PERTH, Australia, Nov 22, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - India roared back into the first 
Test against Australia on Friday after being skittled for 150, taking seven 
wickets in the final session to put themselves in the box seat after a 
riveting opening day in Perth.

At the close the hosts were in disarray on 67-7 after Jasprit Bumrah 
demolished the Australian top order in a devastating spell to end the day 
with 4-17.

Alex Carey was unbeaten on 19 and Mitchell Starc not-out six.

After opting to bat the visitors were blown away for 150, no match for the 
hosts' lethal pace attack with Josh Hazlewood taking 4-29.

Impressive debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and flamboyant Rishabh Pant (37) 
showed some spirit but once again superstar Virat Kohli flopped, out for 
five.

The 36-year-old has only managed two Test centuries in the last five years, 
with questions mounting over whether he still warrants selection.

But Australia fared no better in reply.

Captain Bumrah removed rookie opener Nathan McSweeney lbw for 10, another 
headache for a team struggling to find a decent replacement for the retired 
David Warner.

Marnus Labuschagne had a massive letoff two balls later, with Kohli putting 
down a sitter in the slips, leaving Bumrah with his head in his hands.

But India quickly snared another breakthrough with Kohli this time holding 
the catch off Bumrah to remove Usman Khawaja (8), and when Steve Smith was 
trapped lbw next ball, it was game on.

Harshit Rana clean-bowled Travis Head (11) for a maiden Test wicket before 
Mitchell Marsh departed for five, caught low in the slips by KL Rahul off 
Mohammed Siraj.

Labuschagne rode his luck for 52 balls to eke out two runs before he too was 
on his way, lbw to Siraj, then Bumrah returned to dismiss skipper Pat Cummins 
(3).

- Fragile -

After a crushing 3-0 home series defeat by New Zealand, India sprung a 
surprise by dropping veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, allrounder Ravindra 
Jadeja and middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan.

Coupled with the absence of opener and regular skipper Rohit Sharma following 
the birth of a child, and without injured number three Shubman Gill, it left 
them a fragile batting lineup.

Yashasvi Jaiswal left without scoring in the third over, edging an attempted 
drive off Starc to McSweeney, who did well to collect low at gully.

With Gill missing, left-hander Devdutt Padikkal came in at three, facing 23 
deliveries without scoring before his luck ran out when Hazlewood steamed in 
and enticed an edge taken by wicketkeeper Carey.

That brought Kohli to the crease, in dire need of a big score.

Despite a stellar record in Australia he lasted just 12 balls before fending 
off a climbing Hazlewood thunderbolt that took an edge to Khawaja at slip.

India's woes worsened when opener Rahul (26) feathered to Carey on the cusp 
of lunch.

Pant and Dhruv Jurel needed to hang around after the break.

But Jurel, preferred to Sarfaraz, survived barely 10 minutes before 
succumbing to Marsh on 11, getting an edge that carried to third slip 
Labuschagne.

Marsh struck again to account for Washington Sundar to leave the visitors 
staring down the barrel on 73-6 before Pant and Reddy led a mini recovery.

Cummins finally ended Pant's exploits, taken sharply at slip by Smith, which 
signalled India's demise.

The visitors have won their last two Border-Gavaskar trophy series in 
Australia.

Perth is the first of five Tests in the series.