Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey
AUS vs IND 1st BGT Test reactions: India have made a huge statement in the quest of their fifth-straight Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series win, smashing Australia by 295 runs at Optus Stadium in Perth. They sealed victory in the final session of day four courtesy of a magnificent slower ball from Harshit Rana, reflective of their incredible bowling performance.
Starting day four at 12/3 chasing an impossible (more like impossible) 534 for victory, India didn’t allow Australia to get away. Usman Khawaja was out to a poor shot early, before Steve Smith and Travis Head attempted to get some crucial time at the crease.
It wasn’t to be for Smith, whose reduced trigger movement didn’t come up trumps as he was out squaring up to another fantastic piece of bowling from Mohammed Siraj.
ALSO READ: Australia fans slam team for horror performance against India Perth
Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47) resisted, with Head in particular the bright spot in a dark Test for Australia. However, their partnership only delayed the inevitable, with the great Jasprit Bumrah coming back to dismiss Head via more superb bowling and take India closer.
After winning man of the match with eight wickets, Bumrah’s Test bowling average sits at a scarcely believable 20.06 after 41 Tests. It is hard to think of any established overseas bowler who creates so much fear each time he runs into bowl in Australian conditions, with a wicket expected to come almost every ball.
For a while, Australia looked set to succumb to one of their five biggest ever defeats. They avoided that in the end, but that is of little consolation.
AUS vs IND 1st Test BGT reactions: India thrilled, Australia worried
India’s win in Perth was their third in their past four Tests in Australia. In fact, Australia have won just one of the past 10 red-ball Tests at home against India since the start of 2018/19.
“This is not just a victory but a statement. Jasprit Bumrah for the fear he has instilled in the Aussie batters and led brilliantly, great support from Siraj. Yashasvi Jaiswal setting new benchmarks and playing a truly memorable innings and King Kohli back at his very best,” wrote former India opener Virender Sehwag on X.
“Australia has a long tradition of going after the head of the snake i.e. the captain of the opposition. This time, the head of the snake went after them, and they didn’t know where to hide,” wrote former Indian batsman Wasim Jaffer.
Here are some of the reactions from the 1st Test of the AUS vs IND BGT series.
The Australians have ten days to pick themselves off the mat and bounce back in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Lose that, and their hopes of regaining the BGT – as well as qualifying for the 2025 World Test Championship – will be as good as gone.
ALSO READ: Australia fans slam team for horror performance against India Perth
