On the eve of the opening Test of the latest tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Jasprit Bumrah had stressed starting a new tradition of fast bowlers being handed Test captaincy.
“I can manage myself the best when I am the captain. I have always advocated for pacers being captains. Hopefully a start of a new tradition,” he had said on Thursday.
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On Friday, the star quick, standing in as India’s captain for the Perth Test, tore through the Australian top-order with spectacular seam bowling to return with figures of 4 for 17 from his 10 overs, that left the hosts reeling at 67 for 7 in response to India’s first innings total of 150.
Bumrah spoilt Nathan McSweeney’s hopes of an impressive debut by trapping him off the pads with a fuller length delivery, before ensuring Steve Smith’s shift back to his favoured No.4 position did not reap the desired results for the opposition.
Bumrah kept breathing fire from one end, causing troubles for Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped on nought by Virat Kohli at second slip. He continued to beat the edge and eventually found a thick outside nick off Usman Khawaja, and the ball flew towards Kohli yet again, where the veteran held on to a straightforward chance in the sixth over.
Despite getting a life, Labuschange had an excruciating time dealing with the Indian pacers and failed to open his account off the first 23 deliveries he faced. Even after he finally managed to break his drought, Labuschagne could never get going and made a painstaking 2 off 52 balls.
Harshit Rana, one of the two debutants from the visiting side, dented the Australians further by crashing through the gates of India’s nemesis across formats Travis Head before Mitchell Marsh and Labuschagne fell to Mohammed Siraj. Bumrah wasn’t quite done as he returned in the shadows to dismiss his opposite number Pat Cummins as Australia limped to stumps at 67 for 7.
Earlier, Bumrah’s decision to bat on winning the toss on a green-tinged surface under overcast conditions worked in favour of the Australian pace attack as the tourists were bowled out in mere 49.4 overs. Nine of Indian batters were caught behind the wicket – keeper or in the slip cordon, reminding a common mode of dismissal in Perth over the years both at the Optus Stadium and the nearby WACA ground.
India’s top order, which lacked the experience of regular skipper Rohit Sharma and No.3 Shubman Gill, were challenged by the new ball pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who claimed all four wickets in the first session. Starc, especially, was outstanding to set the tone for an Australian pace attack that strangled India.
Starc drew first blood for Australia with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who after facing eight balls attempted to score his first runs in Australia, but drove on the up and edged to McSweeney in the gully. Hazlewood joined the party by getting the better of Devdutt Padikkal, who received an unexpected opportunity at No.3 after impressing in the India A matches recently, but the southpaw was all at sea against the Aussie quicks, and the impatience of waiting to open his account for 22 balls ended in an outside edge to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Virat Kohli arrived in the middle to a thunderous applause from the 31,302 crowd, hoping to resurrect India’s ship, but fell soon after scoring 5 after fending a Hazlewood delivery that landed straight to Usman Khawaja at first slip.
All this while, KL Rahul, who just a week ago had been struck on the elbow in an intra-squad match simulation, bravely batted through the carnage, and looked in decent touch to reach 26 before being given not out by on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough after Starc appealed for caught behind. After Australia reviewed, the third umpire overturned the decision even though DRS showed a spike as the ball passed the bat, leaving India tottering at 47 for 4 minutes before the lunch break.
After lunch, allrounder Mitchell Marsh made a successful return to bowling with the wickets of Dhruv Jurel, who had been selected on the back of his performances for India A, and Washington Sundar.
India’s hopes now banked on the shoulders of Rishabh Pant and the debutant seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who combined for 48 runs – the biggest partnership of the innings. Pant was in an element of his own, bravely taking the attack to the opposition, and the highlight of his brief stay in the middle was marked by an audacious scoop for six off a full delivery from Cummins, while Reddy mixed orthodox drives with paddle sweeps to tame veteran offspinner Nathan Lyon. The left-right combo did manage to give India the push to reach 150 before Cummins ended their resistance with the wickets of Pant and Reddy by the tea break.
BCCI shares update on Gill’s injury
Prior to the start of the Test, the BCCI issued an update on Shubman Gill, who picked up an injury during match practice and shared that the right-hander is under the watch of the medical team in the lead-up to the second Test in Adelaide.
“Shubman Gill sustained a left thumb injury during Day 2 of match simulation at The WACA. He was not considered for selection for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress on a daily basis,” the BCCI statement said.
Brief Scores: Australia 67 for 7 (Alex Carey 19 not out, Jasprit Bumrah 4-17, Mohammed Siraj 2-17) trail India 150 (Nitish Kumar Reddy 41, Rishabh Pant 37, Josh Hazlewood 4-29, Mitchell Marsh 2-12, Mitchell Starc 2-14) by 83 runs.
