INDvsAUS: Starc lifts Australia after Umesh Yadav's four-fer

Pune: Indian bowlers put up a standout performance on the first day of the Pune Test against Australia at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Thursday as they almost wrapped up the Kangaroo side, before Mitchell Starc exhibited his batting exploits to lift his team.

At Stumps, the Aussies were 256/9 as their decision to bat first looks to have gone against them. Mitchell Starc (57) and Josh Hazlewood (1) are at the crease at close.

Umesh Yadav was the pick of the bowlers as he bagged 4 wickets for just 32 runs in 12 overs while the much-successful spin-duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared four wickets between them (2/55 and 2/59, respectively). Third spinner Jayant Yadav has also claimed a wicket for 51 runs in his 12 overs.

Australia got off to a good start with openers David Warner and Matt Renshaw adding 82 runs for the first wicket, before the former departed at the individual score of 38 runs. Renshaw got retired out on the very next ball.

Shaun Marsh (16) was the second wicket to fall followed by Peter Handscomb (22) and skipper Steven Smith, who enjoyed a remarkable average of 93 against India before the start of the match, after he could score 27 runs.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh (4) and wicket-keeper batsman Matthew Wade (8) also failed to turn the tables in Australia's favour as Indian bowlers were too harsh to handle today.

Renshaw, who returned to the crease after seeing his team in trouble, toiled hard to score 68 runs off 156 balls hitting 10 fours and a six. Mitchell Starc made an exceptional effort by scoring a rapid fire fifty to lift his team's total to 256 runs. He is still unbeaten at 57 runs off just 58 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes.