.

There was time for Nathan Lyon to suggest he will enjoy Brisbane's bounce before lunch, and for Pujara to inside edge past the stumps in the final over of the session, but overall the visitors had reason to be happy with their work.
 
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