India beat Australia in Perth to take a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The game ended quickly in the final session of Day 4, with India needing just five overs to take the last two Australian wickets. Washington Sundar bowled Nathan Lyon for a duck and debutant Harshit Rana sealed the win by dismissing Alex Carey for 36, leaving Australia completely out of the game at 238 in the hunt for 510.

India’s courage despite a difficult start

India’s first innings was less than ideal as they were bowled out for a paltry 150. Josh Hazlewood caused havoc with figures of 4/29 while debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy fought valiantly to score 41 runs in his first outing. Rishabh Pant contributed 37 and KL Rahul showed resilience before being controversially dismissed.

But in the fading light of Perth, India’s bowlers turned the tide. Jasprit Bumrah (3/30) led a stunning fightback and captured the coveted wicket of Steve Smith for a golden duck. Debutant Harshit Rana (1/16) and Mohammed Siraj contributed, taking Australia to 104 and giving India a narrow lead of 46 runs.

Jaiswal and Kohli shined in the second innings

India capitalized on their narrow lead with a confident batting performance in the second innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had earlier been dismissed for a duck, redeemed himself with an outstanding 161, his fourth Test century. Alongside KL Rahul (77), Jaiswal put together a mammoth opening partnership of 201 runs.

Virat Kohli then piled on the misery for Australia with his 30th Test hundred, ending with 100 unbeaten. India declared at 487/6 and set Australia an impressive target of 510 runs.

Australia is coming under pressure

Facing a daunting task, Australia began their chase disastrously when they lost three quick wickets late on the third day. Nathan McSweeney’s unforgettable debut ended with a duck, while Marnus Labuschagne was brought down LBW by an inswinger.

Despite the valiant efforts of Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47), the Australian batsmen faltered against India’s relentless bowling. Bumrah (3/42) and Siraj (3/51) were instrumental in breaking down the Australian line-up.

Important achievements and outlook

• 
  Jasprit Bumrah: Spearheading the Indian attack, Bumrah’s nine wickets in the game were crucial to the team’s success.
• 
  Yashasvi Jaiswal: Recovered with a confident 161 after a failure in the first innings.
• 
  Nitish Kumar Reddy: Showed promise on debut with a crucial 41 in difficult conditions.
• 
  Hard rana: A memorable debut with four important wickets in both innings.

India’s comfortable win in Perth sets the tone for the rest of the five-match series and the visitors are now brimming with confidence. Australia will have to regroup quickly as the action moves to Adelaide for the second Test.

Short results:

• India 150 (Nitish Kumar Reddy 41, Rishabh Pant 37; Josh Hazlewood 4/29) & 487/6 decl. (Yashasvi Jaiswal 161, Virat Kohli 100*; Nathan Lyon 2/96)
• Australia 104 (Mitchell Starc 26; Jasprit Bumrah 5/30) & 238 (Travis Head 89; Bumrah 3/42, Siraj 3/51)

India won by 295 runs