On a dramatic day 1, captain Bumrah starred with a 4-wicket haul to leave Oz gasping for air as India fought fire with fire after being bowled out for 150; hosts reeling at 67/7
Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah showed ample evidence of the boundless passion in his heart and uncanny skill in his bowling bones as he tormented Australia with an early spell of 6-2-9-3. With the shadow of the stadium in Perth’s Optus Stadium, he even returned later on Day One to eliminate his number one opponent, Pat Cummins, to end the day with 4/17. This left the hosts reeling at 67/7. As many as 17 wickets fell there, on a surface that offered liberal layers and bounce.
It was after Bumrah himself had called the toss of electing to bat on a grassy field where India got bundled out for 150 in the stroke of tea. Josh Hazlewood (4/29) and Mitchell Starc (2/14) suffocated the Indian batters with line and length bowling and Mitchell Marsh showed that West Australian team-mate Cam Green’s injury absence will not affect the balance of the Australian team.
Scorecard: India vs Australia, 1st Test
‘The Bison’, as Marsh was nicknamed for his broad shoulders, trundled at post lunch to send back Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar to offer the legendary pace trio of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood a helping hand.
If the first two sessions were setbacks for the Indians, the last session was all about fighting, and Bumrah was able to. He dismissed debutant Nathan McSweeney LBW by bowling a fuller and successfully checked Richard Kettleborough’s no-decision.
After a few successful overs through the wicket to stubborn Aussie left-handed opener Usman Khawaja, Bumrah moved to round the stumps and opened Khawaja up to have an edging to Virat Kohli at second slip. Kohli, who had dropped Marnus Labuschagne off the second ball he faced the batter, made no mistake this time.
The next ball, Bumrah dismissed India’s perennial nemesis Steve Smith LBW when the batter indulged in the customary shuffle to meet the ball, but the 140.5 kmph thunderbolt seamed in clear, skidded and struck him plumb in front. Harshit Rana, who was one of the two Indian debutants joined by Nitish Kumar Reddy, then tormented India’s dream at the global event, Travis Head. Rana’s wobble seam delivery in the 130s high from round the stumps came in with an angle, hit the seam and moved 1.36 degrees away after pitching. The Chiefs don’t have a chance in hell playing that one, especially sans footwork.
Mohammed Siraj, bowling in better rhythm than he has shown in the last six weeks, also played a part, sending back Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne after the Queenslander’s 52-ball stay was just two. In terms of turnarounds in mood and fortune, this is as emphatic as it can get after the Indian batters once again floundered to be dismissed in 49.4 overs, giving a catch exercise to the man behind the stick.
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Nine of them were killed to catch at slip or ‘keeper. Starc first declared Yashasvi Jaiswal as the batter did what he was told not to do in Perth, drive it fast. He was caught by McSweeney in the gully. Devdutt Padikkal, who was roped in as a makeshift No. 3 to replace the injured Shubman Gill, was nicked off by the metronomic Josh Hazlewood for a 23-ball duck.
Virat Kohli came in with 2-14 and used an aggressive forward press technique with interception points earlier than all previous matches. But Hazlewood got one to lift it from long on to eat the Indian star for another single digit score.
The much-maligned and bullied KL Rahul ironically looked the best batter as he defended bravely and left with tact. Controversially caught behind for 26 off Starc dashed India’s hopes of going to lunch with just three down. Rishabh Pant (37) and Nitish Kumar Reddy counterattacked for an entertaining 48-run stand, with Pant’s falling scoop off Cummins over fine leg for six making it some of the highlights of the day’s batting dominated by bowlers.
Both were enterprising against offspinner Nathan Lyon, hit him out of attack. Cummins, though, dismissed two near tea. The Aussie skipper, however, will be disappointed as he made 67 off 15.4 on a pitch that gave him plenty of help.
He will also be annoyed at no longer appealing caught-behind from Reddy off Starc when the debutant is still new on the wicket, as the 41 can prove decisive in the Test that is low scoring and moving fast.
