It was tough going for Australia in Perth, with Pat Cummins’ men on the receiving end of a 295-run thrashing in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar series.
Australia’s top order struggled against Jasprit Bumrah and India batters Yashavsi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli bagged confidence-boosting hundreds ahead of the second Test in Adelaide.
Who shone, and who was a flop? We rate all 22 players.
Australia
Usman Khawaja: Made 12 runs all up. It’s the fewest he has made in a Test on home soil where he has batted twice. Has been Australia’s rock at the top of the order in recent years but had an ordinary start to this series. Is too good not to fire later in the series. 2/10
Nathan McSweeney: Worst debut on record by an Australian Test opener since 1979. Concerns about his ability to handle the new ball haven’t subsided with scores of 10 and zero. Will get another opportunity in Adelaide, but the drums will start beating if he doesn’t make runs on his home pitch. 2/10
Marnus Labuschagne: Two ugly dismissals did little to allay concerns about his form. Needs to make some technical tweaks and get a better understanding of the balls he needs to play and those should be letting go. Jasprit Bumrah is living inside Labuschagne’s head right now. 1/10
Steve Smith: Endured his second golden duck this year, and although he fared a bit better in the second innings, still didn’t make a score of note. One of the game’s best problem-solvers will have to nullify Bumrah if Australia is to stand a chance in this series. 2.5/10
Travis Head: Missed out in the first innings but looked more comfortable than any of his teammates in the second. As others perished, Head flourished. Made three times the runs in the second innings than Australia’s top four did for the match combined. Although Head’s runs were made when the match was gone, he did save Australia from further scorn. 7/10
Mitch Marsh: Scores of 6 and 47. Like Head, he would have loved to fire in the first innings. Got through 17 overs with the ball but went for nearly six an over in the second innings. 6/10
Travis Head was Australia’s best with the bat.Credit: AP
Alex Carey: Let through more byes than he would have liked for the match (26) but was tidy behind the stumps otherwise. Scores of 21 and 36 keeps him out of the firing line. 6/10
Pat Cummins: Match figures of 3-153 plus five runs with the bat. Didn’t bowl badly but not at his best. His toughest home defeat as skipper. The body language of the team was questioned by former Test batsman Greg Blewett. As skipper, the game drifted on day three as Virat Kohli made his way to triple figures. 5/10
Mitchell Starc: Snared 2-14 in the first innings to put India on the ropes but he and other bowlers didn’t get much support from Australia’s batters. Finished with 1-111 in the second innings. Got sledged by Yashasvi Jaiswal for bowling too slow at one point. 6.5/10
Nathan Lyon: Match figures of 2-119 across 44 overs. Averaged under 18 at Perth Stadium before this game. Didn’t have the impact he would have liked. 5/10
Josh Hazlewood celebrates a wicket in Perth.Credit: Getty Images
Josh Hazlewood: Outstanding in the first innings with 4-29 from 13 overs before making runs hard to come by with 1-28 from 21 in the second. Soaked up 42 balls while batting and wasn’t dismissed in the Test. 7.5/10
Tom Decent
India
Yashasvi Jaiswal: May have played the most important knock of his young but already brilliant Test career by advancing to 161 runs and deflating Australia after only 46 runs separated the teams after the first innings. Looked a class above anything the Australian bowlers could serve up. Was not shy of a word in the middle. 10/10
KL Rahul: An enigmatic career has been revived with a vital top-order contribution in each innings. Rahul was out to a contentious caught-behind decision in the first innings but had already shown he could survive. Shepherded Jaiswal expertly in a second innings opening stand that put India in command. 9/10
India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his century.Credit: AP
Devdutt Padikkal: Out for a duck in the first innings before making 25 in the second. Not the worst performance for a young player in his first innings in Perth, but he looks likely to be the player to make way when Rohit Sharma returns. 5/10
Virat Kohli: Surprised by a short ball on day one to depart for another low score, Kohli was energetic in the field on the critical first evening as Bumrah turned the match, and made the most of the platform provided by Jaiswal to sculpt a century of growing fluency. He now has the platform for a big series. 8/10
Rishabh Pant: A vital batting contribution on the first day and a solid display behind the stumps. Rishabh’s biggest contribution was arguably being here at all after his incredible recovery from a serious car accident. A five-Test series will test his reconstructed knee. 7/10
Dhruv Jurel: Looked the most composed and organised of the batters for India A before this series, but could not get into the game in either innings. Will be vying with Padikkal to keep his spot for Adelaide should Rohit return. 3/10
Washington Sundar: Batted handily opposite Kohli on day three, but otherwise played a minor role for India in conditions where pace bowling dominated. Nevertheless, Sundar’s competence with the bat and ability to bowl serviceable off-spin means he will remain an important option. 5/10
Nitish Kumar Reddy: Showed plenty with the bat in each innings, and his 41 on the opening day took on critical dimensions after Bumrah cut through the Australian top order in the last couple of hours. Scored freely on day three against a tiring home attack. Was not needed too much with the ball. 8/10
Harshit Rana: Three key wickets in the first innings including that of India’s recent nemesis Travis Head. Provided vital support for Bumrah and Siraj, bowling at a good pace while moving the ball just enough. Will be tested further as the series goes on. 7/10
Jasprit Bumrah turned the match India’s way.Credit: Getty Images
Jasprit Bumrah: A supreme spell on the first evening turned the match and perhaps the series. Gave nightmares to Australia’s batters with his awkward bowling action and brilliant control of the seam to move the ball both ways. Grew visibly with the responsibility of captaincy, but must now hand the reins back to Rohit. 10/10
Mohammed Siraj: Regained the hostile edge that he brought to his bowling here during a breakout tour in 2020-21 to be the perfect foil for Bumrah. Found a classic away seamer to defeat Steve Smith on the final day. 8/10
Daniel Brettig
