ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 04: Peter Handscomb and Nathan Lyon of Australia share a laugh as they leave the field at the end of play on day three of the Second Test match during the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval on December 4, 2017 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Australian batter Peter Handscomb remains optimistic about the visitors turning the game back in their favour after a dismal day one of the first Test against India.
The tourists were bundled out for 177 in the first two sessions of the day, with Ravindra Jadeja taking a five-wicket haul after a six-month break due to injury. India finished on 1-77, with Indian captain Rohit Sharma notching up an unbeaten fifty at stumps.
"The morale's good," Handscomb said after the opening day of the Nagpur Test, via AAP.
"The music was back on straight after we walked back in.
"The feeling in this group coming back in is really nice and seems really calm."
Handscomb, returning to the side after four years, scored a valiant 31 on a tough turning pitch. On the contrary, the Australian batters did not have answers to India's bowling attack.
"No matter what happens on the field, when you walk back into the dressing room at the end of the day, it's the same emotions no matter what," he added.
"Try and stay nice and level about the whole thing no matter what happens out there.
"Yes, it's not how we wanted to start the series, but by all means, we're still in this game."
The Indians gave the Australian team a ruthless reality check on the opening day of the four-Test series and tested the belief of the visitors who are hoping to break a 19-year-old drought to win the series on Indian soil, having only last done so in 2004.
Jadeja made an excellent comeback to the Test side with figures of 5/47 after going through a knee injury and being out of action for more than six months.
The left-arm spinner defended the pitch as his spin buddy Ravichandran Ashwin scalped three wickets and went on to reach the 450 test wickets milestone.
"This wasn't a rank turner," Jadeja said, translated from Hindi.
"Compared to other wickets, it was slow and had low bounce.
"Defending wasn't very difficult, but as the game progresses, defending will become increasingly difficult - but that's the nature of Test cricket."