The opening day of the Test match played between the nations of India and Australia has easily resembled a roller coaster ride for the Australian batting unit, who have been at the receiving end of some very good, disciplined and determined bowling from India. However, as time has gone on, it has become clear that the Australian batsmen have failed to cope with the situation, putting their side in a very dangerous place at the end of Day 1. By the end of Day 1, Australia found themselves at a woeful position of 67 for the loss of 7 wickets, with an entire day’s work to be done in order to prevent further loss. In the same breath, India’s batting was no less entertaining, consisting of early wickets yet at points fierce determination as well.
India’s Batting Collapse: A Rocky Start
In the beginning of the match, much was expected of India by their fans and to an extent the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul did not disappoint. In the domestic circuit, he showed enough promise to earn him a spot in the squad’s roster. However, that could not be said for long. Mitchell Starc bowled him out for a duck in only the second over of the innings. The ball pitched in but swung into Jaiswal who was still unable to play it and directed a thin edge to Alex Carey, the wicked keeper. India was on immediately on the back foot even as Jaiswal’s fall put a dent on the Indian top order.
.jpeg&w=1200&q=75)
Even their second opener, KL Rahul, went down in a quick succession. Mostly regarded for his sound technique, Rahul succumbed to pressure and edged behind to Carey off the next delivery by Starc after scoring 26 runs. All this while, Rahul’s innings was most steady, which actually worked against him owing to the attendant pressure that was being exerted by the Australians bowlers. 3 fours were hit in that innings, yet his batting was so unconvincing that his strike rate was a mere 35.13.
Middle Order Sags Under Australian Pressure
As India’s efforts to gather pace continued to be thwarted, the middle order came increasingly under the pump. Devdutt Padikkal, an individual who has always represented India ably in all forms of cricket, was out without scoring a run. With a ball that took an edge from Padikkal, back to the pavilion went the left-hander caught by Carey, off the impressive Josh Hazlewood who was very accurate in his crisp line and length. This wicket brought in the crease, another Indian talent in the batting department, Virat Kohli. He however, also was out of touch and made only 5 runs before Hazlewood again took his wicket, caught by Khawaja in the slips.
At this stage, India was able to crawl their way at 32 for 4 with the bat and the Australian bowlers were all over them. The early collapse though creased a void that required someone to plug in and ensure the innings does not fall apart. Rishabh Pant a wicket keeper batsman in the Indian team, took this opportunity and delivered an innings that showed his ability to counter attack in the face of danger. Out of the 78 balls he faced, Pant scored 37 runs including 3 fours and a six. Despite having a rather poor strike rate of 47.43, he was still able to focus and keep calm during the pandemonium that had broken out around him.
Nevertheless, Pant’s developments were able to tip the balance narrowly. Pat Cummins sent him packing as he took a simple catch at first slip, and India was left at 59 for 5. Another middle order batsman weaker than the top order had also been removed from play, but there was still some fight left in India’s lower order.
Lower Order Resistance: Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar
Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar continued to take the score along as lower order batsmen. Jurel’s 11 runs 20 balls two fours innings was a consolation score for India, who were all but nine wickets down at that moment trying to stage a fight back. But then came a delivery from Mitchell Marsh that struck him plumb in front and Jurel had no option but to walk back to the pavilion.
The all-round Washington Sundar could do little better. He scored only 4 off 15 balls and fell to Marsh as well. At this point, India’s innings was on the verge of collapse. With the score reading 73 for 7, it looked like Indian batting would indeed come a cropper.
The Tail Fails to Rescue India: Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj
Next in line was Harshit Rana, a lower order batsman with an aggressive impulse, who did not live up to expectations. He managed to score only 7 runs as he was caught behind off the bowling of Hazlewood. Just like any other wicket, seamers were able to force a fall of wickets as Rana’s wicket was a common one in the Indian innings—a batting collapse brought about by the Australian bowlers’ all-time pressure.
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s captain, and one of the best fast-bowlers in the world scored a quick 8 runs in no time striking a six in the process. However, it was Hazlewood who gave him his marching orders which effectively ended any chance of India extending its innings further. Having seen Bumrah walk back, only Mohammed Siraj was left to fight the battle and the tail-end resistance was short lived.
As wicket of Nitish Kumar Reddy fell at 41 runs, the Indian innings folded up at a meager 150. Reddy’s knock, the only significant contribution, amounted to 6 fours and a six but could not provide any assistance to build the base for the Indian comeback.
Australia’s Struggling Batting Line-Up
In response, the Australian batting attack seemed even more appalling than India’s had been. Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney were busy handling the onslaught. The two added only 18 runs between themselves. In recent matches, Khawaja had shown decent form, but was dismissed by Bumrah with Kohli catching him at first slip for 8 runs. It was Bumrah who finally sent back the aggressive McSweeney for 10 runs after he was trapped LBW.
Things went from bad to worse for Australia as Marnus Labuschagne fell and was caught out by Siraj for a paltry 2 runs, while Steven Smith fell for a duck, after failing to cope with the sharp pace of Bumrah. Consequently, Australia found itself in further trouble at 19 for 4
Travis Head tried to avert the collapse of the innings but failed as he was also bowled out for 11 runs. He was caught by Rahul off a Siraj delivery, which piled more pressure on the Australian middle order. Siraj was instrumental in the wicket of Mitchell Marsh who had earlier played very well in the previous matches as he could only manage 6 runs before being caught behind by Pant.
With the loss of the wicket of keeper Alex Carey who scored 21 runs, the losing streak grouped continued. He succumbed to Bumrah’s attack and was caught by Pant. Similarly, team captain Pat Cummins, whose presence could have stabilized the innings, was also caught by Pant after managing only 3 runs off Bumrah’s bowling. By this time, the trio had brought the scoreboard to 59 for 7 wickets down.
The tail end proved to be just as disappointing, with Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood contributing a paltry total of 11 runs, with Hazlewood not out on 6. Australia’s batting freefall continued and only Mitchell Starc looked determined by hanging on for 6 runs not out.
By the end of Day 1, Australia found itself in a spot of trouble sitting on a score of 67 for 7 with Starc and Hazlewood holding on. There is a lot of work to be done in the Australian batting order if they are to put up a decent fight in this Test match and not suffer an embarrassing defeat.
India’s Bowling Dominance
The headline performers were the Indian bowlers, most notably Jasprit Bumrah. There was no stopping the Indian pace giant who accounted for 5 important wickets in 16.1 overs. His speed, precision, and capacity for swing kept the Australian batsmen on the defensive line for the entire day. It was evident how adept he was in securing wickets by clean bowling some of Australia’s star players; Khawaja, McSweeney, Smith, Head among many others. His economy rate of 1.79 further illustrates his control and the constant threat he posed to the Australian batsmen.
Mohammed Siraj also played a substantial role in the match and took 2 wickets out of which the most significant was of Marnus Labuschagne. His controlled length and line was a threat throughout the innings and he provided good support to Bumrah. Harshit Rana, on the other hand, was rather costly and yet still managed to claimed 2 important wickets however those were who got Head as well as Lyon out. In a way, his style of play provided him with wickets but also provided a lot of trouble for the Australian batsmen.
Indian bowlers showed magnificent discipline and took every available opportunity to dismantle the Australian batting order. They possessed the ability to build pressure through bowling in pairs which was key in almost bringing Australia down to its knees by the end of the day’s play.
Conclusion: India in the Driver’s Seat
India will be content with their showing on the first day of this Test match. Given their own batting woes, it has been a significant advantage to the Indian bowlers who have done well by dismissing Australia for just 67 for 7. Bumrah led from the front and the entire pace attack of India has set them in a beneficial situation wherein they will look to finish the Australian batting on Day 2.
In the same vein, Australia will have to brush themselves off and look for ways to rescue their innings. As Starc and Hazlewood are still batting, the situation calls for some grit from them to ensure they are not bowled out without putting much resistance. The Indian bowlers, however, will be licking their lips at the prospect of where they can probe to make sure that the Australian side does not manage to pull in any escape.
Day 1 has seen a lot of action and yet very little run scoring as both sides have also struggled with bat in hand. The match is still hanging and is expected to change course in the next session, which could be very important in deciding the winner.
