Australia’s pace attack, spearheaded by Josh Hazlewood, decimated India’s batting lineup, dismissing the visitors for 150 on day one of the opening Border-Gavaskar Test in Perth. Hazlewood’s exceptional spell of 4-29, along with support from Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, and Pat Cummins who claimed two wickets each, left India reeling.
After Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and opted to bat, India’s innings faltered early, with key wickets falling before lunch. Virat Kohli, struggling for form, was dismissed for just 5, continuing his lean patch in Test cricket. Rishabh Pant (37) and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) showed some resilience, but they couldn’t prevent the collapse, as Hazlewood and company ripped through India’s middle and lower order.
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India’s top order crumbled under the relentless Australian pace, with Yashasvi Jaiswal departing without scoring and KL Rahul (26) also falling before India could settle. The absence of experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, coupled with the decision to drop Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan, left India with a fragile batting lineup, which Australia’s pacers ruthlessly exploited.
The series opener in Perth is the first of five Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with India looking to retain the trophy after winning the last two series in Australia. However, they now face an uphill battle after being bowled out cheaply on the first day.
