AFP, PERTH, Australia
India yesterday roared back into the first Test against Australia after being skittled for 150, taking seven wickets in the final session to put themselves in the box seat after a riveting opening day in Perth.
At the close the hosts were in disarray on 67-7 after Jasprit Bumrah demolished the Australia top order in a devastating spell to end the day with 4-17.
Alex Carey was unbeaten on 19 and Mitchell Starc was on 6 not out at stumps.
Australia’s Steve Smith reacts as India appeal for LBW on day 1 of the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, yesterday.
Photo: AFP
After opting to bat the visitors were blown away for 150, no match for the hosts’ lethal pace attack with Josh Hazlewood taking 4-29.
Impressive debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and flamboyant Rishabh Pant (37) showed some spirit, but once again superstar Virat Kohli flopped, out for 5.
The 36-year-old has only scored two Test centuries in the past five years, with questions mounting over whether he still warrants selection.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood bowls on day 1 of the first Test against India in Perth, Australia, yesterday.
Photo: AP
However, Australia fared no better in reply.
Captain Bumrah removed rookie opener Nathan McSweeney LBW for 10, another headache for a team struggling to find a decent replacement for the retired David Warner.
Marnus Labuschagne had a massive let-off two balls later, with Kohli putting down a sitter in the slips, leaving Bumrah with his head in his hands.
However, India quickly snared another breakthrough with Kohli this time holding the catch off Bumrah to remove Usman Khawaja (8), and when Steve Smith was trapped LBW off the next ball, it was game on.
Harshit Rana bowled Travis Head (11) for a maiden Test wicket before Mitchell Marsh departed for 5.
Labuschagne rode his luck for 52 deliveries to eke out two runs before he, too, was on his way, LBW to Siraj, then Bumrah returned to dismiss skipper Pat Cummins for 3.
The absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma following the birth of a child and injured No. 3 Shubman Gill left India with a fragile batting lineup.
Yashasvi Jaiswal left without scoring in the third over, edging an attempted drive off Starc to McSweeney, who did well to collect low at gully.
With Gill missing, left-hander Devdutt Padikkal came in at three, facing 23 deliveries without scoring before his luck ran out when Hazlewood steamed in and enticed an edge taken by wicketkeeper Carey.
That brought Kohli to the crease, in dire need of a big score.
Despite a stellar record in Australia he lasted just 12 balls before fending off a climbing Hazlewood thunderbolt that took an edge to Khawaja at slip.
India’s woes worsened when opener Rahul (26) feathered to Carey on the cusp of lunch.
Pant and Dhruv Jurel needed to hang around after the break, but Jurel, preferred to Sarfaraz, survived barely 10 minutes before succumbing to Marsh on 11, getting an edge that carried to Labuschagne at third slip.
Marsh struck again to account for Washington Sundar to leave the visitors staring down the barrel on 73-6 before Pant and Reddy led a mini recovery.
Cummins ended Pant’s exploits, taken sharply at slip by Smith, which signaled India’s demise.
The visitors have won their past two Border-Gavaskar trophy series in Australia.
Perth is the first of five Tests in the series.
