On his first day as a Test player, Mayank Agarwal ticked all the boxes. He showed great character in tiding over a tricky early period exacerbated by inevitable nerves, showcased his mastery over spin by taking on Nathan Lyon, and eased into the record books by dancing to 76, the highest score by an Indian debutant in Australia.

Neither the size of the Boxing Day crowd — 73,516, the most for a match involving India — nor the imposing setting of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the fire of the Australian attack fazed the Karnataka opener, who batted with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. India finished Day One of the third Test here at 215 for two with Cheteshwar Pujara batting on 68 and skipper Virat Kohli on 47.