[Watch] Mitchell Starc dismisses R Ashwin with a swinging yorker in BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Australia speedster Mitchell Starc has bulldozed India with a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the ongoing day-night Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Adelaide on Friday, December 6. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became his fourth victim, dismissed after a quickfire 22-run knock, while Harshit Rana was his fifth of the innings.
Starc has been on song from the start, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first ball of the Test. He then got the better of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli to haunt the visiting side, as India lost the plot after a good 69-run stand between Rahul and Shubman Gill for the second wicket.
After losing wickets in a cluster, the visitors found solace when Nitish Reddy paired with Ashwin to stretch India's total as far as possible. Starc once again turned out to be the partnership breaker, this time getting the batter of Ashwin.
It was an inswinging yorker from the left-arm pacer that pitched on the middle stump. Ravichandran Ashwin was undone by the pace and the ball struck on his pads in front of the wicket. The umpire didn't waste any time in raising his fingers but the veteran spinner decided to review the decision.
The replays showed no bat was involved and the ball would have hit the stumps, and Ashwin made the long walk back to the dressing room.
Watch the clip here:
Mitchell Starc continued his blistering form, cleaning up Harshit Rana next with a cracking delivery to complete his five-wicket haul. At the time of writing, India were placed at 153/8 with Nitish Reddy and Jasprit Bumrah in the middle.
Ravichandran Ashwin was not part of India's playing XI for the Perth Test
One of the best spinners to play the game, Ravichandran Ashwin has always struggled to find a place in India's playing XIs in SENA countries. The Indian team management opted to go with Washington Sundar ahead of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Perth.
Sundar had a decent outing in Perth, picking up two wickets and scoring 33 runs across two innings. However, the management decided to bring back Ashwin for the ongoing Test at the Adelaide Oval to use his experience with the pink ball.