Cowan stands firm against India in debut Test

Debutant opener Ed Cowan batted through the opening two sessions to put Australia in a handy position on the opening day of the first Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. The Tasmanian left-hander was unbeaten on 58 as the Australians reached 170 for three off 53 overs at tea after winning the toss. Skipper Michael Clarke was the other not out batsman on seven. Cowan, who showed steely patience and a willingness to leave the ball, batted for 238 minutes and faced 149 balls with seven boundaries. Cowan, who replaced opener Phillip Hughes for his first Test match, put on 113 runs with Ricky Ponting for the third wicket as Australia recovered from 68 for two at lunch. Ponting raised his 59th Test half-century and 10th against India before he fell to Yadav, nicking to V.V.S. Laxman at second slip for 62 in the only wicket to fall in the middle session. Yet again the former Australian captain failed to go on and claim his century and it is now 33 innings and almost two years since his last Test hundred. It was Yadav's third wicket of the innings and he proved the tourists' best bowler after front-liners Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan went wicketless. Yadav had three for 66 off 13 overs at tea. David Warner, who scored an unbeaten 123 in his previous Test against New Zealand, pulled Yadav for six over midwicket in the 12th over before a brief rain delay in the morning session brought about his downfall on the first ball after the resumption. Warner attempted to hook Yadav only to pop a gentle catch to M.S. Dhoni off his gloves for 37 ending Australia's new opening partnership at 46 in the 14th over. Marsh's Test return only lasted six balls before he edged Yadav to Virat Kohli in the gully for a duck. India are bidding to win their first series in Australia in 64 years and hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the last two series at home. India are playing their first away Test series since losing all four matches in England in July-August in a whitewash that cost Dhoni's men their number one ranking.