An enthralling day of Test cricket unfolded as Starc struck with the very first ball, setting the tone. Rahul and Gill forged a fifty-run partnership before Starc returned to dismiss Rahul and Kohli in quick succession. Boland chipped in, removing Gill and Rohit on either side of the tea break, reducing India from 69/1 to a precarious 87/5.
Nitish Reddy, reminiscent of his performance in the Perth Test, top-scored with a gritty 42. However, it was Starc who stole the show with the pink ball, consistently swinging it, troubling the top order with sharp bounce, and cleaning up the tail with pinpoint yorkers to claim career-best figures of 6/48. Despite bundling India out for 180, Australia faced a challenging task as they batted under lights in the final session.
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Mitchell Starc Shines as Australia Dominate Opening Day
Mitchell Starc’s fiery spell with the pink ball headlined the first day of the day-night Test in Adelaide, helping Australia respond emphatically to their 295-run loss in Perth by bowling out India for 180.
Jasprit Bumrah briefly struck back, dismissing Usman Khawaja in the twilight, but under-pressure Marnus Labuschagne and rookie opener Nathan McSweeney steadied the ship. Their unbroken 62-run stand reduced Australia’s deficit to under 100 and ensured they ended the day in a commanding position.
Starc’s dominance began with the very first ball, setting the tone for a spell that saw him strike in the opening over of each of his three spells. He finished with career-best Test figures of 6 for 48, extending his pink-ball tally in Australia to a remarkable 72 wickets—double that of Pat Cummins (36) and far ahead of Nathan Lyon’s 43.
The carnage began when Starc sent Yashasvi Jaiswal packing with a full, seaming delivery that swerved back into the line of the stumps, pinning the batter plumb in front. The dismissal not only silenced Jaiswal, who had previously taunted Starc in Perth, but also electrified the 36,000-strong Adelaide crowd—the largest for an India-Australia Test in the city—as Starc roared in triumph.
Gill and Rahul Steady Before Australia’s Quick Strikes
Returning to India’s Test XI after recovering from a hand injury, Shubman Gill partnered with KL Rahul to rebuild the innings, adding a 69-run stand for the second wicket. Gill displayed fluent form, punishing Australia’s pacers with crisp drives when they strayed in line and length, showing no signs of rust.
At the other end, Rahul adopted a cautious approach, playing out three maidens against Pat Cummins. However, his vigil was fraught with drama. Facing Scott Boland’s first delivery, Rahul fended at a ball that reared up, seemingly brushing the shoulder of his bat. Although he walked off thinking he’d nicked it, a no-ball saved him, and Snicko confirmed no edge. Moments later, he edged Boland again, but Usman Khawaja spilled the chance at first slip.
Rahul’s fortune didn’t last long. Mitchell Starc’s fiery second spell broke through as the left-armer extracted sharp bounce, forcing Rahul to edge to gully for 37 off 64 balls. Starc struck again in his next over, removing Virat Kohli for 7 with a similar short-pitched delivery. The carnage continued when Boland trapped Gill lbw for 33, as India lost three wickets for 12 runs in a chaotic 15 minutes before the dinner break.
Boland and Cummins Extend India’s Woes
India’s troubles deepened after the break as Scott Boland continued his impressive return to Test cricket by trapping Rohit Sharma lbw. Replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood, Boland stuck to a consistent length, extracting seam movement that troubled the batters. Rohit, batting at No. 6 to accommodate KL Rahul at the top, managed just 3 off 23 balls before being undone.
Pat Cummins then added to India’s misery by dismissing Rishabh Pant with a short delivery that climbed sharply into the batter’s ribs. Pant, who had shown some aggression with 21 off 35 balls, could not evade the well-directed bouncer, gifting Cummins a prized wicket. The Australian captain, who had appeared below his best in Perth and struggled with the new ball in Adelaide, roared in delight after claiming the crucial scalp, signaling his resurgence.
Nitish Reddy’s Fightback Offers Brief Resistance
Amid a flurry of wickets, Nitish Kumar Reddy stood firm, unleashing an array of audacious strokes. When Starc overpitched, Reddy countered with a stunning six over extra cover. He then targeted Boland in the next over, smashing a sequence of 6, 4, and 6. The highlight was a jaw-dropping reverse swat over the slip cordon for six, clearing one of the ground’s longest boundaries at deep third and even drawing a smile from Jasprit Bumrah. However, the brief spark of joy was extinguished as Starc and Cummins combined to clean up the Indian innings.
Reddy, who had top-scored on debut in Perth, once again led India’s efforts with 42 off 54 balls, featuring three fours and three sixes. He was the last to fall, holing out to mid-off against Starc, who finished with a career-best 6 for 48.
Ravichandran Ashwin, selected ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, looked promising during his quickfire 22 off 22 balls. However, his stay ended when Starc produced an inch-perfect inswinging yorker with a 39-over-old ball, pinning him plumb. The blow to Ashwin’s foot sidelined him briefly at the start of Australia’s innings, but he returned to bowl the penultimate over of the day without any apparent discomfort, easing concerns in the Indian camp.
Bumrah Shines, But McSweeney and Labuschagne Steady Australia’s Ship
Jasprit Bumrah delivered with the new ball, securing India’s sole wicket of the day by going around the wicket to dismiss Usman Khawaja for 13. Bumrah’s delivery, angling in and seaming away, forced Khawaja into an edge behind. However, India missed a golden opportunity to remove Nathan McSweeney early when Bumrah found his outside edge. Rishabh Pant, diving for the catch, spilled it, and Rohit Sharma at first slip failed to latch onto the rebound as the ball struck his wrist and fell to the ground.
McSweeney was just on 3 at the time, cautiously getting off the mark after 17 balls. Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne, under scrutiny for a lean patch, also took his time, needing 19 deliveries to get his first run. A leg-side delivery from Mohammed Siraj finally allowed Labuschagne to ease into his innings.
Harshit Rana tested the batters with fiery short-pitched bowling, coupled with verbal challenges. McSweeney, however, rose to the occasion, responding with a commanding pull over midwicket for four. After negotiating the twilight spells of Bumrah and Siraj, McSweeney found rhythm against the older ball, striking five boundaries off Rana and Reddy. His resilience, combined with Labuschagne’s steady approach, set the stage for a promising batting day under natural light on Saturday.
Australia vs India 2nd Test Day 1 Summary
India: 180 all out (Nitish Reddy 42; Mitchell Starc 6-48)
Australia: 86/1 (Nathan McSweeney 38*)
Lead: India by 94 runs
Looking Ahead to Day 2
India’s seamers struggled to replicate the incisiveness displayed on the first day of the Perth Test. At Perth, they targeted the channel outside off stump with 47.5% of their deliveries, a figure closely mirrored today at 45.3%. However, the key difference lay in their approach to the stumps. At Perth, 31% of balls were aimed at the stumps compared to just 20.3% today, with a notable increase in deliveries wide outside off – up from 10.9% to 21.3%.
This shift in strategy proved costly. At Perth, India claimed 7/65 with disciplined and attacking lines, but today their more defensive approach yielded just 1/71. Despite generating more seam and swing movement than Australia’s bowlers in the first 10 overs, the Indian attack failed to trouble the batters consistently. The Aussies were content to leave deliveries outside off, capitalizing on India’s lack of aggression.
Nathan McSweeney survived an early scare on 1, courtesy of a missed chance, but Jasprit Bumrah provided the lone breakthrough, dismissing Usman Khawaja with a sharp catch at first slip. Thereafter, McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne dug in, building a cautious partnership and ensuring Australia finished the session in control.
With the deficit now under 100, nine wickets in hand, and day two typically being the best for batting at the Adelaide Oval, Australia holds the upper hand. Can India fight back, or will the hosts press home their advantage? Stay tuned as the action resumes tomorrow!
Read More: Australia vs India 2nd Test Preview: Pink-ball Showdown
FAQs
How did Mitchell Starc perform on Day 1?
Starc was sensational, taking career-best figures of 6/48 with the pink ball, showcasing his skill in extracting swing and bounce.
What was the highlight of Nitish Reddy’s innings?
Reddy top-scored for India with an aggressive 42, including a reverse-swat six and a flurry of boundaries against Boland and Starc.
How did India’s bowlers fare in comparison to Perth?
India’s bowlers were less effective, with only 20.3% of deliveries targeting the stumps compared to 31% in Perth, resulting in just one wicket.
What was Australia’s batting highlight?
Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne’s patient 62-run stand helped Australia finish at 86/1, setting a strong foundation.
What’s the outlook for Day 2?
With the deficit under 100 and nine wickets in hand, Australia is in a commanding position heading into a day favorable for batting.
