Virat Kohli scored 74 but that wasn’t enough to give India the upper hand in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.

India started poorly, losing their first wicket with the second ball of the innings. They were two down with 32 on the board and in desperate trouble.

Kohli, however, steadied the ship, first through a solid partnership with Cheteshwa Pujara and later Ajinkya Rahane.

The India skipper – who will miss the next Test as he travels to be with his wife for the birth of their first child – looked in complete control until Rahane ran him out after a misjudged call for a single.

That gave the initiative back to Australia, whose bowlers toiled hard on a wicket that made for a relatively even contest between bat and ball.

Kohli was fortunate that the Australians didn’t review an appeal for caught behind when he was in the teens, as television replays showed him gloving one to wicketkeeper Tim Paine. However, he looked at his potent best thereafter, exhibiting discipline outside his off-stump and punishing the bowlers when they missed their areas.

He looked completely untroubled until Rahane’s error, and India will lament his loss at a crucial time of the innings.

Australia took the new ball under lights and made an immediate breakthrough, Mitchell Starc trapping Rahane lbw, leaving India struggling at 195-5. Josh Hazelwood did the same to Hanuma Vihari a couple of overs later.

Wriddhiman Saha and Ravi Ashwin managed to see out the remaining overs, but India will start day two on the back foot on 233-6.