Australia’s red-hot pace attack delivered a dominant performance on the opening day of the first Test against India in Perth, dismissing the visitors for just 150 by tea. Australia’s bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (4-29), wreaked havoc on India’s batting lineup, with contributions from Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, and Pat Cummins, who each claimed two wickets.
After India’s captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss, Australia’s bowlers took control early, with India struggling due to injuries and a weakened lineup. Rohit Sharma‘s absence, following the birth of his child, and the injury to Shubman Gill, combined with the dropping of veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, left India vulnerable.
Also Read: Australia Reveals Squad for T20I Series Against Pakistan
The Indian batting order crumbled quickly after the lunch break, with Virat Kohli (5), Devdutt Padikkal (0), and KL Rahul (26) all falling cheaply. Pant (37) and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) fought back briefly, with Pant leading a mini-recovery. However, Pat Cummins dismissed Pant, and Hazlewood finished off the tail, removing Harshit Rana (7) and Bumrah (8).
India lost six wickets in the middle session, leaving them reeling at 73-6. Despite a late resistance from Pant and Reddy, Australia’s pace bowlers maintained their dominance throughout the day.
Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) was dismissed in the third over by Starc, and Padikkal survived a tense spell before falling to Hazlewood. Kohli also failed to make an impact, dismissed cheaply by Hazlewood.
The Indian batting lineup struggled against Australia’s aggressive pace attack, with Pant, Reddy, and a few others providing some resistance, but they were unable to prevent a collapse. India now faces a tough challenge as Australia seeks to capitalize on this dominant position.
India’s batting woes were further exacerbated by the absence of key players and their failure to build significant partnerships. Australia will look to push for a big first-innings lead as the series progresses.
