India became the first team to beat Australia at Perth’s Optus Stadium, as the Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian side secured a historic 295-run win.
This glorious winning is in the first Test of the five-match series for prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This is India’s largest-ever Test win in Australia. Bumrah and Siraj took three wickets each in 2nd innings.
Bumrah’s India hammered the Australians at their Optus fortress, handing them their first-ever defeat at the venue with a 295-run win in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After setting a mammoth 534-run target, India bowled Australia out for 238 to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Pat Cummins’ Australia has had a knack for delivering knockout punches to India on the grandest stages. Remember the WTC Final triumph at the Oval or silencing over a lakh Indian fan in Ahmedabad during the 2023 ODI World Cup final? This time, though, it was Jasprit Bumrah’s turn to flip the script—and what a playing his side displayed in Perth!
With this win, India has stormed back to the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
Jasprit Bumrah Declared ‘Player of the Match’
The day 1 of the first Test Match witnessed 17 wickets falling in a day as Australia finished on 67/7 at stumps in reply to India’s first innings score of 150. Perth witnessed 17 wickets on Day 1, most since 1952 in Australia. However, Jasprit Bumrah claims that the current pitch was a bit less spicy than the one on which the Indian team played in 2018. India’s stand-in captain Bumrah also won the ‘Player of the Match’ title.
Bumrah revealed how his experience at the Perth pitch helped the team script history as this was India’s biggest Test win in Australia, and third-largest overseas victory. Bumrah shone with the ball as he ended with match figures of 8/72 and won the Player of the Match award. Captain Bumrah also revealed that he asked the players to trust their abilities. India was put under pressure in the first innings but responded befittingly.
Bumrah shared, “Very happy. We were put under pressure in the first innings, but the way we responded was great. I played here in 2018 – I remember the wicket started soft and then gets quicker. This one was less spicy. We were really well-prepared. I told everyone to keep faith in your ability. On a given day, experience does matter, but if you have faith, you can do something special.” Bumrah also hailed centurions Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli and dismissed any form concerns of the veteran batter.
“Jaiswal’s best Test innings so far, he left the ball well, I didn’t see Virat out of form – difficult to judge that on difficult pitches. But he was good in the nets. We always enjoy the support from the crowd. When the backing is there, we feel good,” he added.
Bumrah also became only the 2nd Asian captain to win a Test match in Perth after Anil Kumble’s WACA triumph in 2008. It was a memorable win for India which witnessed the Australians bundling out for 238 runs in 4th innings.
The star India pacer boasts of a brilliant record in Australia as, in 8 matches, Bumrah has 40 wickets at an average of 18.80 and a strike-rate of 45.7 with two five-wicket hauls.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Jasprit Bumrah for his brilliant spell of bowling on Day 4. Impressed with his performance, Manjrekar labels Bumrah’s wicket of Travis Head as one of the greatest deliveries of his career. Bumrah delivered a masterclass as the Indian team noticed that Head was not very comfortable against full balls with no width.
Bumrah bowling round the wicket totally cut off the off-side and offered no room outside the off stump. Bumrah managed to get the edge of Head as the Australian batter departed for 89 runs. Head’s wicket had triggered an aggressive celebration from the Indian team.
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Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
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