28th over: India 140-6 (Nitish 23, Ashwin 4) Another over passes by with little to report. Nitish picks up a couple. The deficit is 17.

27th over: India 138-6 (Nitish 21, Ashwin 4) Ashwin picking up three with a neat push from the crease down the ground is the only moment of note in a Starc over that continues the theme of India’s second innings: not much happening until a wicket-taking jaffa.

26th over: India 134-6 (Nitish 20, Ashwin 1) That was the dream start for Australia, and with Pant surely goes any hope India have of making this match anything bordering on a contest. Smith really did make that catch look simple, despite ending up taking it in front of first slip. He moved so early and got into a perfect position to get both bucket hands safely around the fast moving ball.

Cummins opens from the River End and Nitish gets the scoreboard moving with a glance down to fine leg. There’s a little extra bounce for the Australian skipper, but both batters negotiate it safely to rotate the strike.

WICKET! Pant c Smith b Starc 28 (India 128-6)

High fives abound as Australia take to an Adelaide Oval bathed in sunlight.

They are joined by Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy. What have they got in store for us over the next couple of hours? A game-changing burst of runs, or a quick collapse and a couple of days of golf?

England have completed victory in Wellington by a humungous 323 runs for their first series victory in New Zealand since 2008. Bring on the Ashes.

Here’s some conversation starters for you.

Australia are clear on top of the ICC Test rankings, but only one of their top seven would be competing for a spot in a World XI right now (Travis Head). Is there a precedent for this? What does it mean about where Australia are at in their cycle? Is batting diminishing in importance as the pace of the game speeds up?

What is going on if New Zealand can smash India in India, then England can smash New Zealand in New Zealand?

Seven nations are represented in the top ten ranked Test batters on the ICC rankings, with seven also featuring in the top 12 ranked bowlers. I want to think that’s good for the game, but worry that it’s a reflection of an era of mediocrity.

How good is Second Death of My Face by WH Lung?

And elsewhere in Australia v India action, Australia have smashed a mahooosive 371/8 batting first in the second ODI in Brisbane. Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry both smacked quickfire centuries.

You can keep an eye on India’s chase here:

Elsewhere in Test cricket, a Tom Blundell century has delayed England’s inevitable series-clinching victory in Wellington.You can follow that live over here:

If any Indian supporters were hoping the weather might rescue them today, I’m afraid the forecast is for bright sunshine in Adelaide, although temperatures will be kept in check by a southerly breeze.

Don’t just take my word about what happened yesterday. Here’s how Geoff Lemon saw things.

In practical terms, state-based parochialism is irrelevant in modern Australia, a performative dance for politicians to half-heartedly perform around budget allocations or State of Origin. Even with cricket’s domestic structure still built along those borders, the consensus from outside South Australia admits that Adelaide Oval is the country’s best ground, and Adelaide’s Test the summer’s most enjoyable. The festival feel is unique, the city always turns out. Even among grumbling at being allocated the struggling West Indies the past two summers running, Adelaide cracked 50,000 people over the first two days both times. For the same team, Perth didn’t get that many in five.

Preamble

Jonathan Howcroft