11th over: India 14-2 (Rahul 8) The wicket falls from the last ball of the over, so there’s plenty of time for India’s supporters to cheer Virat Kohli to the middle.

WICKET! Padikkal c Carey b Hazlewood 0, India 14-2

10th over: India 14-1 (Rahul 8, Padikkal 0) Cummins just keeps on working at KL Rahul outside the off stump. Some a little wider, some moving closer. KL is picking the lines well, leaving where he can, withdrawing the bat at times, playing when he must. No run.

9th over: India 14-1 (Rahul 8, Padikkal 0) Starc still rolling, beats the edge once more as the cordon hop and hover. Padikkal tries an IPL shot when he sees the line stray down leg, looking to pick it up over deep square for six. Instead he misses. Then Starc misses, wide outside the off stump, almost off the pitch as it passes the batter. Three slips still: Khawaja, Smith, Labuschagne, with the new guy in the gully, Lyon at point, Head at short leg, Cummins mid off, Mitchell Marsh at mid on, Hazlewood grazing.

8th over: India 13-1 (Rahul 8, Padikkal 0) Bowling change, just the three overs for Hazlewood as Cummins comes on, and nearly snares KL immediately! Close to the stumps, that Cummins line that just moves away enough. So close to the edge. Rahul follows up with soft hands past gully for a couple of runs.

7th over: India 11-1 (Rahul 6, Padikkal 0) Survival and not much else for the left-handed Padikkal, who is twice beaten by outswing in this over. Serious spell from Mitchell Starc.

Arun writes in. “Just checked the Guardian OBO scorecard and had a mini-scare when I saw the score as 0-5 before realizing it was Australian style scoring (runs before wickets). Panic replaced calm again as Rahul’s just got out.”

You’re right, we may have to reverse that given we’re a global publication.

“Any reason offered by the Indian camp why Akash Deep isn’t playing?”

Ha! Is there ever an explanation offered by India’s camp for anything? Pretty sure they only confirmed why Rohit wasn’t here a couple of days ago. I had a feeling Harshit Rana would play, because picking a 22-year-old quick is very much the energy of a touring Indian side. Try the untried. It could be fun. Absolutely baffled by Washington Sundar over Ashwin and Jadeja though.

6th over: India 11-1 (Rahul 6, Padikkal 0) This is good from KL Rahul. Two runs off the inside half. Leaves the wider stuff, defends the tighter line, ducks the bouncer. Not giving Hazlewood a way in.

5th over: India 9-1 (Rahul 4, Padikkal 0) KL Rahul handles Starc more comfortably than his two partners have so far, though the ball is still swinging for the left-arm quick. One run from the final ball, another cover push.

4th over: India 8-1 (Rahul 3, Padikkal 0) Runs off the bat! Huge cheers, last ball of Hazlewood’s second over, as KL props forward and plays a controlled check drive through the covers for three.

3rd over: India 5-1 (Rahul 0, Padikkal 0) Facing the fire early is Devdutt Padikkal at No3, and he gets an absolute unplayable first up. Swinging in, seaming away, narrowly missing stump and edge. Starc is on one. Adds in a huge lbw appeal for a ball angling down leg, then a full swinging yorker that nearly lands on the batter’s toes except Padikkal gets the toe of the bat in the way instead. Whoosh. What an over.

WICKET! Jaiswal c McSweeney b Starc 0, India 1-5

2nd over: India 0-5 (Jaiswal 0, Rahul 0) A maiden for Hazlewood first up, of course, Rahul playing and missing at one ball outside off.

1st over: India 0-5 (Jaiswal 0, Rahul 0) We’re away in true Mitchell Starc fashion! Tries to produce the Rory Burns ball to the left-handed Jaiswal, but it doesn’t swing back in, instead seaming away on the angle to beat Carey behind the stumps for four byes. Next ball, across the lefty, nick into the cordon on the bounce. There must have been a chorus of “They usually carry at Perth!” from every comm box in the stadium. Throw an overstep in there, and it’s five extras from the over.

And we’re about to get underway! Here come Jaiswal and KL for India, with the running stripes down the legs of their trousers in true Adidas style. Let’s go.

The national anthems are run and won. Big cheers all around. Lots of people out on the ground standing in some kind of dot pattern formation. Do they spell something? Do they join up with red strings to paint a picture? Get a drone onto it.

The countdown is well and truly on to the first ball in this blockbuster five-Test series. Thanks for following along to this point – Geoff Lemon will now steer you through the rest of the build up and across the first half of the day’s play.

India XI

Australia XI

India win the toss

The simmering rivalry between the two leading Test sides across the past two WTC cycles, and for the best part of a decade, has elevated the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to become one of the most highly-anticipated and hard-fought series in international cricket.

But have Australia and India clashes replaced the Ashes as the premier red-ball battle? Jack Snape and Josh Nicholas dig into the data.

India has become not only as much as a draw for crowds as the “old enemy” in England, the broadcast windfall of Australia-India clashes will underpin CA’s financial recovery.

Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead a new-look India lineup in just his second Test as captain, while also carrying the load as the dangerman in their bowling attack on a juicy deck in Perth.

Yours truly takes a closer look at Bumrah and the other Indians that will play a major hand in this blockbuster five-Test series.

Nathan McSweeney is presented with his baggy green by former Australia batter and coach Darren Lehmann. The 25-year-old earns Australia Test cap #467.

Nathan McSweeney was the winner of the Great Australian Bat Off as the reigning World Test champions search for an opener to replace David Warner (and Steve Smith), especially with Cameron Green sidelined for the summer with a back injury.

India have many more selection concerns with captain Rohit Sharma yet to arrive in Australia for personal reasons, Mohammed Shami still recovering from injury and Shubman Gill under a cloud after taking a blow to the thumb.

But India were in an ever greater predicament three years ago, as Geoff Lemon reminds us:

India became the subcontinent team that figured out how to win in Australia, taking down the first-choice home bowling attack both times in the process. Then last year, when hosting was reversed, Australia got swatted in Nagpur and Delhi to let India keep a grip on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Preamble

Martin Pegan