Here’s Geoff’s report from Perth:
India were always going to win today, it was just a matter of how and when. Usman Khawaja went early to Mohammed Siraj to leave Australia in disarray at 17 for 4. Steve Smith scrapped for an hour and a half without hitting a boundary before Siraj had him caught behind just before lunch.
Travis Head decided attack was the best form of defence, hitting a rousing 89 from 101 balls before falling to the inevitable Jasprit Bumrah.
Mitch Marsh (47) and Alex Carey (37) also played nicely but it was an exercise in futilty. The emphatic nature of India’s victory was summed up by the final wicket, a delicious slower ball from Harshit Rana that bowled Carey neck and crop.
Geoff’s report will be on the site later but that’s all for our live coverage of a memorable first Test. See you in Adelaide.
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The player of the match is Jasprit Bumrah
We were put under pressure in the first innings and I’m really proud of the way the team responded.
[On choosing to bat first] I played here in 2018 so I remember that the wicket here can be soft and then get quicker and quicker. This wicket was a little less spicy than the last one. We were really well prepared so I told everyone to have faith in their ability because we have the opportunity to do something special.
We can’t ask for anything else from Jaiswal. He’d has a great start to his Test career and I think that was his best innings so far. He’s an attacking batsman by nature but he left the ball really well and batted long.
I didn’t see Virat out of form at all. Sometimes you play on challenging wickets and it’s difficult to tell whether a batsmen is in form or not, but he’s looked really good in the nets. Hopefully he can go from strength to strength.
Pat Cummins' reaction
Fairly disappointing. We thought our prep was really good. It’s just one of these games where not much went right so there’s a fair bit to look at nbefore next week.
After a loss you always want get back on the horse but we’ll have a couple of days’ rest and then prepare for Adelaide.
We didn’t really give ourserlves a chance with a few different facets. If we’d got through that period late on day one, maybe the game looks different on day two. Obviously a couple of big partnerships when were bowling. There are a few areas we’ve got to clean up.
There’s a lot of experience [in the top six]. This summer there’s a sample size of one – I’m sure there’ll be plenty of conversations between us and plenty of work in the nets.
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Travis Head and Virat Kohli embrace on the outfield. Kohli looks quite emotional, presumably while reflecting on his century yesterday. Marnus Labuschagne and Ravichandran Ashwin are also having a chat, likewise KL Rahul and Nathan Lyon. They play ferociously hard but get on well off the field.
“I’m still trying to work out India,” says Phil Withall. “Eased past Bangladesh, totally outdone by New Zealand and now this, a simply magnificent performance in Perth. They certainly have the quality; now it’s time to find the consistency. Looking forward to the rest of an intriguing series.”
The next BCCI executive to request a raging turner for a home Test should be sacked on the spot. India are so much better when they play on good pitches.
INDIA WIN BY 295 RUNS!
WICKET! Australia 238 all out (Carey b Rana 38) That’s a beautiful way to finish the job. Rana hits Carey in the ribs with a bumper that doesn’t get up, then bowls him with a gorgeous slower ball.
It completes a stunning victory for India, who were written off by many before the game after their 3-0 defeat at home to New Zealand. They were without their captain, their No3, their wristspinner and their second best fast bowler. They chose to leave out two spinners with a combined total of 855 Test wickets and nearly 7000 Test runs. Their XI included four players with only four caps between them – and they thrashed Australia’s best XI, give or take, on the bounciest pitch in the country.
It’s India’s fifth Test win in Australia since 2018; before that they had managed only five in 70 years. They are making a mockery of one the toughest challenges in cricket, often with a below-strength team.
The stars were the remarkable pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal (0 and 161) and Jasprit Bumrah (8 for 62 in the match). But all 11 players contributed with bat, ball or in the field. In the circumstances, it’s a win for the ages.
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58th over: Australia 236-9 (Carey 34, Hazlewood 4)
57th over: Australia 235-9 (Carey 33, Hazlewood 4) Carey nods respectfully after swaying away from a sharp bumper by Rana. That was beautifully played, actually, as it heading straight for his grille until he snapped his head back at the last second.
Carey punches a single off the penultimate delivery in an attempt to keep the strike. Rana bowls a no-ball and then thumps Hazlewood on the back of the head with a bouncer. That sounded nasty but Hazlewood stayed on his feet and seems okay. There’s a break in play while he is checked for concussion.
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56th over: Australia 233-9 (Carey 32, Hazlewood 4) Josh Hazlewood, who doesn’t deserve to suffer such a heavy defeat after a majestic bowling performance, drives his second ball jauntily for four. His third spits extravagantly to beat the edge, probably the most Washington has turned a delivery in this game.
55th over: Australia 229-9 (Carey 32, Hazlewood 0) Carey almost runs himself out trying to get back on strike. Personally I’d say he’s earned a bit of red ink, especially as he needs to get that average up to something more befitting his ability. It currently sits at 32.37.
Carey is not out. Too high, next!
India review for LBW against Carey! The bowler Rana likes it; it looks high to me. It was a cracking delivery though, which straightened sharply off the seam to beat Carey’s defensive stroke.
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54th over: Australia 227-9 (Carey 30, Hazlewood 0) Lyon propped forward defensively, playing for turn. There was none and the ball zipped on to hit the off stump.
“I always remember reading that an England touring team were asked to tick their Visa cards with the purpose of their visit whilst on a flight to Australia,” says Tom Kidd. “They all ticked ‘leisure’, Geoffrey Boycott ticked ‘business’. Think it was a Michael Parkinson book on his favourite cricketers.”
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WICKET! Australia 227-9 (Lyon b Washington 0)
Bowled ‘im! Nathan Lyon goes second ball for nought, cleaned up by a ball that skids straight past his defensive stroke.
India are nearly there.
Tea
The players go off for tea after that wicket with a couple of balls left in Washington’s over. India are two wickets away from a quite stunning victory.
WICKET! Australia 227-8 (Starc c Durel b Washington 12)
A brilliant catch from Dhruv Jurel at short leg! Starc turned the ball firmly into the leg side, where Jurel threw up his right hand to take a blinding reaction catch. India can do nothing wrong.
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“Arrived in Brisbane last night en route to Christchurch for the England game this week,” writes ShowbizGuru.
‘Purpose of visit?’ asked the immigration chap.
‘Transiting through for the cricket. In New Zealand. Sorry to mention cricket,’ I replied.
“To be fair he managed to laugh. ‘On your way mate.’.”
That reminds me of Alec Stewart when he was England captain in 1998-99. On his immigration card, under ‘Purpose of Visit’, he wrote: ‘To win back the Ashes.’
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53rd over: Australia 224-7 (Carey 27, Starc 12) Harshit Rana replaces Siraj and is slammed through extra cover for three by Carey. It would have been four but for the painfully slow outfield.
Rana looks really promising, an aggressive hustler who hits the pitch like he wants to hurt it, although apparently his pace has been down in this innings. “Looks like he’s feeling the pinch to me,” says Mike Hussey on commentary.
52nd over: Australia 218-7 (Carey 24, Starc 9) Carey laps Washington for a couple. He looks completely at peace with his game right now. Every attacking stroke has been clean and decisive.
Washington’s ends over with an LBW appeal when the ball skids on to hit Carey’s pad Missing leg.
51st over: Australia 216-7 (Carey 22, Starc 9) Batting looks relatively comfortably against the old ball, at least when Bumrah isn’t bowling. There’s some occasional uneven bounce but very little sideways movement, so Siraj tries a zippy bouncer that Pant helps over the bar for a bye. He did well to take the pace off it and save three runs.
Carey ends the over with a classy cover drive for three more. Just over ten minutes until the tea break.
50th over: Australia 211-7 (Carey 19, Starc 9) Washington Sundar replaces Reddy, who bowled a threatening spell of 4-0-21-1. I thought this game might end quickly after the wicket of Marsh but Starc is playing with almost exaggerated care. He’s faced 135 balls in this game, the second highest of his Test career behind that match in Mohali when he scored 99.
“I just love this Indian bowling line-up,” writes Bill Hargreaves. “Some healthy batsmen, too. Any predictions for what will happen next in the series?”
Given the number of surprise victories in the last two months – Bangladesh in Pakistan, New Zealand in India, Pakistan v England – I’d like to proudly announce that I haven’t a clue.
49th over: Australia 210-7 (Carey 19, Starc 8) The second Test in Adelaide begins a week Friday. Hard to see Australia making any changes to the XI, though they will be concerned about the form of Marnus Labuschagne in particular. The commentators are discussing whether he should go and play club cricket next weekend to enjoy a change of scene and hopefully score some runs.
Carey clips Siraj through midwicket for two more. How does he average only 32 in Tests? To my admittedly inexpert eye, he looks a class act.
48th over: Australia 205-7 (Carey 16, Starc 6) Carey takes Australia past 200 with a beautifully placed pull stroke for four off Reddy. Despite this battering, Australia’s middle order looks fairly healthy; the concern, individually and collectively, is the top four.
“I live in Malta and left last Wednesday to come to a ‘celebration of life’ party for the wife of a friend (Yvonne Buller if you could give dearest Yvonne a shout),” writes Steve Ditchburn. “Not exactly the best weekend to be in Torquay!! Left Malta it was 24 degrees, arrived in London Wednesday morning and it was 6 and then Thursday 4. Got a lift down to Torquay Friday and came back yesterday. Back to Malta today! Whoopee.”
On the plus side, you avoided the worst of Storm Bert. My feet are still wet from yesterday morning.
47th over: Australia 197-7 (Carey 9, Starc 5) Carey takes a tight single to mid-on off Siraj. He would been home but Rana’s throw missed anyway. Later in the over he times a short-arm pull for four; he’s one of the few Australian batters who looks in good nick.
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46th over: Australia 189-7 (Carey 4, Starc 4) Starc fences at Reddy and is beaten. The speedgun says 127 kmh but he looks sharper than that.
Reddy oversteps, his third no-ball in as many overs. That’s about all he’s done wrong in this spell.
45th over: Australia 183-7 (Carey 3, Starc 0) Siraj replaces Bumrah, who is saving his legs for the rest of the series. You’d expect a quick kill from here.
Starc, who batted very watchfully in the first innings, starts in a similar fahsion by leaving as many deliveries as possible from Siraj.
44th over: Australia 182-7 (Carey 2, Starc 0) Including this game five of Australia’s last six home defeats have been against India.
Replays confirm that Marsh was undone by some low bounce.
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WICKET! Australia 182-7 (Marsh b Reddy 47)
Nitish Kumar Reddy gets his first Test wicket! Marsh, who played two or three false strokes in the previous over, drags an attempted cut back onto the stumps. I think it kept a bit low but Reddy deserves that wicket after starting his spell with ferocious purpose. Marsh goes for a hard-hitting 47.
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43rd over: Australia 179-6 (Marsh 46, Carey 1) Marsh softens the hands to ensure a thick edge off Bumrah falls well short of gully. The ball bounces past the fielder and away for four, then he square drives the next delivery for three more. He loves batting in Perth and has scored just under 22 per cent of his Test runs at the Waca and the Optus Stadium.
Time for drinks.
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42nd over: Australia 172-6 (Marsh 39, Carey 1) Nitish Kumar Reddy replaces Washington Sundar. His first ball pops nastily from a length to beat Marsh’s defensive push. It was only 125kph but it really spat off the pitch.
The commentators are comparing Reddy’s run-up and action to Dennis Lillee. “Get the long hair, the yellow headband, shirt buttoned down, few words to the batsman…” says Ravi Shastri.
His pace is nowhere near Lillee’s but he’s causing problems. Marsh gets a thick inside-edge, then Carey fences outside off and is beaten. That’s an outstanding first over.
41st over: Australia 168-6 (Marsh 36, Carey 0) Bumrah has never taken a ten-for in Tests, which is hard to fathom. He’s two away here, almost one when an inside-edge from Marsh misses the stumps.
“When I read ‘Head down on one knee…’ (37th over) my thoughts went to Ann Boleyn with her head tucked underneath her arm,” writes Tom Lewis. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Well, the great West Indies side used to say ‘cut off the head and the body will follow’ when they targeted the opposition captain. And Pat Cummins hasn’t had his finest game.
40th over: Australia 166-6 (Marsh 36, Carey 0) Head drags an inelegant but effective sweep round the corner for four.
39th over: Australia 161-6 (Marsh 31, Carey 0) Bumrah has 3 for 33 in the innings and 8 for 63 in the match. Never mind superlatives; we’re running out of words full stop to describe his greatness.
That was a brilliant, typical fearless innings from Head: 89 from 101 balls.
WICKET! Australia 161-6 (Head c Pant b Bumrah 89)
India’s captain turns to his go-to bowler: himself. And he strikes immediately to deny Travis Head a century! It was a fine delivery, just back of a length and straightening off the seam. Head launched into a back-foot drive but was fractionally late on the shot and snicked it through to Rishabh Pant. Bumrah clenches his fist and screams with delight in Head’s general direction.
It’s old news, but it bears repeating: Jasprit Bumrah is a bona fide genius.
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38th over: Australia 154-5 (Head 87, Marsh 31) Cheers Geoff, hello everyone. Time will tell whether this partnership means everything or nothing in the context of the series, but it never hurts to put credit in the bank – even when you’re heading for a huge defeat.
Head slashes Washington for two and then one to bring the partnership up to 75 from only 82 balls. Defiance comes in many forms.
37th over: Australia 151-5 (Head 84, Marsh 31) That is a rude cricket shot. Head down on one knee, proposing to wallop Harshit Rana through the covers. Angled bat, huge swing, leathered. He’s so audacious, yet somehow makes it work. Goes again later in the over, off the back foot this time and slapped down the ground, hauled in to keep the scoring to three.
So that’s 383 to win, 16 runs for a Head century, and a bit more cheer for Australian supporters who would have started the day very glumly.
I’m off for today and for this Test, please be nice to Rob Smyth, and whatever happens here I’ll see you in Adelaide.
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36th over: Australia 141-5 (Head 76, Marsh 30) Sundar bowling away, three singles, they’re very comfortable against him still.
35th over: Australia 139-5 (Head 74, Marsh 29) The partnership went to 56 in that last over, by the by. The runs keep coming, singles here and there, Head cutting two to deep point. The field is less extreme than it was for Head facing fast bowling before lunch. Slip, gully, deep third, deep backward, cover, mid off mid on, deep square, long leg.
Rana bowls him a good short ball though, a perfume variety, Head swaying back. Later he dabs to deep third, the position where he was caught in both innings during the India Test here in 2018.
34th over: Australia 135-5 (Head 71, Marsh 28) The lead has come down quickly, but it’s still… 407. Just that. Marsh pushes a run square from the spinner, Head plays into the ground and past his stumps! Whoops. Into the ground, over the bails. Gets him a run, and gets Marsh the chance to lamp six over long off. Bosh.
399 to win. 31 runs in four overs since lunch.
33rd over: Australia 126-5 (Head 70, Marsh 20) Rana trying the short ball approach again, but Head pulls a single, then Marsh crashes a pull and is dropped! Similar to the last big shot, similar cannon sound off the bat, but doesn’t get the elevation, and with hands above his hand, Padikkal at midwicket fingertips it up in the air and away towards long on for a couple. Marsh isn’t concerned, seeing a fuller length very next ball and crashing it through cover for four! Then a dodgy single, and again Padikkal can’t effect a dismissal, where a direct hit from midwicket would have got Marsh. Huge smile on Mitch’s face at the end of the over
32nd over: Australia 118-5 (Head 69, Marsh 13) Mighty appeal from Washington Sundar, slanting a straight ball in at Head’s pad, but maybe outside the line. No review in the end. The Australians settle into one-day rhythm, working four singles before Head slaps a fifth down the ground with power.
31st over: Australia 113-5 (Head 66, Marsh 11) Straight after lunch, and Head is straight back into it. A clip for two, a steer for one. Turns over the strike, and now Marsh is into it! Six! Harshit Rana drops short, Marsh drops the hammer. Into the stands, that wide stance he has where his weight doesn’t even have to shift that far back to clear the very long square boundary.
Second session, on we go.
Lunch, Day 4 - Australia 104 for 5 in the fourth innings
Not too bad a session for Australia, you’d have to say, losing two wickets in the session. That’s compared to their previous batting sessions, which have… uh… all been bad. People will tell you the Smith one was big, but he’s never made a fourth-innings ton, made precious few fifties, and averages about 30. So he wasn’t likely the player to take Australia through the day and into tomorrow. Khawaja more likely was, but he played a bad shot early.
Head has been entertaining and made it look easy, as he does when he’s on, and Marsh might yet do the same in the second session. We’ll see. Back with you in a bit.
30th over: Australia 104-5 (Head 63, Marsh 5) Last over before lunch. Marsh is crouching forward to defend, normal field for him. Two slips, gully, point now, so he makes use of the cover gap with a drive for two. Bumrah bowling in the high 130s as far as kilometres go. If you want miles you can ask at a museum.
Another noey from Bumrah, that’s his fourth overstep. But Marsh blocks out the rebowl, and we’re done for the session.
29th over: Australia 101-5 (Head 63, Marsh 3) Siraj is flapping his arms again, trying the albatross take-off, as he goes past Marsh’s edge with a ball that keeps low. There’s that bounce problem that will only keep getting worse. The wickets are coming, surely. But the Aussies are scrapping through it, for now. Head got of strike first ball, nudging away. He’s done that so easily compared to everyone else. Marsh though does get off the mark with a sliced drive behind point for three.
Back to the bouncer field for Head. One slip now, Kohli standing at about one and a half. Deep backward, deep third, fine leg, short backward, deep square, halfway back at midwicket, mid on, mid off. But Siraj is outside leg stump, and Head can tickle that finer of the fine leg for four. That’s funny.
28th over: Australia 93-5 (Head 58, Marsh 0) Bumrah continues, and Head hasn’t had too many problems with him. Starts with a couple of runs flicked through leg, then plays an audacious little late steer with a horizontal bat, just touching the ball towards deep third. They have two fielders back for that, one fine and one square, and he puts it between them for two more. Bumrah pushes back a fly slip, then changes his mind and brings Rahul back into the cordon.
So, two slips, two variations on dee third, plus a fine leg and a deep square. Set up for the short ball, but Bumrah bowls full. Head can’t beat midwicket. That fielder, with mid off and mid on, are the only ones set for the fuller ball. Lots of space through cover, and Head goes there but only for one. And abruptly it’s different for Marsh facing, a horrible lifter that he fends into a gap on the leg side. Still yet to score.
Half century! Head 50 from 63 balls
27th over: Australia 88-5 (Head 53, Marsh 0) Fifty up, and in good time too. Style points like Jaiswal, too, as he lifts a Siraj short ball over the keeper’s head for four!
Follows it with three through midwicket. Nobody else has hit a four yet in this innings. Marsh isn’t trying yet, though surely he will before long.
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26th over: Australia 81-5 (Head 46, Marsh 0) Bumrah comes on, sensing the moment. Break this last top-six partnership (even if it’s for the sixth wicket), get into the keeper and remaining bowlers. Head takes a run to leg. Cordon waiting for the right-handed Marsh.
Nasty from Bumrah, in at the gloves. Then past the edge, Marsh forcing his hands at that ball. Overstep from Bumrah. Doesn’t matter, give him another shot at the batter. Rising at the body again! Hits him. Marsh responds as he does to most things, with a smile. Leaves the next ball, defends the last.
25th over: Australia 79-5 (Head 45, Marsh 0) Well, the surface had seemed to be easing with a halfway older ball. Three slips and a gully for Marsh, Bumrah has dispensed with the point he had for Smith. Cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket, long leg – very conventional. Marsh blots out the last two balls.
WICKET! Smith c Pant b Siraj 17, Australia 79-5
Against the run of play! The partnership to 62, the deficit down to 454, but Siraj makes the difference. A fuller length, a little extra bounce perhaps, Smith trying to cover his pads, edges wide of the keeper and Pant takes it brilliantly diving in front of first slip. Massive for India. Smith has a poor fourth-innings record across his whole career, and it continues today.
24th over: Australia 78-4 (Smith 17, Head 44) Sundar continues, Head goes back and cuts, but they have a deep cover sweeper so he only gets one run. Sundar probably happy to have him off strike. A bit of lift for Sundar, Smith has to defuse a ball that jumps from outside off stump. Then walks at the spinner to block the next to midwicket. Still no appreciable turn for Washington Sundar, if he gets wickets today it’ll have to be with flight or bounce.
23rd over: Australia 77-4 (Smith 17, Head 43) Siraj back, and Head smashes him first ball too! Flays it square of the wicket. Then drives one, and hands over the strike. Smith defends the rest.
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22nd over: Australia 72-4 (Smith 17, Head 38) Not far from short leg as Smith works Sundar behind square. Head cuts a run through point.
21st over: Australia 70-4 (Smith 16, Head 37) Schhhhmmmacked! Travis Head is raring to go no. Leans back and slams the first ball of Rana’s over through cover for four. Even that power and timing sees the ball slow up inside the rope, but it does make it. He tries angling a drive square next ball, but plays under the bounce. A solid drive third ball, past mid off for two.
Then Rana has had enough, top bouncer, nasty and Head fends it away, but the pace takes it over the cordon for two runs. Next, another square drive, this one connecting for two more. So that’s three twos in a row, after the four, and Rana’s closing ball is a wild bouncer and an overstep, so that’s one more to the total. Short down the leg side to finish, and Head can’t connect with a glance.
11 from the over.
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20th over: Australia 59-4 (Smith 16, Head 27) Washington round the wicket to Head, too short, cut for a couple in that muscular, heaving Head fashion, heaving at the shot so it goes through cover rather than backward point. Now then, perfect sweep shot! Powerfully struck, along the ground, out through backward square. Fourrrr. Then goes back and cuts behind point for one. He’s liking the non-spinning spin, and he does like making runs against India.
19th over: Australia 52-4 (Smith 16, Head 20) Ric Finlay on the ABC doing the stats on Smith’s last 18 months in terms of modes of dismissal: leg before wicket is substantially up, but bowled is down, and the combination is about even. Read into that what you will. Rana is still targeting the pads, but not every ball, and Smith in between defensive efforts manages to drive two through cover point.
18th over: Australia 50-4 (Smith 14, Head 20) Washington after drinks, uneventful again. A single and a leg bye to raise the Australian 50. Small wins.
“Hope you have remote access to enable the Snooze button on Rob Smyth’s alarm, he can likely sleep in today,” writes James Cahill. Well, Smith and Head are threatening to make him wake up in the cold early northern hemisphere morning.
17th over: Australia 48-4 (Smith 13, Head 20) India lose a review! Smith is smashed on the pad again, angling in at the stumps. Rana is turned down, and the review is missing the umpire’s call designation by a whisker, green light on impact. So a review down, but it’s another missed flick from Smith, who commits himself to keeping out the next few balls, then does connect with a flick through wide mid on for a run. Head takes another easily to square leg.
Andrew Benton writes in. “I’m sure this test is just a blip for Australia, they’ll be back. No team with a series against Australia in the next year or two should be feeling smug, in fact they should be watching warily for the response next test. But India are just amazing.”
Drinks.
16th over: Australia 46-4 (Smith 12, Head 19) Spin time, Washington Sundar with his offies. Pretty quick, pretty flat, pretty innocuous first over.
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15th over: Australia 45-4 (Smith 11, Head 19) Scorched through cover again by Head! The last one was on the bounce, that one might have been airborne, but it has the pace and the direction to again reach the fence. Rana follows up with a beauty that beats the outside edge. This is fun cricket.
Paul Moody writes in. Any relation to Long Tom, who’s on ABC radio this week? “Gosh this is so exciting. Imagine if Oz were 6 or 7 down at the end of play today. I’m following by your words, but will go to Southern Cross in Kampot to watch a bit too.”
I’ve deduced that this means a bar in Cambodia. Have a cold Angkor for me.
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14th over: Australia 38-4 (Smith 10, Head 13) Bumrah is back. That was quick. Replacing Siraj, changing ends from the end where he took those wickets last night. And Head drives him through the covers! Into the ground and bouncing away past Washington the fielder, but smashed hard enough that this one does, finally, make the boundary. The first of the innings!
Narshan emails in. “Anyone ever seen a slower outfield in Australia? More grass than in Pattaya!”
You’re right, I can’t recall one slower.
Bumrah bowls a no-ball with his sixth, and has to re-deliver it. No run.
13th over: Australia 33-4 (Smith 10, Head 9) Runs still coming, Head drives one, Smith glides a couple using Rana’s pace. Then a shot that might make Smith feel better, his old faithful flick through the leg side, timed nicely and speeding away for two runs. That’s the shot that has been deserting him the last few years as he’s been lbw more and more often.
No comfort from the following ball though, short and into his stomach! Smashes into the solar plexus. That’s hurt Smith. He’s down on the ground, rocking on his back, taking a minute to catch his breath. Badly winded. That’s uncomfortable, but he gets back to his feet eventually to see out the over.
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12th over: Australia 28-4 (Smith 6, Head 8) Four for Head, but all run! He thrashes Siraj square, everyone expects it to reach the rope, but the slow outfield here sees it pull up short. That gives the batters time to get back. Next ball, nearly gets him, around the wicket angling in, Head thrashes at it, big inside edge into his knee, almost back onto the stumps. Siraj is rolling around on the ground in frustration.
Following that, he’s so pumped up that he demands, insists on an lbw dismissal when he crashes into Head’s pad next ball. The ball looks like it’s heading past the leg stump. Siraj though is heading for the slip cordon. He just takes off in a celebrappeal, ignores the umpire entirely and is throwing high fives with his fielders.
Meanwhile, Head is standing there looking bemused, as is the umpire. Not out. India have to review after that malarkey, and they think the ball has straightened, which it has but not enough. Umpire’s call, possibly grazing the leg stump.
Head gets off strike cutting a single.
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11th over: Australia 23-4 (Smith 6, Head 3) Bumrah is off. Surprisingly early, but he’s captain, and he asks Harshit Rana to come on and fire it down. He does, fires it down the leg side in terms of angle, though Smith’s pad gets in the way. The appeal is turned down. No run from the over.
10th over: Australia 23-4 (Smith 6, Head 3) This is top bowling from Siraj. Gets a ball to cut back in, Smith has to jab at it to keep it out. Then one holding the line, past the outside edge. Smith is happy to pull, taking a single.
9th over: Australia 22-4 (Smith 5, Head 3) Smith goes off to side against Bumrah here, dropping a run towards cover, before Head clips two through square leg. Odd that the runs are coming from Bumrah, and not the other end. Good from Australia to look to score against him though, carefully, rather than panicking and treating him like he’s impossible to face. Bumrah is around the wicket to Head, in at the stumps and the pads, with a short midwicket in place. He wants Head to fall over to the off side, flicking a catch there.
8th over: Australia 19-4 (Smith 4, Head 1) A maiden for Siraj, bowling to Head, who is playing just about everything to the leg side, hopping about a bit just to keep the ball out.
7th over: Australia 19-4 (Smith 4, Head 1) A couple of singles from the Bumrah over, both batters nudging to the leg side, keeping out the threat.
6th over: Australia 17-4 (Smith 3, Head 0) Travis Head to the middle. How does he play it? Australia with counter-attackers at 5 and 6, having just lost their premier long-innings merchant for a very short innings.
WICKET! Khawaja c Pant c Siraj 4, Australia 17-4
Ohh, Usman Khawaja. What is that. Do you need to be taking on the short ball second over of the day, with the new ball that bounces more? He says he does. Pull shot, top edge straight up, and Pant trots back to catch it. Poor, poor dismissal.
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5th over: Australia 17-3 (Khawaja 4, Smith 3) Hit on the pad first ball! Bumrah goes up! All the Indians go up! But it’s a no ball. The umpire wasn’t into it anyway, too high. Smith survives, then thrives, with a nice cover drive for three. That’s confident. Khawaja tucks a run around the corner, moving across to the off side. Runs from Bumrah? Huh.
Here we go…
Interesting little bit from Alex Carey on SEN radio this morning, saying that the main thing the remaining batters had to do was look at this as an opportunity to make runs rather than worrying about the result. Have as long a session in the middle as possible for the sake of their own games, knowing that can be beneficial for the remaining matches. Seems sensible, even if it’s not the flag-waving, save-the-day talk that some would favour.
So it will be Usman Khawaja to resume in quarter of an hour or so, having scored 3 from 9 balls, along with Steve Smith who will be on a king pair. Got out first ball in the first innings.
After that, Head, Marsh, Carey, and three of the four bowlers, with Cummins already done.
There’s always so much attention on Virat Kohli. It feels as though Australian cricket is almost as obsessed with him as Indian cricket.
Well, here’s yesterday’s century report, with a fair bit of Yashasvi Jaiswal too.
Preamble
Good morning from Perth, good day or afternoon or evening or witching hours wherever else in the world you may be. It’s sunny, it’s wildly windy, and it’s not going to get too hot today, and India will be bowling for victory with everything stacked on their side.
Here’s the equation. Australia are 522 runs behind. Three wickets down. And they have two full days to try to survive on a wicket that has already started demonstrating the erratic bounce associated with this Perth Stadium pitch on days four and five.
Buckley’s and none.
Yes, that margin was 522, five hundred and twenty two. That’s after Jaiswal and Kohli made centuries yesterday while some teammates batted and then clattered around them.
Australia, done in, then lost three wickets by stumps: first the makeshift opener McSweeney, then the captain Cummins trying to protect his first drop Labuschagne, then Labuschagne himself.
Things have gone very badly indeed in that Australian side since they bowled out India for 150 on day one. India, meanwhile, can go into a five-Test series one-up, unless something truly bizarre happens.
What’s in it for Australia? Try to get some good time in the middle against India’s bowlers, figure out a method against Bumrah, make the opposition toil and hurt for their win.
That’s about it. The recriminations will come later, but they may be tempered or intensified by the manner in which today plays out.
Let’s see.
