To find the last time Australia lost a Test match in Brisbane after being sent in, it is necessary to go all the way back to 1985 and Sir Richard Hadlee’s demolition of Allan Border’s men to help New Zealand clinch the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Saturday’s early exchanges reflected Australian calm and Indian impatience. While Khawaja’s innings is still in the cameo phase, he looked assured in both defence and attack, pulling and glancing with precision when he wasn’t leaving well.

McSweeney was less comfortable, looking somewhat hesitant to try to score, but he was able to absorb 33 balls without giving a chance. With each delivery negotiated, hackles rose among the tourists.

Mohammed Siraj, greeted with a round of pantomime booing from a crowd that built to 30,145 spectators – all subsequently entitled to a refund – was speaking with the umpires about a replacement ball inside five overs.

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India’s bowling was far too short early on, causing former Test opener Aaron Finch to remark on Seven: “You have to be prepared to go a little bit fuller than that at the Gabba. Your length has to change slightly depending on the surface – you have to bring the batter forward.”

Rohit and bowling coach Morne Morkel were seen conferring during the first, brief, rain delay, with the captain miming a forward stroke that he had not seen much of in the opening overs of the day.

Then there was the curious sight of Rohit conferring with Bumrah about bowling and field settings before Virat Kohli came and took over the conversation, guiding Bumrah away from his captain for their own discussion.

These kinds of scenes are always magnified on days when rain curtails play. Khawaja’s first Test innings, a handy 37 at the SCG in January 2011, became the story of the moment when only 59 overs were bowled on day one of an Ashes match.

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Sydney has seen plenty such days in recent summers, where small morsels of play are looked upon with so much more intensity than had they been part of a much larger picture.

India may well come back on day two and make much better headway after recalibrating their lines and lengths. That’s pretty much exactly what happened in Brisbane in 2003, when Sourav Ganguly chose to bowl first and a first-day Australian total of 2-262 was turned around to 323 all out by Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar.

But for now, Rohit’s call looks about as questionable as Nasser Hussain’s infamous bowl-first decision for England here in 2002. A big Australian first-innings total would put India’s captain under yet more pressure.

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