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Australia have fought their way to a modest first innings total of 263 in Delhi as India appeared in control of the crucial second Test.
Resilient knocks from Usman Khawaja (81) and Peter Handscomb (72 no) helped Australia build more of a platform than in Nagpur last week, when they capitulated to an innings and 132-run defeat.
Australia would have hoped for a higher score but the total was perhaps better than expected after they'd slumped to 3-91 and 6-168 with a long tail.
Mini collapses of 2-0, 2-1 and 2-0 halted any Australian aspirations of building a commanding, after Pat Cummins won his eighth-straight toss.
Australia have made some bold and at times puzzling selections already in this Border-Gavaskar series, but they are already vindicated by the decision to recall Handscomb.
The Victorian delivered one of his finest performances in a baggy green by thwarting India's imposing attack at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Handscomb combined for a 61-run fifth-wicket stand with star opener Usman Khawaja as the pair appeared to turn the momentum in Australia's favour.
But after losing 2-0 in three balls in the first session, Australia lost 2-1 soon before the tea break as Alex Carey was dismissed without scoring.
It was first Test stars Ravichandran Ashwin (3-57) and Ravi Jadeja (3-68) who landed the important blows by taking the prized scalps of Marnus Labuschange and Steve Smith.
Khawaja's enterprising knock came to an end in stunning fashion, with India opener KL Rahul hanging onto a diving, mid-air catch as the home crowd erupted as the 36-year-old finished 19 runs short of a famous century.
The left-hander rode his luck in brilliant fashion to notch Australia's first fifty of the series, surviving some loud shouts from India's spinners and quicks alike.
Khawaja's opening partner David Warner fell for 15 to end a torturous innings where he was hit on the helmet and elbow in separate incidents.
Australia were rolled for 177 on day one of the first Test after winning the toss, and then crumbled for 91 - their lowest Test total in India - in their second innings to lose inside three days.
Cummins is Australia's only recognised quick as the tourists opted to give Queensland spinner Matt Kuhnemann a Test debut.
Kuhnemann was playing Sheffield Shield less than a week ago, but will play as a third spinner alongside first Test sensation Todd Murphy and veteran Nathan Lyon after being called into the squad to replace Queensland teammate Mitchell Swepson.
The last time Australia picked three spinners was against Bangladesh in 2017 when Lyon, Ashton Agar and Steve O'Keefe played, as well as allrounder Glenn Maxwell.
Miserly Victorian quick Scott Boland dropped out for Kuhnemann after playing an important role in Nagpur last week.
The hosts made just one change, with fit-again Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav at No.5
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Australia are scrapping hard to produce a competitive total in the second Test against India, moving to 6-199 at tea on day one in Delhi.
Recently recalled Victorian Peter Handscomb remains unbeaten on 36 after a fighting knock in difficult conditions at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.
Australia added 3-105 in the second session after going to lunch at 3-94, following captain Pat Cummins electing to bat first after winning his eighth-straight toss.
Handscomb combined for a 61-run fifth-wicket stand with star opener Usman Khawaja as the pair appeared to be turning the momentum in Australia's favour.
But after losing 2-0 in three balls in the first session, Australia lost 2-1 not long before the tea break as Alex Carey was dismissed without scoring.
It was first Test stars Ravichandran Ashwin (3-57) and Ravi Jadeja (1-44) who landed the important blows.
Cummins made a welcome return to form with the bat, and went to tea on 23.
Khawaja's enterprising knock of 81 came to an end in stunning fashion, with India opener KL Rahul hanging onto a diving, mid-air catch as the home crowd erupted.
The left-hander rode his luck in brilliant fashion to notch Australia's first fifty of the series, surviving some loud shouts from India's spinners and quicks alike.
The 36-year-old played bravely, stepping down the wicket to Ashwin and hitting him for a towering six over long-off in one of the highlights of the day for Australia.
Earlier, Australia were 1-91 but lost 2-0 in three balls late in the first session as Ashwin claimed the prized wickets of Marnus Labuschagne (18) and Steve Smith (0).
Khawaja's opening partner David Warner fell for 15 to end a torturous innings where he was hit on the helmet and elbow in separate incidents.
Australia were rolled for 177 on day one of the first Test after winning the toss, and then crumbled for 91 - their lowest Test total in India - in their second innings to lose inside three days.
Meanwhile, Cummins will be Australia's only recognised quick as the tourists opted to give Queensland spinner Matt Kuhnemann a Test debut.
Kuhnemann was playing Sheffield Shield less than a week ago, but will play as a third spinner alongside first Test sensation Todd Murphy and veteran Nathan Lyon after being called into the squad to replace Queensland teammate Mitchell Swepson.
The last time Australia picked three spinners was against Bangladesh in 2017 when Lyon, Ashton Agar and Steve O'Keefe played, as well as allrounder Glenn Maxwell.
Miserly Victorian quick Scott Boland dropped out for Kuhnemann after playing an important role in Nagpur last week.
India will have added motivation for this match as prolific No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara plays his 100th Test.
The hosts made just one change, with fit-again Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav at No.5
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Australia's top doctor has confirmed federal health officials are developing an official strategy in how to deal with cases of long COVID.
Speaking before a parliamentary inquiry, chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the health department had been handed the task by Health Minister Mark Butler.
A timeline for when the strategy will be unveiled is yet to be finalised but it is likely to be after the parliamentary inquiry has wrapped up.
"To develop such a strategy, whilst this committee is continuing to meet and to deliberate is fine but to finalise that, we can't do that until we receive (the committee's) advice," Prof Kelly said.
The World Health Organisation has defined "long COVID" as patients continuing to have symptoms or develop new ones three months after initial infection.
The chief medical officer said a clear definition would be needed going forward in order to provide more clarity, as well as more information for health professionals.
"The one we're using at the moment, the WHO definition ... they're great for research purposes because they're so broad," he said.
"But in terms of trying to actually understand this thing, we have to get beyond it, and if no one else is going to do it, then we should do it here."
The inquiry also heard from Karren Hill, who has long COVID and is part of a Facebook group for others with the condition.
She said almost three years on from the beginning of the pandemic, there was still little known about the impacts.
"This country ... is still in very early stages of its response and the scale of its impact in Australia is not always fully recognised," she said
"Our challenges in terms of our health, jobs, careers, income and relationships and our future health outcomes are entirely unknown."
Ms Hill said the lack of official data on the number of people with long COVID had made it hard for support to be provided.
"This lack of strong data makes it difficult to develop appropriate policy responses and easy to dismiss the very serious urgent widespread need," she said.
"The cost of not doing it would be too high, both for sufferers and for the country."
Other members from the group said waiting times for patients to access long COVID clinics were also several months long.
There have been 18,190 COVID-related deaths in Australia since the start of the pandemic, including 892 this year as of February 8.
Since March 2020, 5075 COVID deaths occurred in residential aged care, 3855 of them last year and 308 so far this year.
WEEKLY VIRUS FIGURES:
* NSW: 6033 cases, 51 deaths
* Queensland: 4166 cases, 24 deaths
* Victoria: 3344 cases, 56 deaths
* SA: 1720 cases, seven deaths
* ACT: 487 cases, six deaths
* NT: 99 cases, three deaths
* WA: 2086 cases, four deaths
* Tasmania: N/A
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A landmark $7 billion funding deal for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic venues has been signed by the Queensland and federal governments.
It will mean a complete rebuild of the city's Gabba stadium, to be solely funded by the state government, while Canberra will foot the entire bill of a new 17,000-seat Brisbane Arena at Roma Street.
The two projects will make up the bulk of the spending, while nearly $2b has been earmarked to upgrade existing venues and build smaller facilities.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk sealed the deal in Brisbane on Friday.
"I know, as a Sydneysider, the difference a Games can make," Mr Albanese said.
"This will consolidate this great city as a global city, as a global powerhouse."
The Brisbane arena project includes a drop-in swimming pool that will be removed after the Games to create an entertainment venue.
"That will be a venue that will last for many decades into the future," the prime minister said.
The state has committed $2.7b for the Gabba rebuild, increasing its capacity by 8000 seats to 50,000 and land between the stadium and nearby Southbank will be declared a priority development area.
"This is about setting Queensland up not just for the next 10 years but the 10 years thereafter," Ms Palaszczuk said.
The premier acknowledged commodity prices meant the Gabba project, originally estimated at $1 billion in 2021, was getting more expensive.
The state government says completely building the stadium, which is the home of the Brisbane Lions AFL team and hosts international sports events, is cheaper than refurbishing it to modern standards.
The new Gabba will be the official home of the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games and include a pedestrian walkway linking it to the nearby public transport.
It is being billed as "one of the most accessible stadiums in the country".
But uncertainty about what the project means for East Brisbane State School, which sits next door, has caused local anxiety.
The state government on Friday confirmed the current location will be unviable beyond December 2025 and the school will be relocated nearby.
"I always said we would carry out consultation with the school community as soon as we knew more about the impact of the Gabba redevelopment on the school," Education Minister Grace Grace said.
Parents say they've been kept in the dark.
"This has caused anxiety in our children and disquiet in our community," East Brisbane State School Olympics Impact Group chairwoman Nicky Middleton said in a Facebook post on Friday.
The Greens say the project is deeply unpopular at a local level and a waste of money.
"By refusing to directly fund the Gabba demolition the federal government has acknowledged the project is a disaster but let's be clear, by funding half the Olympics infrastructure they are subsidising this disgraceful demolition," the party's federal housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said.
The premier says more than 80 per cent of the Games' infrastructure already exists, much on the Gold Coast which hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Both governments will commit to almost $1.87b for five new venues and upgrading nine existing venues.
The new include indoor sports centres at Breakfast Creek, Chandler, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay to host basketball, wheelchair basketball, gymnastics and boxing.
There will also be a new whitewater venue in Redlands for canoe events and potentially a new indoor sports centre at Logan for training or competition.
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