New Delhi: Team India defeated Australia by 295 runs in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Monday. The Men in Blue registered their biggest win on Australian soil. Jasprit Bumrah took 8 wickets while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli notched up magnificent centuries. The visitors were without their key players but dominated the match completely.
India bundled out for 150 runs on the opening day after stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah opted to bat first. Nitish Reddy and Rishabh Pant scored crucial runs in the middle order for the team. Hazlewood picked up 4 wickets while Cummins, Marsh and Starc also took wickets each.
Indian bowlers did an exceptional job and dismissed the hosts for 104 runs in the first innings. Bumrah led the team from the front and picked up his 11th fifer in Test cricket while debutant Harshit Rana took three wickets and Siraj also picked up two wickets. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal forged a 201-run partnership for the first wicket to give India a sensational start in the second innings.
Mitchell Starc removed KL Rahul on 77 runs while Yashasvi Jaiswal scored his first Test century on Australian soil. Virat Kohli also notched up his 30th Test hundred after 16 months as the Men in Blue set 534 runs target for Pat Cummins and co.
Siraj and Bumrah removed McSweeney, Cummins and Labuschagne in the last session of day 3 to put the hosts on backfoot. Indian pacers picked up quick wickets at the start of day 4. Marsh and Head batted brilliantly and gave Australia some hope but Bumrah and Nitish Reddy dismissed both batters while the lower-order also failed to score runs as India won the match by a huge margin of 295 runs to regain the first position in the World Test Championship (WTC) table.
Five heroes from India’s 295-run win
1. Jasprit Bumrah
The Indian captain led the team from the front and picked up 8 wickets in the match. After getting all out for 150 runs in the first innings, Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul as Australia bundled out for 104 runs in the first innings. He also took three crucial wickets in the second innings.
2. Virat Kohli
Hazlewood removed Kohli on five runs in the first innings but the star Indian batter ended his poor run in Test cricket with a stunning 81st international century. He looked confident with the bat and played some sensational shots on a tricky Perth wicket. His form will be crucial for the Men in Blue if they want to secure a spot in the WTC final.
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Mitchell Starc dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal on a duck in the first innings. He struggled to score runs on the fast Perth pitch and edged a ball to the second slip. But he made an amazing comeback in the second innings and notched up his first Test century on Australian soil, his fourth overall. He scored 161 runs off 297 deliveries, his remarkable knock was laced with 15 boundaries and three maximums.
4. KL Rahul
KL Rahul faced a lot of criticism from fans and former cricketers but he showed great determination in the opening Test and played important knocks in both innings. In the first innings, he scored 26 runs off 74 balls and was removed by Starc. Rahul amassed 77 runs in the second innings and also stitched a 201-run massive partnership with Jaiswal.
5. Nitish Reddy/Harshit Rana
Debutants Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy performed exceptionally well in the Perth Test. Harshit picked up 4 wickets in the match while Nitish scored 41 runs and helped India to reach the 150-run mark in the first innings. He scored quick 38 runs off 27 balls in the second innings and also took one wicket.
Team India beat Australia by 295 runs in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Monday. Here’s a look at the top 5 heroes from India’s big win. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
