Australia fights back late

Australia's bowlers have fought their way back in to the contest against India in the day night Test match in Adelaide, claiming three late wickets under lights to halve the opening day of the series.

India closed at 6-233, captain Virat Kohli top scoring with 74 before a disasterous mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane changed the course of the day in the final hour of play.

India won the toss and chose to bat in only their second day night Test, their first in Kolkata against Bangladesh last year.

Young opener Prithvi Shaw departed to the second ball of the match, chopping on to Mitchell Starc for a duck on a wicket that had plenty of grass cover to keep the fast bowlers interested.

Cheteshwar Pujara picked up from where he left off on the previous tour, blunting the new ball in partnership with Mayank Agarwal to deny the home side further breakthroughs.

Having batted for over an hour Pat Cummins snaked one back between bat and pad to bowl Agarwal for 17, India in early trouble at 2-32.

Kohli and Pujara guided the team to Tea without any further loss, continuing their obdurate occupation of the crease as Australia strived to break up the two leading run scores from the 2018/19 series between the sides.

Kohli appeared to glove a spinning ball from Nathan Lyon down the leg side on 16, Australian captain Tim Paine choosing not to review to afford his counterpart a life.

Pujara faced over 130 deliveries before he struck his first boundary, reaching 43 from 160 balls before inside edging Lyon on to his thigh pad and in to the hands of Marnus Labuschagne at leg gully, Paine with a successful review after umpire Bruce Oxenford initially declined the appeal.

Captain and vice-captain were at the wicket at the dinner break with Rahane joining Kohli, the duo batting through the tough part of the day as the sun set on a mild evening in the city of churches.

Kohli reached a half century and was looking set for another century at the Adelaide Oval, having already scored three in his previous three Tests.

Disaster struck in the final hour of play when Kohli was run out in a mix up with Rahane, the pair having added 88 as the second new ball approached.

Rahane drove Lyon to mid-off and initially set off for a single, Pat Cummins quick to pounce on the ball and throw to the bowlers end with Kohli stranded after Rahane had second thoughts to the run.

That moment was compounded shortly thereafter when Rahane was trapped in front in the first over with the second new ball for 42, spurning a review in the process with the ball smashing in to the middle and leg stump.

Josh Hazlewood made it three wickets in seven overs when Hanuma Vihari (16) was caught on the crease to be adjudged LBW, India all of a sudden limping to the close.

Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin survived till stumps, Saha on 9 and Ashwin 15 heading in to the second afternoon.

Starc's two wickets bookended the day as he finished the pick of the bowlers with 2-49, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon with one wicket each while Cameron Green impressed in his first bowling stint in Test cricket, taking 0-15 from 9 accurate and largely threatening overs.

Day two resumes tomorrow at 2:30 PM ACST time tomorrow, 12:00 PM in Perth as India look to post a score close to 300.

IMAGE: The Australian.