First Blood India: Bumrah, Jaiswal, Rahul and Kohli dominate Perth
- Sanath Kadalayil
- Dec 2, 2024
- 2 min read
The Optus Stadium witnessed the absolute demolition of the home team, as India came back with a roar. Opting to bat first, India was put on the back foot early by Australia’s fiery pace duo, Josh Hazlewood (4/29) and Mitchell Starc (2/14). The Indian top order, barring KL Rahul’s patient 26, struggled to cope with the seam and swing on offer. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and Rishabh Pant (37) salvaged the innings with a gritty 48-run partnership, lifting India to 150. Despite their efforts, the total looked underwhelming against a world-class Australian line-up. Or so we thought
India’s bowling attack, led by the ever-reliable Jasprit Bumrah (5/30), turned the tables spectacularly. Bumrah’s lethal combination of inswingers and short-pitched deliveries rattled Australia, reducing them to 67/7 by stumps on Day 1. Mohammed Siraj (2/20) supported ably, exploiting the movement off the pitch. Australia eventually folded for 104, with Alex Carey (27) showing some resistance. This gave India a slender but crucial 46-run lead, and the visitors capitalized on the psychological advantage heading into their second innings.
India’s response with the bat in their second innings was nothing short of a masterclass in resilience and aggression. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played the innings of his burgeoning career, scoring an authoritative 161. His partnership of 172 runs with KL Rahul (77) laid a solid foundation. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 off 143 balls added the finishing touch, with India declaring at 487/6. This was Kohli’s first century in international cricket this calendar year, since the World Cup last year. Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with valuable contributions, ensuring Australia faced an imposing target of 534.
India’s emphatic win gives them a 1-0 lead in the four-match series, but the battle is far from over. The second Test at the Adelaide Oval presents a fresh challenge. Conditions in Adelaide are likely to favor batters more, giving Australia a chance to bounce back. But with their top order looking all out of sorts, it is up to the likes of Head, Marsh and Carey to provide runs for the Aussies. For India, the focus will be on sustaining their momentum. Rohit Sharma is expected to return, adding more firepower to an already in-form batting line-up, but his return, as well as Shubman Gill’s expected return, will mean that KL Rahul will be pushed down the order in spite of his good performance.
As the series progresses, the spotlight will remain on the battle between India’s batters and Australia’s batters—a contest that could ultimately decide the fate of the coveted trophy. This series will be won by who bats better.
