India breach Perth fortress, outclass Australia

Jasprit Bumrah's India hammered Pat Cummins's Australia at its Optus fortress, handing them their first-ever defeat at the venue with a 295-run win in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After setting a mammoth 534-run target, India bowled Australia out for 238 today to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was leading the Indian team in the match in the absence of Rohit Sharma, picked up three wickets in the second innings, and three Aussie batters were sent back to the pavilion by Mohammed Siraj as well.

The hosts started the fourth day’s play at the score of 12 for 3, but in the second over itself, they lost Usman Khawaja’s wicket. Siraj sent back the left-handed opening batter to the pavilion for 4 runs from 13 balls. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head tried to build a partnership and keep the Baggy Greens in the match, but their efforts went in vain, and after they were sent back to the pavilion, Indian bowlers didn’t take much time to seal the deal.

The win in Perth is only the second time in history that India has managed to win the first Test of the series played in Australia. The Optus Stadium in Perth was a happy hunting ground for the Australian team in Test cricket, and they came into the match with a 100% win record. But Bumrah and boys kept the Aussies at bay and became the first team in the world to win a Test match at Optus Stadium.

The second Test of the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a day-night game, and it will be played from December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval with the pink ball. In the last pink ball Test match played between India and Australia at the same venue in December 2020, the Aussies dismissed India for just 36 runs in the second innings.

India will be desperate to settle the score this time around and beat Australia for the second match in a row to boost the hopes of winning the third straight Test series in Australia.