'Crucial' opening partnership spares Aussies perilous bounce in Perth

The zingy green pitch was all the talk coming in to Perth as Australia looked to tie up the Indians’ 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Pundits were licking their lips over the “green monster” at the centre of Optus Stadium which was touted as the “bounciest pitch” cultivated by WACA curator Brett Sipthorpe.

“Fast” and “grassy”, the bowlers were expected to wreak havoc in the second Test, but Australian openers Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris quelled the hype with a 112 run morning partnership that reeked of consistency rather than chaos as Australia went on to make 6 for 277 at stumps.

It was a strong performance from both batsmen who ticked boxes of their own – Harris secured his maiden test half-century in front of a home crowd, while Finch’s 50-runs did wonders to dispel the mounting scrutiny surrounding his spot beneath the baggy green.

The blistering 38-degree conditions eventually coaxed the much-anticipated bounce out of the pitch much to the delight of the Indian attack.

A freakish bounce off a seemingly innocuous Hanuma Vihari delivery trapped Harris up high as he was caught easily off the bobble, while a short delivery from Ishant Sharma seamed into Peter Handscomb’s bat before Virat Kohli pulled off the highlight of the day with his scintillating pluck.

"The pitch has changed colour markedly since this morning," former Australian batsman Mark Waugh said on Fox Sports of the burgeoning bounce that came alive after lunch.

"You can see it starting to dry out ... it's basically rock hard.

It was a bizarre change of pace after a strong morning session that saw three wickets fall for 51 runs as India mounted a comeback. Usman Khawaja will be under the microscope after he was dismissed for five of 38 deliveries in yet another unsettled stint at the crease.

It was another local product that delivered for Australia when they needed it most. Shaun Marsh survived the Indian attack partnering with Travis head to knock 45 off 98 balls, while Head backed up his brave first innings performance in Adelaide with a solid 58 runs.

Ishant Sharma looked overly-concerned following the no-ball drama that surrounded him following the Adelaide Test. He made amends for a skittish start to take 2/35, India’s best of the day.

The pitch is expected to quicken up as the match progresses with additional moisture added to the pitch on day one to negate the searing heat, as India look to clean up Australia’s tail-end early on day two.