What an amazing comeback by the Indian team on Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Perth. India were bowled out for 150, courtesy of Hazlewood’s 4 for 29 and two wickets each from Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh. However, the Jasprit Bumrah-led pace attack broke the back of the Australian batting with incisive seam and swing bowling. Bumrah grabbed four wickets, while Mohd. Siraj and Harshit Rana took two and a wicket, respectively, to keep Australia at 67 for 7 at Stumps. The India vs Australia 1st Test Day 1 had everyone intrigued.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy India vs Australia 1st Test Day 1 Live – Aussie Quicks Breathe Fire
The long and anxious wait for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy got over as India and Australia headed to the Optus Stadium, Perth, to play the first of the five-match Test Series 2024-25. Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and elected to bat on a slightly damp surface. India brought four seamers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy – and a lone spinner in Washington Sundar to the playing XI. Interestingly, India benched ace spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for this Test.
The Test began with a boundary off the bye as Mitchell Starc bowled down the leg side to Yashasvi Jaiswal and the ball rolled over to the fence. However, he hit the strap quickly by including an outside edge of Jaiswal to McSweeney at gully in his next over. Jaiswal could not open his account. Then came Devdutt Paddikal and looked composed in the company of KL Rahul. However, in the rush to open his account, he prodded to an away-going delivery and edged it to the wicketkeeper Alex Carey. India’s score was 14 for 2.
Virat Kohli came, looked confident for a while and then got out, much to the annoyance of fans who wanted to see him score big in India vs Australia 1st Test Day 1. He pressed forward to a back of the length delivery by Josh Hazlewood that bounced and took an edge off his bat to Usman Khwaja at first slip. India were struggling at 32 for 3 at that stage. KL Rahul, who looked solid for his 26, also perished as he edged one to Carey, leaving India reeling at 47 for 4. India managed to score 51 for the loss of four wickets in the first session.
Jurel, Washington Depart Cheaply Before Pant, Nitish Share a 48-run Partnership in India vs Australia 1st Test Day 1
Dhruv Jurel, in the company of Rishabh Pant, took India to 59 before Mitchell Marsh broke through. Jurel played with hard hands to a delivery that seamed away a touch to find his outside edge as the ball went to Marnus Labuschagne at third slip. He scored just 11 that had two fours. Mitchell Marsh struck again as Washington Sundar poked at an away-going delivery to Alex Carey. The Men in Blue were in all sorts of trouble at 73 for 6 in India vs Australia 1st Test Day 1 at Perth.
Rishabh Pant then found an able ally in Nitish Reddy as the duo kept the scoreboard ticking along by hitting boundaries and rotating the strike. Pant even hit a six off Pat Cummins that too by sweeping the Australian fast bowler over the fine-leg region. However, a loose shot from Pant saw his innings end at 37 (3 fours and one six). Pant tried to flick a delivery going outside off with the angle, only managing a leading edge to Steve Smith at second slip.
Australia Bowl Out India for 150
Harshit Rana came, scored three runs off the first ball he faced and hit a boundary the next over to reinforce some belief in the nervy Indian rank. However, he edged one off Josh Hazlewood to Nathan McSweeney, who failed to grab the catch. However, the deflection led to the ball carrying to Marnus Labuschagne who made no mistake. Now it was all on Nitish Reddy to take India forward. He smashed a six off Cummins with a brilliantly executed upper-cut shot. Bumrah top-edged one off Hazlewood for a six before edging one to Carey.
Nitish Reddy, in a bid to get quick runs, played a pull shot off Cummins but could only manage a top edge to Usman Khwaja who ran backward to take a catch over his shoulders. India’s innings ended at 150.
Bumrah-led Pace Attack Keep Aussies to 67 for 7 at Stumps in India vs Australia 1st Test Day 1
With only 150 on the board while batting first, India had their task cut out. Get early wickets to sneak into the slightly inexperienced Australian middle order. Pace spearhead and captain Jasprit Bumrah did just that by trapping debutant Nathan McSweeney leg before wicket for 10.
If not for a dropped catch by Virat Kohli, Bumrah would have had Labuschagne out next ball. However, Bumrah soon found an outside edge off Usman Khwaja to Virat Kohli at slip, a few overs later. This time, the India veteran didn’t make any mistakes. Steve Smith out first ball as Bumrah trapped him leg before wicket. Suddenly, Australia were caught on the wrong foot.
While Labuschagne was struggling with blows on the body and plays and misses, Travis Head looked much more assured at the other end. He even hit two boundaries off the debutant Harshit Rana before getting bowled by the same bowler.
Siraj then took two wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne to leave Australia at 6 down below 50. While Marsh edged to KL Rahul at the third slip, Marnus was adjudged leg before wicket for two runs off 52 balls.
Bumrah had his opposite number Pat Cummins as the latter went for an expansive drive outside the off stump but could only nick it to the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Mitchell Starc and Alex Carey took Australia to 67 for 7 at stumps.
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