AUSTRALIA v INDIA – MCG, THIRD TEST, DAY ONE

India 2-215 Overs: 89 STUMPS

V Kohli 47* C Pujara 68*

A fiery spell from Mitchell Starc with the second new ball enlivened the final overs of the final session of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, but the day belonged to India’s batsmen.

Virat Kohli and partner Cheteshwar Pujara took India to 2-215 at stumps, but after the 82nd over the pair offered a number of chances.

The MCG pitch offered little for the bowlers as the Australians worked hard for little reward after captain Tim Paine lost the toss.

Kohli solidified the Indian innings after coming out to bat after tea when Australian paceman Pat Cummins removed Indian debutant Mayank Agarwal for 76.

Mayank Agarwal (L) and Hanuma Vihari of India run between wickets on day one of the Boxing Day Test. Photo: AAP

Agarwal’s brilliant start to his Test career came off 161 balls and he looked set for a century until Cummins struck, having the 27-year-old caught behind by Tim Paine.

The dismissal signalled the tea break, leaving India at 2-123 with a run rate of 2.24.

Australia’s Aaron Finch told Channel Seven at the break it was a tough pitch for the bowlers and Cummins had deserved his breakthrough.

“Just rewards,” Finch said. “I think it has been pretty flat so far … it’s about being consistent. I think it’s about being straight and always challenging that knee roll.”

Indian skipper Kohli started his innings after the tea break, with the pitch potentially finding more life in the warm weather.

He was ably assisted by Pujara, who has been a mainstay of the Indian innings, backing the stroke players.

Earlier, Agarwal brought up his 50 shortly after the lunch break with a shot down the pitch that beat bowler Nathan Lyon.

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Agarwal grew in confidence after the break and with Pujara’s support the pair brought up India’s 100 in the 45th over.

Agarwal earned his call up after scintillating form with the bat for Karnataka in the Indian domestic competition. He was solid early as the pacemen failed to rattle him with a series of short-pitched deliveries.

Australia’s fast bowlers laboured without reward for the first 19 overs before Cummins struck, removing Hanuma Vihari for eight when the Indian gloved a rising delivery and lobbed an easy catch to Finch.

Cummins had earlier bothered Vihari with a number of aggressive high deliveries.

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Star off-spinner Lyon was brought into the attack after only seven overs to try and find a way through the Indian defences.

Paine insisted he was happy to bowl first after losing the toss, but the docile drop-in deck offered little assistance.

As expected, Australia recalled Mitchell Marsh at the expense of batsman Peter Handscomb, while the tourists dumped openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay and paceman Umesh Yadav in favour of Agarwal, Rohit Sharma and off-spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch was expected to provide good batting in the second innings.

The four-Test series is level at 1-1, with Australia winning the second Test in Perth and India taking the Adelaide match. It is the first time since 2010 a Test series has been level before the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne.

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Head curator Matt Page had earlier been confident the pitch will provide a good contest for both teams.

“We sat down at the end of last year and spoke about where we were at and where we wanted to go,” Page said on Sunday.

“From that, we developed a plan. We’ve put seven pitches in this year instead of the traditional 10, in an attempt to get some more natural wear and tear in the square and get the pitches to deteriorate as the game goes on.

“We’ve also put some sand down under the pitches to try and create a more natural environment for them to sit in.

“We’ve had three Shield matches. The big plan for us was to play around with a few things and get it right for Boxing Day.”

-with AAP