Adelaide: Mitchell Starc made the pink ball talk at Adelaide Oval on Friday. The result: India were bundled out for 180 in 44 overs.
If that was similar to what transpired on the opening day of the Perth Test, the script was anything but similar when Australia came out to bat. At stumps, the home team, smarting from a 295-run defeat in the first Test, moved to a solid 86/1. That was a remarkable improvement from the precarious 67/7 that they found themselves in on Day 1 at Perth.
Rohit Sharma, returning to the team after having missed the opening Test due to the birth of his second child, called correctly at the toss. But Yashasvi Jaiswal had a nightmarish start as Starc trapped him leg-before wicket with a wickedly swinging first ball in the day-night Test.
FIRST BALL OF THE TEST!
Mitchell Starc sends Adelaide into delirium.#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/pIPwqlX3dJ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
Jaiswal now has cores of 0, 161 and 0 in the series.
KL Rahul was lucky to survive in Scott Boland’s opening over as he was dismissed off a no-ball.
Rahul and Shubman Gill, who also made a comeback after missing the Perth Test due to an injury, had started batting with ease and assurance when Starc struck a double blow. The left-arm seamer had Rahul (37) and Virat Kohli (7) edging catches behind the wicket as they failed to get the bat out of the way to ball which bounced more than they expected.
Gill (31) was trapped leg-before wicket by Boland, to suddenly leave India 4-down at lunch.
Rohit (3), batting at No. 6 after six years, didn’t last long, while Rishabh Pant (21) was out to a snorter from Pat Cummins.
A brilliant cameo by Nitish Reddy (42), who smashed 3 sixes including an audacious reverse scoop off Boland, helped India cross 150.
Much was expected of the Indian pacers who had floored the Aussies in Perth. They did contain the flow of runs, but apart from Bumrah none else was incisive enough to cause damage.
Bumrah claimed the only Aussie wicket to fall, forcing Usman Khawaja to nick one to Rohit at slip.
Brief Scores
India 1st innings: 180 all out in 44.1 overs (Nitish Reddy 42, KL Rahul 37; Mitchell Starc 6/48, Pat Cummins 2/42, Scott Boland 2/54).
Australia 1st innings: 86/1 in 33 overs (Nathan McSweeney batting 37; Jasprit Bumrah 1/13).
2nd Test to continue on Day 2 at Adelaide Oval.
