India vs Australia, 1st Test: Jasprit Bumrah elects to bat
The Indian cricket team is up against Australia in the first Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar series. The Optus Stadium in Perth is hosting the series opener. This series has high stakes as both teams are eyeing a place in the World Test Championship final. Meanwhile, stand-in Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah has won the toss and elected to bat first.
Key details regarding the line-ups
Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana have been handed their maiden Test caps. Interestingly, both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been benched in favor of fellow off-spinner Washington Sundar. Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal, playing his second Test, will bat at number three with KL Rahul set to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. For Australia, opener Nathan McSweeney has made his Test debut with Steve Smith returning to his usual number four position.
Optus Stadium pitch promises pace and bounce
The Optus Stadium is famous for its pace and bounce, with an average first-innings score of 456 in four Tests. Isaac McDonald, head curator of Western Australia Cricket, has promised "really good pace, really good bounce, and really good carry" for the upcoming match. Meanwhile, the match will start at 7:50am IST and can be watched live on DD Sports and Star Sports Network or streamed on Disney+Hotstar app.
Can India overcome NZ upset?
Team India is going through a rough patch after losing their first home Test series in 12 years to New Zealand. Although they won their last two tours Down Under (2018-19 and 2020-21), recent form has raised questions on the world's No.1 team. The Indian squad for the first game is being led by Jasprit Bumrah, with Rohit Sharma (personal reasons) and Shubman Gill (injury) unavailable.
Australia's key players and weather forecast
Pat Cummins will lead the Australian side. His abilities could be a threat on Perth's fast and bouncy wicket, particularly to Virat Kohli early on. Bumrah's battle with Australia's middle order is also expected to be pivotal considering his phenomenal record against Australia. The weather on the match day is clear and no interruptions are expected due to bad weather.
India vs Australia: A historical perspective
According to ESPNcricinfo, India and Australia have clashed 107 times in the longest format. Out of these, Team India has won 32 while Australia has emerged victorious in 45 matches. On Australian soil, the Indian team has managed to win nine matches out of 52. The rest have ended in 30 losses and 13 draws for India. Notably, India have won each of their last four bilateral Test series against Australia, including two Down Under.
Here are the key performers
In 13 Tests on Australian soil, Kohli has scored 1,352 runs at 54.08 (HS: 169). 152 of Cummins's scalps have come at home at 19.69. Mitchell Starc has 217 scalps in 50 home Test matches at 26.28. Bumrah boasts 113 wickets across 26 SENA Tests at 23.28. The tally includes six five-wicket hauls. Nathan Lyon has claimed 259 wickets in 67 home Tests at 30.88.
Here are the playing XIs
Australia (Playing XI): Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood. India (Playing XI): KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj.
