Perth: India endured a challenging opening session on Day 1 of the first Test against Australia at Optus Stadium, limping to 51/4 at the lunch break on Friday.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood delivered exceptional spells, exploiting seam movement and bounce to dismantle India’s top order.
Electing to bat first, India’s innings began on a shaky note as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell in the third over for a duck. The left-hander attempted an expansive drive off a full delivery from Starc, only to edge it to gully. The dismissal left India reeling at 5/1 and set the tone for what would be a dominant session for Australia.
Devdutt Padikkal struggled to cope with the movement and was eventually dismissed for a 23-ball duck.
Hazlewood found the edge of Padikkal’s bat with a delivery that nipped away sharply, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey made no mistake.
Virat Kohli briefly looked to steady the innings but was undone by Hazlewood’s extra bounce. A delivery that climbed sharply off a short length caught Kohli off guard, inducing an edge that was comfortably taken by Usman Khawaja at first slip. Kohli departed for 5, leaving India in deeper trouble at 32/3.
KL Rahul, the only Indian batsman to show some resistance, added 26 runs off 74 balls before falling to a debatable decision. Mitchell Starc’s delivery seemed to graze Rahul’s bat, with the third umpire overturning the on-field call based on a spike detected on Snicko. However, the absence of a clear front-on replay left the dismissal open to debate, and Rahul walked off visibly disappointed.
Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel were unbeaten at the break, with scores of 10 and 4, respectively. Pant showed glimpses of aggression, including a paddle sweep off Nathan Lyon for four, while Jurel opened his Test account with a confident slice past gully for a boundary off Starc.
Starc and Hazlewood were the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets each. The Australian pacers maintained relentless pressure, capitalising on India’s indecision against the moving ball. Captain Pat Cummins also bowled a testing spell, beating Rahul’s bat on several occasions.
India’s struggles were compounded by loose shots and questionable technique against high-quality pace bowling. While the pitch offered consistent bounce and some movement, it was far from unplayable. The onus now lies on Pant and Jurel to rebuild the innings and prevent Australia from gaining a decisive advantage.
At lunch, the momentum firmly rested with Australia, whose disciplined approach in the field and incisive bowling had given them an excellent start to the series. The second session will be crucial for both teams, as India seeks to stabilise their innings while Australia aims to continue their dominance.
Brief Scores:
India 51/4 in 25 overs (KL Rahul 26, Rishabh Pant 10*; Mitchell Starc 2/10, Josh Hazlewood 2/10)
