Australia vs India, 1st Test at Perth Highlights:
After a disappointing show by Indian batsmen on the first day, the bowlers led by Bumrah staged a stunning comeback. The Indian team was all out for 150 runs, after which Bumrah and company claimed 7 Australian wickets, leaving Australia struggling at 67 runs. India leads by 83 runs over the Kangaroo team.
Following India’s inexpensive innings finish at Perth, led by Bumrah’s outstanding performance, the Indian bowlers exhibited a show of strength. Australia's fast bowlers also displayed exceptional skill, as all 17 wickets of the day were claimed by fast bowlers, marking the day’s major highlight.
Australia's First Innings: Bumrah’s Havoc, Rana and Siraj Shine
Australia finds itself struggling in this match. Bumrah, leading the Indian team, has shattered Australia's confidence. Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney opened for Australia, which started briskly compared to India, but debutant McSweeney (14) was LBW on Bumrah’s ball.
Captain Jasprit Bumrah brought India further success. At a score of 19, Usman Khawaja (8) was caught by Virat Kohli, and then on the very next ball, Captain Bumrah secured the wicket of Steve Smith (0), leaving Australia at 19 for 3. With these quick wickets, Australia appeared to be on the backfoot.
Travis Head (11) became Harshit Rana’s first international wicket, bowled out by an inswinging delivery at a score of 31/4 for the Kangaroos.
Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh (6) was caught by KL Rahul off Siraj’s delivery. Marnus Labuschagne battled to score 2 runs off 52 balls but was trapped LBW by Siraj.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah captured four Australian wickets, Mohammed Siraj took two, and Harshit Rana took one.
Highlights of India’s First Innings: Top Order Struggles, Hazlewood’s Haul
In the Perth Test, India's stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that did not prove fruitful. India was all out for a mere 150 runs. The initial jolt for India was Yashasvi Jaiswal, who didn’t score and handed a catch to debutant Nathan McSweeney off Mitchell Starc’s bowling. When Jaiswal got out, India’s score was just 5 runs.
Next in the game was Devdutt Padikkal, tried at number three, who also couldn’t open his account. Throughout his innings, he appeared defensive, facing 23 balls and leaving like Jaiswal at 0. After Padikkal’s dismissal, India's score was 14/2.
Expectations were high from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul to play substantial innings. However, King Kohli (5) couldn’t decipher Josh Hazlewood’s delivery and gave a catch to Usman Khawaja. The Indian cricket team lost three wickets within just one and a half hours of play. When Kohli got out, the score was 32/3. Including this Test innings, in the last seven innings, Kohli has managed only 98 runs, with his performance appearing increasingly lackluster.
Before breaching the 50-run mark, KL Rahul was also dismissed. Just before lunch, India’s score was 47/4. Rahul, who seemed poised for a long innings, got out for 26 runs to Starc’s ball. After lunch, Dhruv Jurel (11) and Washington Sundar (4) were dismissed, taking India to 73/6. Subsequently, wickets continued to tumble, and the Indian innings wrapped up at 150.
Debutant Nitish scored the highest, amassing 41 off 59 balls, including six boundaries and a six. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant contributed 37, and KL Rahul added 26. Besides them, only Dhruv Jurel (11 runs) managed to reach double figures. From Australia’s side, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Mitchell Marsh took two wickets each, while Hazlewood claimed four wickets. All 10 Indian wickets were bagged by Australian speedsters.
Jasprit Bumrah Wins Toss, 3 Players Make Debut
In the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, India’s acting captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and opted to bat first. Both teams saw the debut of three players each. Notably, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were left out of the Indian lineup. India's Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana made their Test debuts, while Australia's Nathan McSweeney debuted in red-ball cricket. Devdutt Padikkal was given a chance at number three, but Sarfaraz Khan didn’t make it to the playing 11.
India’s Playing 11 for Perth Test:
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Mohammed Siraj
Australia’s Playing 11 for Perth Test:
Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
