IND vs AUS: Failed Innings By Indian Batsman On Day 1

IND vs AUS: The batting woes of the Indian cricket team did not seem to abate as they were bowled out for just 181 runs in their first innings in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India was under pressure at the end of the day as it saw a good fightback from Australia, mainly because of Jasprit Bumrah’s effort to pick one in the last over as an important casualty of the day. Still, despite Scott Boland and the other Australian bowlers’ sensational efforts, it’s the Indian top order that has just fallen to pieces again.

Indian Top Order Collapses Once Again

 

Indian openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had a tough time against the Australian pacers on a green pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The two openers could only see off 29 balls before the pressure got the better of them. Rahul, known for his rock-solid defense, was dismissed cheaply when Mitchell Starc bowled a fuller delivery on the middle stump. Rahul tried to flick but the ball found the fielder at square leg, which sent him back for just a single run.

Jaiswal, who had been promising in earlier matches, too did not survive for long. Scott Boland came in as the second change and hit immediately. Boland dismissed Jaiswal caught behind the wicket on his very first over and left India at 2 for 2.

Middle Order Collapses Under Pressure

Shubman Gill, who came in at number three, lasted only a short while. Just before the lunch break, Nathan Lyon trapped Gill in the slips while he was defending, further deepening India’s struggles.

The Indian dressing room would have hoped that Virat Kohli, who looked slightly more comfortable in his innings, could stabilize the innings. However, Kohli’s familiar undoing came in the form of an outside edge to the slip cordoning off another brilliant delivery from Boland. Kohli’s dismissal added to India’s misery, as they were now 4 wickets down with only a handful of runs on the board.

Pant and Jadeja’s Tentative Counter-Attack

 

Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja tried to consolidate the wreckage and took India to tea without any further loss of wicket. However, post-tea, both batsmen seemed to have changed their minds and wanted to accelerate the scoring rate. Of course, this was a very small dose of wrong medicine, and it had yet another reverse effect.

 

Boland had been brilliant throughout the day but got his breakthrough when Pant got out. Pant tried to play a pull shot off one of Boland’s rising deliveries and could only get a half bat down on the ball, which was taken at mid-on. Pant trudged back to the pavilion with an underwhelming score.

Another Collapse: India in a Crisis

 

The collapse continued as Nitish Kumar Reddy, who had scored a century in the previous match, came in but was out for a duck on the very first ball he faced. He was caught behind off Boland’s bowling, deepening India’s troubles.

With India now reeling at 7 wickets down, Jadeja and Washington Sundar tried to fight on, but their resistance was short-lived. Starc, who had been rested earlier in the day, returned to bowl and dismissed Jadeja, getting him LBW with a delivery that nipped back in. Sundar followed soon after, falling to Pat Cummins, and India were left stranded at 148 for 8.

Bumrah’s Defiant Knock and A Glimmer of Hope

 

The Indian tail had hardly anything to do, but captain Jasprit Bumrah rose to the occasion with some brave strokes. Bumrah helped the team to cross the 180-run mark, but his dismissal saw India getting bowled out for 181 runs. It was Bumrah’s contributions with bat in hand that saved the day to a certain extent, though the score was far from competitive.

A Crucial Wicket: Bumrah Strikes in Final Over

 

As if to provide India with some semblance of hope, Bumrah made his mark with the ball in the last over of the day. Solid opener Usman Khawaja, during his innings, could not be shifted anywhere, but persistence paid off for Bumrah as Khawaja got himself out in the very last over before stumps. Bumrah asked Khawaja to play the ball quickly and, perhaps in his attempt to make the over short, the Australian batter was caught by an intelligent delivery edging to the slip cordon.

This wicket, just before the close of play, gave India something to cheer about as they reduced Australia’s lead to 176 runs. Though Australia is still in a commanding position, India will hope that this late breakthrough could spark a fightback on Day 2 of the Test match.

Though Bumrah struck at the right time, the batting of India in this match was another reminder of their inconsistency in this series. Well, the Indians failed to lay a good platform once again with their top order, but the middle order barely resisted the strong Australian bowling attacks. So, with this, India is still in the early stages of the match, and they need to regain their composure to ensure that the bowlers get enough opportunity to dispose of the Aussies at a low cost. The fight is far from over, and India would pray for their bowlers to bring in a comeback in the second innings.

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