India bowlers rattled the Australian batting line-up and bundled them out for 177 in 63.5 overs in the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, on Thursday.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. The Indian pace duo sent both openers to the hut cheaply. Shami bowled Warner for 1, and Siraj removed Usman Khawaja for 1. The visitors lost both of their openers when the score was 2 on the board.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith gradually steadied the ship and knitted a half-century stand. After that, Jadeja and Ashwin’s magic crumbled the Australian batting, and the entire team surrendered for 177 against the Indian attack.
Jadeja, who was included in the team after a long gap, bowled superbly and dominated the post lunch session. Australia slipped from 84/2 to 109/5 in quick time. Following that, Keeper Carey and Handscomb prepared to fight Jadeja and Ashwin’s spin valiantly.
Carey was looking dangerous when he hit 36 in 33 balls, but Ashwin short circuited his innings. The spin duo never allowed the tail to wag. Impressive bowling performances, especially by Jadega and Ashwin, put India in a dominant position on Day 1.
When Ashwin bowled Carey, the veteran spinner reached a personal milestone by taking his 450th Test wicket.
It is now up to the Indian batters to decide how they will adopt to the situation and handle the Australian attack.
Indian openers have made a solid start. Both skipper Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are unbeaten at the crease, and India’s score has reached 50 for no loss.