Virat Kohli puts down Steve Smith at slip

Australia clawed back via an unbeaten 74-run partnership between Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne after early blows pushed them on the backfoot on the first morning of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Test series.

Labuschagne kicked off his innings in high tempo, fetching a couple of early boundaries while Smith was kept quiet for a period of 26 balls on 6. It was in this phase that Smith was at his most edgy, nicking Axar Patel only to be put down by Virat Kohli at slip. He waded through the rough patch and went to Lunch on 19(74), playing a chip over midwicket and a punch off the backfoot against Ravindra Jadeja.