3 minute read
Stand-in India captain Jasprit Bumrah has produced a masterclass in Perth, taking five wickets to help bowl Australia out for 104.
Australia have been rocked by a Jasprit Bumrah fast-bowling masterclass in Perth, crashing to their lowest home Test total against India in 44 years.
The world's No.1-ranked Test team trail India by 46 runs in their first innings after being skittled for 104 on Saturday in the Border-Gavaskar series opener at Optus Stadium.
A courageous knock from pace ace Mitchell Starc allowed Australia to post some crucial lower-order runs to keep them in the match after they were reeling at 9-79.
Starc (26) batted for almost the entire first session on Saturday, sticking around to top score for Australia and face more balls - 112 - than any other batter in this Test.
It is the second most balls Starc has faced in an innings in his Test career - only behind the 144 when he hit 99 against India back in 2013.
The 34-year-old took a blow to the helmet, and the body, to help Australia reach triple figures.
After dismantling Australia's top order on Friday, Bumrah (5-30) removed keeper-batter Alex Carey (21) with his first delivery of day two.
Across eight Tests in Australia, Bumrah has taken 37 wickets at an average of 19.18.
It was his third five-wicket haul in Australia, and the 12th of his 41-Test career.
Carey has been the in-form batter in the Sheffield Shield this season, and produced a player-of-the-match unbeaten 98 in Australia's previous Test back in March against New Zealand.
Starc was left to battle it out with Nathan Lyon, but the veteran spinner could only add five before falling to debutant Harshit Rana (3-48).
The left-armer had predicted the pitch would only continue to misbehave after a whopping 17 wickets fell on day one.
After making 150, India bowled brilliantly in the final session on Friday to leave Australia reeling at 7-67 at stumps.
Bumrah was appointed stand-in captain for this match after veteran opener Rohit Sharma stayed home for the birth of his second child.
India arrived in Australia after suffering a historic 3-0 home whitewash against New Zealand and given little hope of defending the Border-Gavaskar trophy that they have held since 2017.
But Bumrah, who declared pre-game he thrived on responsibility, has proven himself a natural leader in the battle of fast-bowling captains up against Pat Cummins.
Australia's star pace trio will be hoping to extract even more out of the pitch than they did in the first-innings when Josh Hazlewood claimed four wickets.
India's only previous Test win in Perth came back in 2008 at the WACA Ground.
