AUS vs IND 2024/25, AUS vs IND first test match report, 22 – 26 November 2024

Australia Trail 67 for 7 (Carey 19*, Bumrah 4-17, Siraj 2-17) India 150 (Reddy 41, Pant 37, Hazlewood 4-29, Marsh 2-12, Starc 2-14) by 83 runs

He claimed debutant Nathan McSweeney for 10 in the third over before dismissing Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith with consecutive balls in the seventh over to turn a quick first Test on its head.

In just his second red-ball match to open the batting, McSweeney faced a baptism of fire and initially judged the length well before Bumrah adjusted to a longer length and caught him on the pads. Smith’s switch back to his favorite number 4 didn’t start well after he went over his stumps and was caught by a bad Bumrah delivery that came back by a mile.

After a slow start to the season, Labuschagne had a torturous spell. He was dropped by Virat Kohli at second slip after he edged Bumrah and did not score in the first 24 deliveries faced. He received fake applause from the terraces when he finally broke his drought but Labuschagne could never get going and made 2 balls from 52 balls.

Bumrah wasn’t done, returning to the shadows to dismiss Pat Cummins as Australia limped to 67 for 7.

It was a remarkable comeback after India were bowled out for 150 in just 49.4 overs. Nine of the Indian batsmen were caught behind the wicket in a dismissal pattern that has been common in Perth over the years at Optus Stadium and the nearby WACA ground.

After India sensationally dismissed veteran spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah elected to bat after winning the toss. With skies overcast above a green-tinged surface, it was no doubt an agonizing decision, but the strike appeared the logical first move with the pitch expected to deteriorate amid warmer weather later in the match.

With the unseasonably wet weather ahead of the match, there was particular intrigue as to how the pitch would perform. There was movement and bounce, but perhaps not the minefield the scoreboard indicates.

India’s top order was all at sea against superb new-ball bowling from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who claimed all four wickets in the first session. Starc, in particular, was outstanding for setting the tone for an Australian pace attack that strangled India.

After overcoming injury problems last summer, Starc went into the season and fired. He has continued his strong form with fast bowling and proof, particularly troubling left-handers with an immaculate line and away swing.

Apparently trying to start the series in the same way as the Ashes series in 2021-22, Starc’s first delivery was an anti-climax and missed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s leg and flew to the boundary.

He was on target after that and his accuracy overwhelmed Jaiswal, who on the eighth delivery, while trying to score the first runs in Australia, drove up and past McSweeney at gully.

With the bat well in front of his body, it was a stray shot that had echoes of a nasty dismissal for Pakistan captain Shan Masood in last year’s Perth Test.

With captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill unavailable, Devdutt Padikkal got an unexpected opportunity at No.3 after impressing recently in India A matches. But he was totally handcuffed by the quick and failed to score the first 22 deliveries he faced . The pressure proved too much with Padikkal on the next ball edging Hazlewood behind with a slanted bat trying to defend to the covers.

All eyes were on Kohli, who received a healthy round of applause from the 31,302 crowd, although the Indian fans on the terraces were vastly outnumbered in a rare sight.

India desperately needed their long-time talisman to shrug off a collapse on a pitch where he scored a brilliant century in the 2018-19 series. Kohli batted well outside the crease in a well-worn strategy he had successfully implemented earlier in Australia.

But Hazlewood, who has been very successful against Kohli over the years, adjusted and bowled a back length. Kohli on 5 could only fend off a lifting Hazlewood delivery that landed straight at first slip.

After lunch, Marsh successfully returned to bowling with the wickets of Dhruv Jurel, who had been selected following his performances for India, and Washington Sundar.

Marsh had bowled just four bow-overs since tearing his hamstring in the IPL. But he ran strongly and finished with 2-12 from 5 overs in a boost for an attack without all-rounder Cameron Green, who will miss the entire series with a back injury.

Pant was typically adventurous marked by an audacious first six off a full delivery from Cummins, while Reddy combined orthodox drills with sweeps at the paddles to thwart off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

But both couldn’t get going as India were dismissed by tea. In his first red-ball match since the New Zealand Tests in March, Cummins looked a little thin and failed to find a consistent length as he finished with 2-67 from 15.4 overs.

He dismissed Pant and Reddy and left the field very happy with Australia’s performance. But Cummins’ mood deteriorated rapidly and just over two hours later he limped off the field after being dismissed by the opposite number.