India’s captain, Jasprit Bumrah, made a strong impact in the first Test against Australia after his team managed just 150 runs in the first innings. Bumrah claimed three crucial wickets, including Nathan McSweeney, who was dismissed LBW for 10 runs.
The on-field umpire initially gave McSweeney not out, and Bumrah seemed unsure about taking a DRS review. That’s when Virat Kohli stepped in with his input.
The stump mic captured the discussion among the players. Bumrah said, “Close hai (It’s close).” Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant wasn’t convinced but Kohli encouraged Bumrah to review the decision.
Kohli convinced the captain, saying, “Pad pe lagi hai pehle, lele lele. (It has hit the pad first, take it take it).” Bumrah followed Kohli’s advice, and the team celebrated as the DRS showed three reds on the big screen, confirming the wicket.
Earlier India’s batting unit suffered very badly. Debutant Nitish Reddy’s gutsy knock of 41 and Rishabh Pant’s bold 37 provided brief moments of hope in an otherwise disappointing batting performance.
India was bowled out for just 150 runs on a bouncy, green pitch after Bumrah chose to bat first—a decision that might spark debate later.
Pant (37 off 78 balls) played an eye-catching shot—a no-look six over backward square leg off Pat Cummins—that left everyone stunned. He partnered with Reddy for a 48-run stand for the seventh wicket.
However, Australia’s bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc (2/14 in 11 overs) and Josh Hazlewood (4/29 in 13 overs) exploited the conditions with extra bounce and seam movement.
KL Rahul (26 off 74 balls) showed some resilience before being dismissed in a controversial caught-behind decision. However young batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) and Devdutt Padikkal (0) struggled against the fiery opening spells from Starc and Hazlewood.
Even Virat Kohli (5) couldn’t make an impact falling to a short ball from Hazlewood—a stark contrast to his previous performances in Australia in earlier tours. The Indian team will need to regroup quickly to avoid further damage in this challenging match.
