17 dismissals in Perth on Friday was the most on an opening day in a Test match in Australia in 72 years
IND vs AUS: Despite the persisting questions over the team composition and an underwhelming batting display in the morning, Jasprit Bumrah and India made the hosts hop and scramble as 17 wickets fell on day 1 of the opening Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
India traded 10 for 150, and Australia’s loss of seven wickets within the next 27 overs capped off a frantic batting day.
The 17 wickets were the most seen on Australian shores on the opening day of a Test match in over 72 years since January 1952. Only six other days in Test cricket have seen more wickets on Day 1 in Australia, occurring between 1888 and 1952.
Led by Jasprit Bumrah’s spellbinding presence (4/17) and nagging support from Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj, India pushed Australia down to an unpleasant territory, one they have only been to once in the previous 231 team innings this century.
India dislodged seven Australian batters for only 59, making it the joint-lowest score at which Australia lost as many wickets at home since 2001.
Only South Africa had produced a similar result with the ball this century, having reduced Australia to 59/7 before bowling them out for 85 at Hobart in 2016.
Australia No. 4 Steve Smith was trapped for a golden duck by Bumrah, making it only the second such instance of his prolific 196-innings career.
Smith’s first golden duck occurred in his 36th Test innings in 2014, with a menacing Dale Steyn dismissing him leg-before, like Bumrah, at Port Elizabeth.
Marnus Labuschagne could not make most of his fortunes for once after being dropped by Virat Kohli on 0 on the second ball of his innings. Labuschagne played out 50 more deliveries but with nominal leeway, adding only two runs in his vigil.
Labuschagne’s knock was the slowest innings ever by an Australian batter, for a minimum of 50 deliveries faced in a Test innings. In fact, no top-order batter has ever played an innings quite like what the 30-year-old at Perth on Friday. Labuschagne’s 3.84 strike rate is the lowest for any batter in the top 6 who has managed to score at least two runs in a Test innings.
The Optus has generally been Labuschagne’s favourite home batting track, having scored 521 runs with three hundreds and a 100-plus average in six previous innings. Another highlight of a rare bowling spectacle on an opening day Down Under.