On Saturday, Australia was dismissed for 104 after Jasprit Bumrah’s fast bowling led to his 11th five-wicket haul, securing a 46-run lead for India at lunch on the second day of the first Test in Perth.
Bumrah, serving as a stand-in skipper, immediately impacted the game with his initial delivery of the day. His back-of-a-length ball seamed away, catching Alex Carey off guard and ending up in Rishabh Pant’s gloves.
Following a tumultuous first day that saw 17 wickets fall, India was all out for 150 within two sessions. However, Bumrah’s stellar performance initiated a dramatic Australian collapse to 67-7 by the close of play.
On the second day, debutant Harshit Rana quickly claimed a wicket, delivering a short, fastball Nathan Lyon edged to KL Rahul at gully.
Mitchell Starc, resuming overnight, narrowly missed giving Bumrah a career-best haul by edging between Pant and first slip, then aggressively scored off Rana to the midwicket boundary. Enduring hits to his helmet and shoulder during his 112-ball innings, Starc displayed a resilience and intent that the top-order batsmen lacked. He partnered with Josh Hazlewood to add 25 runs, strategically managing the strike.
