PERTH: The batting woes of India continued as the visitors stumbled to 51/4 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Australia in Perth. Opting to bat after stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the toss, India’s top order failed to counter Australia’s formidable pace attack on a lively Optus Stadium pitch.
Australia’s bowlers capitalized on early movement, with Mitchell Starc (2-10) and Josh Hazlewood (2-10) dismantling India’s batting lineup. Virat Kohli’s struggles in Tests persisted as the former captain fell for just five runs, top-edging a Hazlewood delivery to Usman Khawaja at slip. Kohli, batting out of his crease in an attempt to negate swing, managed only 12 balls before his dismissal, continuing a lean patch where he has averaged below 32 in Tests since 2020.
Opener KL Rahul showed resistance with a gritty 26 but was dismissed in controversial fashion just before lunch. Initially given not out, Rahul’s dismissal was overturned on review, with a Snicko spike suggesting an edge. Rahul, visibly unhappy, argued that the noise came from his bat brushing the pad, a view echoed by Australian commentators, including Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist.
India’s innings began disastrously with highly-rated opener Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed for a duck, edging a Starc delivery to debutant Nathan McSweeney at gully. McSweeney, Australia’s 467th Test cricketer, took an impressive catch on his debut, having been presented his Baggy Green by former coach Darren Lehmann earlier in the day.
Shubman Gill’s replacement, Devdutt Padikkal, endured a forgettable outing, surviving 23 balls for a scoreless knock before falling to Hazlewood. Rishabh Pant (10 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (4 not out) were at the crease at the break, tasked with rescuing the innings in the second session.
India’s surprising decision to drop seasoned allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin in favor of debutants Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana raised eyebrows. Jadeja, who took a 10-wicket haul in India’s previous Test, has been a consistent thorn in Australia’s side, while Ashwin’s absence leaves India without a proven spinner.
Australia’s debutant McSweeney will open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja, despite lacking experience as an opener at Sheffield Shield level. With a shaky start to the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series, India faces an uphill battle to recover against a fired-up Australian side.
