3 minute read

India believe short balls still pose the biggest threat to Australia's debutant Will Pucovski, confirming it was a plan to bounce him on his Test debut.

India's bowlers believe bouncing Will Pucovski is the answer to stopping the young gun after he made 62 on Test debut for Australia at the SCG.

Pucovski was the shining light for Australia on a wet Thursday in Sydney, as the hosts went to stumps at 2-166 on the opening day.

India made a concerted effort to deliver a barrage of short deliveries at the 22-year-old, with his history of nine previous concussions well known.

The most recent of those came in a game for Australia A against India last month, which delayed his Test debut and threatened to end his summer early.

The Victorian expected the tactic and rode his luck on the first day in Sydney, top-edging Mohammed Siraj for four once and being dropped another time.

Siraj indicated India had tried to surprise him with the tactic rather than peppering him with regular bounces.

"When we played a practice game against Australia A, we bowled short balls to Pucovski then also," Siraj said.

"We were seeing that Pucovski was not keen on leaving the ball, he was going after it so we had a plan of bowling short balls to him.

"But our main focus was bowling good line and length to him."

Siraj himself was the pick of India's bowlers on day one, finishing with 1-46 from his 14 overs and offering few opportunities for batsmen.

Making only his second Test appearance, he was in tears as the anthems were being played following the recent passing of his father.

The 26-year-old opted not to head home for the funeral but instead made his Test debut in Melbourne.

"I remembered my dad during the national anthem, it was very emotional," Siraj said.

"It was always my dad's dream for me to play Test cricket. If he were here today, he would have seen me playing for India."