Internet Desk: Australian captain Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja bailed the hosts out of trouble on Day 1 of the inaugural day-night Ashes test at Adelaide Oval. The hosts at stumps are 209/4 with Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh batting on 36 and 20 respectively
England will feel relieved to see the back of the Australian captain who scored 40 runs before falling to debutant Craig Overton. Opener David Warner failed to capitalise on the start he got as he was dismissed for 47 runs.
The visitors failed to build sustained pressure in front of a record crowd of 55,317.
Australia do not have the greatest of records in previous Day-Night test matches, having lost on both occasions to New Zealand and South Africa.
England captain Joe Root surprisingly put Australia in to bat first after winning the toss. The opening session lasted just 13.5 overs due to rain, with England failing to create a single chance.
Warner, Cameron Bancroft (10), Usman Khawaja (53) and Smith all got in and got out; none of them scored runs with ease but all of them faced at least 41 deliveries at the crease.
Khawaja was handed a life on 44 when Mark Stoneman spilled a simple catch in the deep, while Bancroft was run out following a misfield.
Smith was welcomed to the middle with a volley of verbals by England, who felt insulted by Smith’s laughter in the post-match press conference that followed Australia’s 10-wicket win in Brisbane.
Tempers flared from both teams as the Australian captain was seen involved in a verbal spat with Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson.