Ball does all the talking

FINALLY a ball was bowled and a host of pre-match questions received at least temporary answers on a Test day won by Australia.

A last-ball run out of India’s lone resistance Cheteshwar Pujara for a stoic 123, by a tiring Pat Cummins, was an exclamation point on a great day.

The war of words, or world of words tossed around in the lead-up, never settled on a proper answer as to not only how Australia would play but if India could cope with it.

Would Tim Paine’s team be nice or not?

The skipper said “being nice” never came into it, even though the PR offensive after the South African tampering scandal and scathing cultural review suggested a friendlier approach to a tough game was the preferred way forward.