Jasprit Bumrah's fiery spell and support from Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana helped India stage a comeback against Australia after a top-order collapse on Day 1 of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth on Friday.
Stand-in Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah redeemed his questionable decision to bat first with a sensational opening spell, reducing Australia to a precarious 67 for 7 and powering the visitors to a stunning comeback after a dismal batting display on the opening day of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth on Friday. Billed as a clash between two struggling batting line-ups, the match delivered on its promise with a dramatic first day that saw the fall of a staggering 17 wickets.
Defying expectations, Bumrah elected to bat on a pitch featuring significant grass cover, offering sharp seam movement and lively bounce. However, neither the youthful nor the experienced Indian batters could rise to the occasion on a challenging surface.
Debutant Nitish Reddy's gritty 41, combined with Rishabh Pant's dynamic 37 — highlighted by an incredible six — helped India scrape to 150 in 49.4 overs. The Australian bowlers shone, with Josh Hazlewood (4/29), Mitchell Starc (2/14 in 11 overs), Pat Cummins (2/67 in 15.4 overs), and Mitchell Marsh (2/12 in 5 overs) sharing the wickets.
Also read: IND vs AUS, Perth Test: Rishabh Pant's 'BOX OFFICE' six stuns Pat Cummins, Indian fans go berserk (WATCH)
Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) and Devdutt Padikkal (0) looked out of depth against a fiery opening spell from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who bowled in tandem with precision. Virat Kohli (5) fell to a sharp short ball from Hazlewood. Unable to withdraw his bat in time, Kohli edged it to the slip cordon for a straightforward catch.
KL Rahul displayed solid basics during his innings, confidently playing deliveries targeting his body while leaving those outside off. However, his resistance ended when Starc, in his second spell, got one to move slightly. Although Rahul suggested his bat hit the pad as the ball passed, the snicko confirmed a faint edge.
Australia, seemingly in control as they began their reply, were left stunned by Jasprit Bumrah's masterclass (4/17 in 10 overs). Defending a modest first-innings total was far from a solo effort, as Mohammed Siraj (2/17 in 9 overs) and debutant Harshit Rana (1/33 in 8 overs) rose to the occasion to back their skipper.
The trio's impeccable lengths—around five meters from the stumps and targeting the off-stump channel—combined with the live grass on the pitch, worked wonders whenever the ball hit the seam.
Debutant Nathan McSweeney (10) fell to a sharp nip-backer, with the DRS confirming him leg-before. Usman Khawaja (8) was squared up by Bumrah coming around the wicket and froze in his crease, edging to Virat Kohli at slip, who made no mistake this time after dropping Marnus Labuschagne earlier (2 off 52 balls). Steven Smith’s poor form continued as he faced an almost unplayable first delivery that dipped sharply and struck him plumb in front.
Bumrah’s fiery spell set the tone, and debutant Harshit Rana, with his energetic action, delivered a beauty to dismiss Travis Head (11). The ball pitched on middle, inviting a forward push, before deviating to clip the off-bail.
Australia found themselves in deep trouble at 31 for 4.
Marnus Labuschagne took 24 balls to get off the mark and endured a tense exchange of words with an animated Mohammed Siraj. Siraj then produced a fuller delivery to Mitchell Marsh, drawing an edge that KL Rahul grabbed superbly, before ending Labuschagne's gritty 52-ball stay with a sharp in-cutter.
Jasprit Bumrah returned for his final spell of the day, removing the Australian skipper and firmly putting India in command of the game.
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