Il Nuovo Postiglione - India's Jadeja rattles Australia in Test opener

Jadeja struck soon after lunch to claim the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (37), and dent Australia's fightback on a turning Nagpur pitch.

Peter Handscomb, batting on 29, and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey, who made 36, put on a partnership of 53 before off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ended Carey's spell.

Handscomb kept up the fight with Nathan Lyon for company at the break.

It was Jadeja's double strike on successive balls that rocked the tourists as he ended an 82-run third-wicket partnership between Labuschagne, who was out stumped, and Smith.

Jadeja, a left-arm orthodox who was back in the Indian side after a knee injury, trapped Matt Renshaw lbw for a first-ball duck to be on a hat-trick and later bowled Smith on 37 with a delivery that went through his bat and pad.

Ashwin and Jadeja kept up the charge to get into the Australian tail.

Earlier, seamer Mohammed Siraj struck on his first ball to get opener Usman Khawaja trapped lbw for one with a delivery that swung in to the left-hander, after the tourists elected to bat at the start of the four-match series.

An appeal was turned down by the on-field umpire but India successfully reviewed the decision, much to the delight of coach Rahul Dravid, who pumped his fists in the pavilion.

Mohammed Shami raised the noise in the next over when the seamer bowled the left-handed David Warner for one, coming around the wicket to send the off-stump cartwheeling.

Australia, led by Pat Cummins, dropped left-hander Travis Head and gave off-spinner Todd Murphy his international debut.

Rohit Sharma's India handed Test caps to Twenty20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav and wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.

D.Campanella--INP