 "Mitchell Starc")
As the hosts Australia sought to level the India vs Australia five-match Test series, also known as Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Mitchell Starc turned the pink ball into a lethal weapon, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul against India as Australia dismantled India’s lower order on day one of the day-night Test in Adelaide on Friday.
After reducing India to a precarious 82 for four at tea, Australia completed the job swiftly, taking the remaining six wickets for just 98 runs before the dinner break. Starc, Pat Cummins, and Scott Boland made full use of the evening conditions, extracting significant movement from the pink ball. Starc’s inswingers were devastating as he removed R. Ashwin and Harshit Rana, while Cummins delivered a barrage of short balls that kept the Indian batsmen on edge.
In a dramatic turn of events, veteran Australian pacer Mitchell Starc got the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal off the first ball of the match. He struck twice in quick succession before the break, leaving India in tatters at Dinner Break.
Starc, with his relentless pace, removed KL Rahul (37 off 64) and Virat Kohli (7 off 8) in a blistering passage of play, turning the tide firmly in Australia’s favour. The pair had earlier added 69 runs for the second wicket, following a solid start from Shubman Gill (31 off 51) and Rahul. But just when India looked set to make the most of the promising partnership, disaster struck.
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In a crushing blow, Scott Boland delivered the final hammer, sending a well-set Gill packing with a full ball that struck him plumb in front. From there, the collapse came swiftly: India lost their last three wickets for a mere 12 runs, leaving them in dire straits.
Minutes earlier, Rohit Sharma had been comfortably watching from the dressing room, but he was forced to march out to the middle, joining Rishabh Pant (4 not out) at the break with India’s hopes hanging by a thread. Sharma, opting to drop himself down the order, made way for Rahul at the top, only to find himself in the midst of a growing crisis.
Starc returned in the second session on Day 1 to claim the wicket of R Ashwin and Harshit Rana to complete his first five-wicket haul against India.
| India 1st Inning | ||||||
|
180-10 (44.1 ov) CRR:4.08
| ||||||
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | lbw b M Starc | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KL Rahul | c NA McSweeney b M Starc | 37 | 64 | 6 | 0 | 57.81 |
| Shubman Gill | lbw b SM Boland | 31 | 51 | 5 | 0 | 60.78 |
| Virat Kohli | c S Smith b M Starc | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 87.5 |
| Rishabh Pant (WK) | c M Labuschagne b P Cummins | 21 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 60 |
| Rohit Sharma (C) | lbw b SM Boland | 3 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 13.04 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | c T Head b M Starc | 42 | 54 | 3 | 3 | 77.78 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | lbw b M Starc | 22 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 100 |
| Harshit Rana | b M Starc | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | c U Khawaja b P Cummins | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohammed Siraj | Not out | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Extras |
13 (b 0, Ib 5, w 1, nb 7, p 0) | |||||
180 (10 wkts, 44.1 Ov)
It had all started so promisingly for India when they opted to bat on a pitch with decent grass cover. But things quickly took a turn for the worse, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, fresh from his memorable debut in Australia, dismissed first ball by a full, swinging delivery from Starc, adjudged leg before wicket.
Meanwhile, Gill, making his return from injury, batted with quiet assurance, while Rahul, after taking 21 balls to open his account, began to assert himself with aggressive strokeplay. Gill, in particular, found success against Starc, whose wayward lengths gave the Indian opener ample opportunities to capitalise. The highlight of his knock was a series of elegant cover drives and off-drives off the left-arm pacer.
However, India’s momentum came to a shuddering halt when Starc’s short-pitched deliveries caught Rahul and Kohli off guard. The two star batters were dismissed in successive overs, with sharp rises off the pitch sending them into the waiting slips. Boland then struck the fatal blow to Gill, trapping him in front.
As the tea break arrived, India’s promising position had been shattered in a stunning display of Australian seam bowling, with the hosts now in control of the contest.
Australia has consistently set high benchmarks in the first innings of Day-Night Tests at Adelaide, with formidable totals in recent years. In their last four outings at the venue, the Australian team has posted impressive scores, including 442/8 declared, 589/3 declared, 473/9 declared, and 511/7 declared. These totals reflect Australia's ability to capitalise on Adelaide’s batting-friendly conditions, with long partnerships and dominant displays from their top-order.
In contrast, India has faced considerable challenges when batting first in Adelaide’s pink ball Tests. The Indian team’s best effort came in 2018, when they managed 259/9 declared, but they have struggled to put up big totals in the first innings. India’s other first innings scores against Australia in Adelaide have been notably lower, with 202, 244, and 180 recorded in the last four Tests. This disparity in the first innings totals highlights the challenges faced by India in adapting to the pink ball and Adelaide's conditions, often falling short of Australia’s high standards.
India vs Australia 2nd Test Day 1 key highlights
Now THIS is entertaining stuff from Nitish Kumar Reddy!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/JgsupvPUkN
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
The inswinging peach of a yorker gets Mitchell Starc his fifth wicket!#AUSvIND | #DeliveredWithSpeed | @NBN_Australia pic.twitter.com/SwVIHFiNhK
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
Pat Cummins is that fired up after getting Pant with the bouncer!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/cC8Yxdlvpm
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
Super Starc’s first-ballers! ???????? Which delivery was better? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/aV1XtC4esb
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
Mitchell Starc sends Virat Kohli packing!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/2AzNllS7xT
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
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
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