In Stats: Kuldeep Stars on Debut, Ashwin Enters Record Books

India trail Australia by 300 runs at Stumps on Day 1.

India: 0/0 in one over

Australia: 300 all out in 88.3 overs (Smith 111, Wade 57; Kuldeep 4/68)

There were plenty of surprises in store at the start of Day in Dharamsala. India were dealt a big blow with Virat Kohli being ruled out due to an injury, and he handed the captain’s reigns to Ajinkya Rahane who became the 33rd Test captain of India.

Fun fact: Before today, the Mumbai batsman had never even captained a team in First-Class cricket.

There were more changes in the team though than just the switching of captain’s armbands. Replacing Virat in the XI was Kuldeep Yadav who was handed a Test debut. He became the 288th cricketer to represent India in the format and also the first chinaman bowler to represent India in whites.

At the coin toss before the match, the Australian captain called correctly and decided his batsmen would set the tone for the match. When conditions were at their best for batting, the Australians came out positively, and aided by some loose bowling by the Indian bowlers, got off to a rocket start. Though the visitors lost opener Matt Renshaw very early, David Warner and captain Steven Smith added 121 runs and helped their team to lunch at 131-1.

In the second session, India came back strongly, picking up five wickets to put the brakes on the visitors. Kuldeep Yadav kicking things off with his first Test wicket, David Warner out on 56.

(Read: Kuldeep Yadav Describes How He Plotted Handscomb’s Wicket)

However, Steven Smith continued to make merry - just like he has done right through the season; despite his unorthodox technique and methods, Smith once again helped himself to a big score.

The 27-year old now scored more than a quarter of his Test runs against India, and averages an incredible 88.25 in 10 Test matches against India.

On the opening day of the inaugural Test at Dharamsala, Smith helped himself to yet another hundred - his third of the series. He joined the former England captain Alastair Cook in becoming the only two visiting captains to score three hundreds in a Test series in India.

Courtesy his 111 in the first innings in Dharamsala, Smith became the first Australian to score three centuries in a Test series in India. Prior to Smith's returns on this tour, four Australian cricketers had managed to score two centuries in a series in India.

Smith's 111 on Saturday was the 20th time the Australian had posted a three-figure score in Test cricket. It is incredible to note that only two other cricketers - Sir Donald Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar - had scored more hundreds than Smith in their first 54 Test matches.

Smith's innings came to an end just prior to the Tea interval when Ravichandran Ashwin, bowling from round the stumps, managed to find the outside edge of Smith's bat, which was safely pouched by Ajinkya Rahane at slip.

The wicket of Smith took Ashwin's tally of wickets this home season to 79 - which is the most any bowler has ever taken in a particular Test cricket season.