In the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India defeated Australia by 295 runs at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧. 𝗔. 𝗪𝗜𝗡! 👏 👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2024
A dominating performance by #TeamIndia to seal a 295-run victory in Perth to take a 1-0 lead in the series! 💪 💪
This is India's biggest Test win (by runs) in Australia. 🔝
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/gTqS3UPruo#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Kx0Hv79dOU
India won the toss and decided to bat first. One may argue that this was a bold approach, but captain Jasprit Bumrah felt confident in his decision. The visitors struggled with the bat, with only KL Rahul (26), Rishabh Pant (37), Nitish Reddy (41) and Dhruv Jurel (11) scoring in double figures. The unit was bundled for just 150, and it appeared that the horrors of the New Zealand series had continued in Perth.
Josh Hazelwood had a massive role to play in bundling India for a low score, as he plucked four wickets. Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, and Pat Cummins also grabbed two wickets each.
The green top pitch also made it difficult for the Aussies, as they got all out for just 104 runs. Starc (26) was the top scorer, followed by Alex Carey (21) and Travis Head (11).
Bumrah was the star for the unit as he clinched a fifer and just gave away 30 runs in 18 overs. In the truest sense, Bumrah displayed exceptional character, which served as a key motivator for the team to pursue the win. While three wickets were also taken by Harshit Rana, two wickets were also picked up by Mohammed Siraj.
On Day 2, the pitch completely changed but on top of that, even the Indian batters showed positive intent. The innings started slow against the new ball but eventually, Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) and KL Rahul (77) got clarity and began scoring all around the park. Jaiswal, who smashed a scintillating hundred, was more confident with shot-making, as he hit 15 fours and three sixes. On the other hand, KL Rahul also handled the strike well, with five fours to his name. Both batters added 201 runs together, making a record for the most highest partnership for the first wicket. Devdutt Padikkal (25) also contributed a few runs, but it was the legendary Virat Kohli (100*) who carried the momentum ahead. Kohli hammered his 81st century and that too at a top strike rate of 69.93. Notably, Washington Sundar (29) and Nitish Reddy (38*) also played a handy knock, which helped India reach a massive score of 487/6d.
The mighty Aussies looked helpless with the ball, as they never looked in command in the second innings. Nathon Lyon got two wickets, and the likes of Starc, Hazelwood, Cummins, and Marsh also took one wicket each, but the team focused on getting a declaration call from the Indian dressing room rather than racking up ten wickets.
Playing the last few balls on Day 3, the home team got once again terrorised by Bumrah, due to which they lost three wickets before the stumps. Travis Head (89) was the top performer, as he batted at a strike rate of 88 but couldn’t bat as long as fans would have hoped. Marsh (47), and Carey (36) were the other two top scorers.
While defending a humongous total of 533, skipper Bumrah yet again managed to grab three wickets from a difficult end. With him, Siraj also took three wickets, while two wickets were claimed by Sundar and one each by Rana and Reddy.
Bumrah was awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling show. With this result, India now lead the five-match series 1-0
Led from the front ✅
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2024
Shone bright with the ball 🌟
Won Player of the Match Award 🙌
Jasprit Bumrah was on an absolute roll in Perth 👏 👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/gTqS3UPruo#TeamIndia | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Bax8yyXjQS
Scorecard:
India: 150/10, Overs 49.5, Nitish Reddy 41, Josh Hazelwood 4/29
Australia: 104/10, Overs 51.2, Mitchell Starc 26, Jasprit Bumrah 5/30
India: 487/6d, Overs 134.3, Yashasvi Jaiswal 161, Nathon Lyon 2/96
Australia: 238/10, Overs 58.4, Travis Head 89, Jasprit Bumrah 3/42