3 top takeaways from Day 1 of 1st IND vs AUS BGT 2024-25 Test ft. impressive debutants
The opening day of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday, November 22, lived up to all the hype as both India and Australia wrestled for the upper hand. Batting first after winning the toss, the visitors managed only 150, getting bowled out in under 50 overs.
In response, the Aussies were reduced to 67-7 in 27 overs by stumps on Day 1 of the Perth Test. The hosts are trailing India by 83 runs, with three first-innings wickets remaining. At the close of play, Australian keeper-batter Alex Carey was batting on 19 and Mitchell Starc on six.
With 17 wickets falling on an action-packed opening day in Perth, both teams will look to seize the advantage on Saturday. On that note, let's take a look at three big takeaways from Day 1 of the first 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test.
#1 'Captain' Jasprit Bumrah shows the way after India's disastrous batting effort
After India were rolled over for 150, there was a sense of deja vu as fans would have feared a repeat of what happened during the home series against New Zealand. Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah, captaining the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, however, came up with an exceptional bowling effort to lead India's fightback. As a result, the visitors went to stumps in a rather upbeat mood.
The right-arm pacer was on the money from the word go. He trapped Australian debutant Nathan McSweeney (10) leg before with one that seamed in with the angle. Bumrah then proved too good for Usman Khawaja (8) and Steve Smith (0) as well. But for Virat Kohli dropping a regulation chance at slip, the Indian skipper would have had Marnus Labuschagne's scalp as well.
With his fiery bowling effort of 4-17 in 10 overs, Bumrah has ensured that India are alive and kicking in the Perth Test. It wouldn't be wrong to say that his superb opening spell was the most significant performance of the first day's play. Had Australia got off to a solid start, India's shoulders would have started dropping. Bumrah's spell has now given Team India a chance of taking the first-innings lead.
#2 Both of Team India's debutants make an impact
On expected lines, there was plenty of debate over India's decision to hand debuts to all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Harshit Rana. It's too early to conclude whether the move was a good or bad one. However, on Day 1 of the Perth Test, both of the visitors' debutants managed to make a decent impact.
Reddy enjoyed some luck. He would have been out caught behind early in his innings had Australia taken the DRS. To his credit, the 21-year-old showed impressive resolve under immense pressure. He came into bat with India in complete strife at 73-6 and featured in a crucial seventh-wicket stand of 48 with keeper-batter Rishabh Pant (37).
What stood out about Reddy's knock was the positive intent with which he batted. Of course, the fact that the ball got softer aided his cause, but it was a promising knock without a doubt. Reddy ended up being India's top run-scorer in the innings, hitting six fours and a six in his 41 off 59 balls.
As for Rana, he proved to be a good ally to senior pacers Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Although the young right-arm pacer did show his inexperience by bowling a few loose deliveries, he picked up the massive wicket of Travis Head (11), a batter who has troubled India a lot in the recent past. And Rana got the scalp, his first Test wicket, with a beauty that beat the Aussie left-hander all ends up.
#3 Both India and Australia look extremely vulnerable in the batting department
Seventeen wickets falling in a day indicates that the Perth strip had plenty in it for bowlers on Day 1. At the same time, it also hints towards the fact that the batting line-up of both teams is extremely vulnerable in its current shape.
In the build-up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, plenty of talk was centered around India's batting collapses at home against New Zealand. And while their frailties were on display on the opening day in Perth, it is equally true that Australia's batters are also struggling. Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith have all been short of runs in 2024.
One day of play is a very small sample size to draw any sort of conclusion. But if another couple of wicket-heavy days follow, one might be forced to assume that the onus will be on the bowlers of the two sides to make the defining impact.