Sydney, January 3 – The final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia began with a shaky start for the Indian team. By lunch on the opening day, India found itself at 57/3, with Virat Kohli holding the fort at 12*.
Bumrah’s Decision to Bat First Backfires
Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, leading the team in place of rested Rohit Sharma, won the toss and opted to bat first. However, the decision seemed to backfire as the Indian top order struggled against Australia’s disciplined bowling attack.
India’s woes began early in the innings:
- KL Rahul (4) fell in the 8th over to a sharp delivery from Mitchell Starc.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) followed soon after, dismissed by Scott Boland, leaving India at 15/2.
Brief Recovery, Followed by Another Blow
A promising partnership between Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill brought some stability to the innings. The duo pushed India’s total past the 50-run mark before Nathan Lyon struck. Gill, after a steady knock of 20, was trapped by Lyon, bringing an end to the brief resistance at a team total of 57. The session ended with Kohli unbeaten on 12.
Australia’s Bowlers Shine
Australia’s bowlers were clinical, capitalizing on the early movement and extracting bounce from the Sydney pitch:
- Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon each claimed one wicket, keeping the Indian batsmen under constant pressure.
Team Changes for the Decisive Test
Both teams made strategic changes ahead of the match:
- India rested Rohit Sharma, paving the way for Shubman Gill’s return to the playing XI. Additionally, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna replaced Akashdeep Singh.
- Australia brought in Beau Webster in place of Mitchell Marsh.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.