Pitch and pain at Perth

Dec 14, 2018

With grass aplenty on its surface, the Perth Stadium hosted its first Test•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Aaron Finch made amends for his lacklustre show in Adelaide with a dogged half-cenuty of his own•Getty Images

Finch's dismissal was followed by a boundary-less 38-ball stay from Usman Khawaja, but Shaun Marsh dug his heels in•Getty Images

Head's 84-run stand with Shaun Marsh took the hosts close to 250 causing India's four-man pace attack visible discomfort towards the end of the day•Getty Images

Marcus Harris made a statement of intent on his return to Perth - where he played his early cricket before moving to Victoria - with a maiden Test fifty•Getty Images

Finch survived a couple of lbw appeals against Mohammed Shami during his 105-ball knock...•Getty Images

He lost Harris at the other end, as Hanuma Vihari forced an edge off the opener, before he himself top-edged off Vihari to Rahane at slip•AFP

Tim Paine found the boundary twice in his watchful, unbeaten innings•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Before Jasprit Bumrah fired one full and straight at 140kph to have him trapped in front on a pitch offering variable bounce•Getty Images

Australia lost Peter Handscomb cheaply, the score reading 4 for 148. Travis Head, however, showed enterprise in his 80-ball 58•AFP

With help from Pat Cummins, Paine took Australia to stumps with 6 for 277 on the board•Getty Images