India registered a dominating and historic win against Australia by 295 runs in the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth. This is the first time that a visiting team has defeated Australia at this venue in Test matches, and this is also India’s biggest win in terms of runs in Australia.
While the visitors were bundled out for 150 in the first innings, it needed a hostile display of fast bowling from stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana in the first innings, to bring India back into the game. That was followed up by superb batting from Yashasvi Jasiwal, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, which helped set up the win for India.
Coming into the tour, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir had faced some back clash on social media and from former cricketers after the New Zealand series loss. That continued when the team got bowled out for a small total in the first innings against Australia as well. However, the former India opener backed his players to the hilt, and they repaid the faith with their match-winning performances.
Ahead of the first Test, India’s star batter Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma had been under scrutiny for the batting form in the longer format of the game. But Gambhir suggested that he wasn’t concerned about their batting form and they are incredibly tough.
“I have got no concerns whatsoever on Virat and Rohit. I think they are incredibly tough men. They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in future as well,” Gambhir had said before the start of Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“I think for me at the most important thing is that they still working really hard, they are still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more and that is something which is very important. The hunger in that dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group as well. I feel there’s a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series,” he had said.
When Ricky Ponting brought up Virat Kohli’s form in Test cricket, the coach stepped in and said, “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket.” Kohli eventually ended his century drought in Test cricket with a fascinating ton in the second innings in Perth.
The coach made a couple of bold decisions in the first Test against the Aussies, backing KL Rahul to open the innings for India and handed debuts to two young guns as well.
Rahul responded in the perfect manner as he played crucial knocks in both the innings. The right-hander contributed 26 before getting out to a controversial decision by the third umpire in the first innings.
Later, Rahul alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal stitched a record-breaking 201-run stand for the first wicket in the second innings and thoroughly dominated the Australian bowling. Rahul scored 77 but more importantly spent a lot of time at the crease playing 177 balls during the course.
The two debutants Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were on song as well. While Rana scalped three wickets in the first innings and one in the second, Reddy scored important runs in both the innings, scoring 41 and an unbeaten 38 along with a wicket in the fourth innings of the game.
Harshit had earlier lauded Gambhir for showing support and backing him. “Gautam Gambhir is someone who always backs you. He just told me that whenever you get a chance to play, just remember that you are representing the people back home. So, put in the best effort. He always asked me to be patient,” Rana had said during the presser.
All-rounder Reddy too got some lessons from the coach on how to tackle the bouncers on Australian pitches. “I was having a chat with Gautam Gambhir sir. He told me, any bouncer just play it over your shoulder. Take it like a bullet for your country. That’s the best thing.”
Gautam Gambhir’s India have taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and will now take on with Australia in the pink-ball Test next scheduled to begin on December 6.
Photo Credit: BCCI
