Perth: Fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood took 4-29 off 13 overs, while the rest of the fast-bowlers took two wickets each as Australia bundled out India for just 150 at tea on day one of the first Test at Perth Stadium on Friday.
Electing to bat first, Australia were relentless with their lines and lengths to put good pressure on India, and were helped by good movement and bounce on the pitch. India had little to show about their batting performance, as nine batters were caught behind the wicket.
Only KL Rahul (26), Rishabh Pant (37) and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) were able to make sizeable contributions for India after electing to bat first. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal got a big fat edge on an uppish drive off Starc and gave a regulation catch to debutant Nathan McSweeney at gully to fall for an eight-ball duck.
Rahul was tested hugely by fast bowlers, especially with Mitchell Starc asking relentless questions on his outside edge and Pat Cummins joining in the exam later on, but he continued to be watchful of anything outside off-stump.
From the other end, Devdutt Padikkal struggled to break free, as Starc kept testing his outside edge, followed by Hazlewood rapping him on the pad, thigh and targeting the armpit with a short ball. Padikkal’s uncomfortable stay ended in a 23-ball duck when he defended off a length ball from Hazlewood, which just nipped away to take the outside edge to the keeper.
India got its first boundary when Rahul tried to get away from a shorter ball by Cummins and took the edge to fly over the slip cordon for four. An unconvincing Virat Kohli, standing outside the crease and being overly eager to play on the front foot, was beaten on both edges by Hazlewood.
The pacer eventually had the last laugh as he got extra bounce on an outside off-stump delivery and found Kohli’s outside edge, which was caught by first slip. Rahul grew in confidence to hit two off-side boundaries, but was given out on 26 when caught behind while trying to defend off a length ball from Starc.
Australia got the decision on Rahul in their favour, but replays showed two noises and more crucially, the third umpire Richard Kettleborough wasn’t provided with a front-on angle from the offside, bringing in the question if there was enough conclusive evidence to give the batter out. Rahul’s fall ensured that Australia won the first session easily, thanks to the relentlessness of Starc and Hazlewood.
Australia began the post-lunch session with further success as Mitchell Marsh drew Dhruv Jurel forward and forced him to push with hard hands, as the outside edge was caught safely by third slip. He followed it up by having Washington Sundar poke away from the body and was caught behind, leaving India at 73/6.
In between this, Pant threw the kitchen sink at Cummins and got a flying four over the slip cordon, followed by hammering Marsh through mid-off for another boundary. From the other end, Nitish shined by playing an inside-out drive off Nathan Lyon on four, and followed it up by cover-driving him.
Nitish stunned everyone by playing two magnificent reverse sweep off Lyon going behind backward point for boundaries. On the other hand, Pant was given life at 25 when Cummins dropped a chance off his miscued shot and left everyone jaw-dropped with the falling sweep going over fine leg for six.
India’s counter-punch continued when Nitish brought out a crisp straight drive back past Hazlewood for four, but the partnership for the seventh wicket ended at 48 runs when Pant looked to flick off Cummins and the fuller scrambled delivery took a thick leading edge to second slip.
Despite losing Harshit Rana, as the third slip took a catch off a diving gully’s deflection off Hazlewood, and Jasprit Bumrah, who nicked behind off the pacer, Nitish continued to impress by upper-cutting and driving Cummins for six and four respectively before a top-edge on his pull was caught by mid-wicket.
Brief scores: India 150 in 49.4 overs (Nitish Kumar Reddy 41, Rishabh Pant 37; Josh Hazlewood 4-29, Mitchell Marsh 2-12) against Australia.
–IANS
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