Australian players wear black armbands to pay respect to Bill Watson

The much-awaited fourth and final Test between India and Australia is finally underway in Sydney. A lot is at stake in the game as both the teams will be desperately trying to get a favourable result from the game. While India are on the verge of creating history as they eye their first-ever Test series win on the Australian soil, the hosts will be looking to keep their unbeaten record intact. And while there are little doubts that the game will be fought fiercely, the start of the game was an emotional one.

Australian players came out wearing black armbands to pay tribute to Bill Watson, former Australia and New South Wales batsman. Watson passed away on Monday aged 87.  The right-handed batsman made his Test debut for Australia in the 1954-55 Ashes Series against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The debut came after he scored a hundred in his second first-class match against MCC at the same ground.

But he did not enjoy much success in international cricket. Following the home series against England, Watson was included in the Australian team for the tour of Caribbeans and played three more Tests without much success. He did not play Tests after that poor series.

He ended his Test career with just 106 runs across seven innings at an average of 17.66. However, Watson enjoys a better record in first-class cricket. He played 41 games, amassing 1958 runs including six hundreds and five half-centuries. His highest score of 206 for NSW came against Western Australia in Perth in December 1956.

Australia are wearing black armbands today in memory of former AUS and NSW batsman Bill Watson who passed away recently aged 87. pic.twitter.com/BxKE5DG2ZM

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 2, 2019

India start the SCG Test on a high

India, meanwhile, have started the proceedings well in Sydney after skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bat first. The visitors lost out-of-form opener KL Rahul for just 9 but Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara did not let the hosts make further inroads in the game. Consequently, Australia could not manage to take any more wicket in the first session. At stumps, India were 303/4 with Pujara unbeaten on 130.

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