On Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Virat Kohli‘s persistence paid off as India claimed their first wicket against Australia. The match, held at Optus Stadium in Perth, saw Kohli’s influence as he encouraged stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah to review an appeal that led to the dismissal of debutant opener Nathan McSweeney.
Bumrah’s Precision and Kohli’s Sharp Call
The breakthrough came in the 12th over when Bumrah bowled a full-length delivery that angled into McSweeney. The Australian opener, looking to defend, played well outside the line, leaving his feet immobile. The ball sneaked past McSweeney’s bat and went towards the pads. The entire Indian team went up in appeal, but the on-field umpire deemed it not out.
Despite the umpire’s initial decision, Bumrah sought advice from his fielders, asking, “Aawaz aaya?” (Was there a sound of the bat?). Kohli, however, was adamant. He repeatedly called out, “Pad hai, pad hai, pad hai,” (It’s the pad, it’s the pad, it’s the pad). Kohli’s determination led to Bumrah sending the appeal upstairs for a review.
The third umpire’s review showed that McSweeney’s bat was well away from the ball, and the ball was on a direct path to hit the top of middle and leg stumps. The decision was overturned, and McSweeney was dismissed for just 4 runs, providing India with their first breakthrough of the match. This marked a nervy start for Australia as they lost their first wicket early in the innings.
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Watch the whole incident here:
India’s Early Struggles
Earlier in the day, India’s decision to bat first on a challenging Perth pitch backfired as they were bowled out for just 150 runs. The Indian team struggled to build partnerships, with debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy top-scoring for India with 41 runs. Rishabh Pant also contributed a handy 37 runs, but the team failed to post a competitive total.
Australia’s pace attack, led by Josh Hazlewood, was the standout performer, as he picked up 4 wickets. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Marsh supported well, each claiming two wickets.
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