India defeated Australia by a massive margin of 295 runs in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The first match of the series was played in Perth, where the visiting team was dismissed for 150 runs in their first innings. In response, the host team could only manage 104 runs, giving India a 46-run lead after the first innings.
In their second innings, India produced a stunning performance, scoring 487 runs for the loss of 6 wickets before declaring, setting Australia a daunting target of 534 runs. Australia’s batting line-up continued to struggle, and they were dismissed for just 238 runs in their second innings, allowing India to win by 295 runs.
Six Australian players failed to score double figures, with Travis Head being the standout performer, scoring 89 runs.
India’s captain, Jasprit Bumrah, was the star of the match, claiming 5 wickets in the first innings and 3 wickets in the second, taking a total of 8 wickets and being named Player of the Match. Mohammad Siraj took 5 wickets, and Harshit Rana claimed 4 wickets in the match. The second Test between the two teams will be played in Adelaide from December 6.
Bumrah, captaining the team in Rohit Sharma’s absence, had made the decision to bat first, which backfired as India was dismissed for 150 runs in the first innings. Australia’s Josh Hazlewood took 4 wickets, while Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Marsh took 2 wickets each.
Bumrah, with exceptional bowling, dismissed Australia for just 104 runs in their first innings. Surprisingly, 7 Australian players failed to reach double figures in their first innings. Bumrah took 5 wickets, Harshit Rana took 3, and Mohammad Siraj took 2 wickets.
After 17 wickets fell on the first day, three more Australian wickets fell on the second day. In their second innings, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul batted through to the end of the second day, adding 172 runs without losing a wicket.
Jaiswal not only completed his century but also played a brilliant knock of 161 runs before being dismissed. Rahul scored 77 runs before getting out.
In the first innings of the Perth Test, Virat Kohli was dismissed for just 5 runs, but in the second innings, he made a remarkable comeback, scoring a century off 143 balls. This not only restored his form but also placed India in a strong position against Australia. It was Kohli’s 30th century in Test cricket and his 7th on Australian soil, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 6 centuries in Australia.
In pursuit of 534 runs, Australia was in deep trouble by the end of day three, losing 3 wickets for just 12 runs. Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Nathan McSweeney failed in both innings.
In Australia’s second innings, Nathan McSweeney was out for a duck, Khawaja scored 4, Pat Cummins made 2, Labuschagne scored 3, Smith made 17, Travis Head top-scored with 89, Mitchell Marsh made 47, Alex Carey scored 36, Mitchell Starc made 12, and Nathan Lyon was dismissed for a duck.