IND vs AUS: A hectic day of breathless cricketing action from the Optus Stadium in Perth. Settled scores between Indian and Australian pacers on the quick and supportive Western Australian tracks.
India is much of a changed side for the first test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with a new skipper and the absence of their vastly experienced batters Rohit and Gill. Unsuitable playing conditions ruled out two other experienced men, Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, off the playing 11 as India stepped in with a fairly inexperienced squad.
However, when the skipper opted to bat first and the comparatively experienced top-order batters KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were dismissed early, it was this newly included debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy alongside Pant who gave the Indian innings some solidarity they needed.
India could manage a respectable 150 in their first inning in the tough batting conditions, all thanks to the helping hands of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rishabh Pant. Starc, Cummins, and Marsh picked 2-wickets each, while Hazelwood remained the pick among the bowlers with 4-wickets to his name.
Hell breaks loose for Aussies at Perth—Bumrah and Co. break the back of the Australian batting order
Danger looms over Australia since they are still to evade the lowest score ever made by Australia in tests against India. Australia ended Day 1 struggling at 67/7, with Alex Carey the no. 7 batting alongside Mitchell Starc the no. 9.
Jasprit Bumrah shared the new ball alongside DSP Siraj for the Indian team, as the skipper turned the tables for India with three vital wickets upfront. Debutant McSweeney, Khawaja, and veteran batter Steve Smith for a golden duck were dismissed by Bumrah in his first spell.
While Harshit Rana picked his maiden international wicket in the form of Travis Head, Australia’s most inform batter. Siraj added a cherry on top with the wickets of Marsh and Labushcagne, who seemed like a wall to the Aussie innings with his defensive work rate.
Bumrah’s final wicket in his third spell included Pat Cummins, which left Australia strangling with 7 wickets down on Day 1. A terrific outing for bowlers, as 17 wickets were picked on Day 1, all by pacers.
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