Defeat Australia by a record 295 runs

Facing a daunting target of 534 runs to win the opening Test, host Australia, resuming at the overnight score of 12 for 3, kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were bundled out for 238 by the Indian blowers in the final session of Day 4 at the at Optus Stadium in Perth.

For India, their pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj accounted for three top order batters each, and were supported by debutants Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy who scalped one each. Washington Sundar who was the lone spinner for the visitors on the other hand took two wickets.  For Australia, Travis Head who stitched two fifty plus partnership with Steve Smith and all-rounder Mitchell Starc for the fifth and sixth wicket respectively was the top scorer with 89 runs.

The Bumrah lead side in the absence of their key players of the likes of regular captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill took a 1-0 series lead in the five- match Test Series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and came at the back of their embarrassing 3-0 series loss to New Zealand at home earlier this month and are facing an uphill task ahead of them to make it to the World Test Championship final for the third time in a row.

 Earlier India after winning the toss and electing to bat first were dismissed for mere 150 runs in less than 50 overs on the opening day on which a record number of 17 wickets fell. Australian pacers lead by Josh Hazlewood made the best use of the green, bouncy pitch and accounted for four-wicket. All-rounder Reddy scored a fighting 41 and put on valuable seventh wicket of 48-run with wicket keeper Rishabh Pant, after the host were reduced to 73 for 6 proved to be crucial, even as opener KL Rahul, who showed resilience and a solid batting technique was given controversially given out by the third umpire after scoring 26.

The Indian skipper Bumrah ensured a fight back immediately and picked up three wickets in quick succession, including that of former Australian skipper Smith for a golden-duck, under the fading light after having accounted for debutant Nathan McSweeney trapped leg before forcing an edge of Usman Khawaja to slip. Rana, dismissed the aggressive Head cheaply, while Mitchell Marsh fell to the guile of Siraj and Australian skipper Pat Cummins was accounted for by his opposite number on Day 1 as well to leave the host precariously placed at 67 for 7.

Australians as they succumbed to 79 for 9 soon after resuming on Day 2 before tail enders Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood put on a fighting 25-run partnership. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 104 eventually, with Bumrah accounting five of those, his 11^th five wicket haul. Capitalising on an important 46 runs first innings lead, Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul took liking to the Perth pitch and put on a record 201-run for the first wicket spread over two days.

Jaiswal  who had scored a duck in the first innings reached his fourth Test century with a six over fine-leg courtesy a ramp shot of Hazlewood, for his third century of the calendar year and soon went on to convert the same into a 150 score. Rahul who took well set for a ton however edged one to wicket keeper Alex Carey off Starc when on 77 on Day 3. Jaiswal  too followed soon after in 161. Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli after a poor first inning outing who had spent appreciable time in the middle in the company of Jaiswal,m  then took on the Australian attack and scored his 30th Test century before India declared at 487 for 6.

Australia in their second essay lost three wickets under the fading light once again in the face of a fiery spell by Bumrah and Siraj. The former got the back of McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne and the latter dismissed Cummins who came in as night-watchman all in single digit. Australia lost the remaining seven wickets for further addition of 226 runs that ensured the tourists a historic win Down Under.

India's victory ranks alongside their famous wins at Gabba 2021 and Adelaide 2003. Captain Bumrah's leadership and bowling excellence epitomized India's dominance, turning early adversity into their biggest win against Australia - a historic triumph that takes them to No.1 in the WTC standing

Pat Cummins, Australia Captain post the match said, “It’s fairly disappointing, especially given how well we prepared for the game. But cricket is like that—you have to get back on the horse quickly after a loss. We’ll take a couple of days off and then return to the field in Adelaide.We didn’t really give ourselves a chance, particularly during that tricky period on Day 1. If we had navigated it better, things could have turned out differently. There are plenty of experienced players in the dressing room, and this is just the start of a big summer. It’s a sample size of one, and I’m confident we’ll bounce back. Lots of conversations ahead to set things right."

 An elated Jasprit Bumrah, Indian Captain & Player of the Match who finished with match figures of 8 for 72 said, “ Feeling very happy. We were under pressure in the first innings, but the way we responded was fantastic. I remember playing here in 2018—the wicket back then started soft, but this one was less spicy. Our preparation paid off well. I kept reminding everyone to trust their abilities, and it worked.Jaiswal played his best Test innings so far; his shot selection and judgment were excellent. As for Virat, I never felt he was out of form. It’s tough to judge on challenging pitches, but he looked solid in the nets and performed well. The crowd’s support was amazing as always—it lifts us, and we feed off that energy."

Multiple Records Shattered

a) The win is India’s biggest by the margin of runs against Australia in Australia. The previous biggest win dates back to 1977, when India won their first Test Down Under in Melbourne. It is also their 10th Test victory in the country.

b) In the overall contests between these two nations, it was the second biggest Test win (in terms of runs) after the Mohali Test (2008), when India had won by 320 runs.

c) Laying the foundation for the win was the stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, who snapped eight wickets across the Test, including a five-for in the first innings.

d) Bumrah became only the second captain from Asia to lead his team to a Test win against Australia in Perth - after Anil Kumble (2008). The 30-year-old pacer levelled the record for most five-wicket hauls for India in Tests in the SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). Bumrah is now level with Kapil Dev atop the tally with seven five-fors.

e) Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul combined to add 201 runs - the highest opening wicket stand for India in Australia.

g) Jaiswal became only the second player to convert his first four Test hundreds into 150 plus scores - the other being former South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

h) Also back in form for India in the longest format was Virat Kohli, who notched his 30th Test ton, his first in Australia since 2018. It was the seventh overall Test hundred for Kohli Down Under - most by an Indian batter in the country. He broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of six centuries in 20 Tests.

Brief Scores (First Test Match):

India - 150 all out in 49.4 Overs (Nitish Kumar Reddy 41, Rishabh Pant 37, KL Rahul 26; Josh Hazlewood 4/29, Mitchell Marsh 2/12, Mitchell Starc 2/14, Pat Cummins 2/67) and 487/6 decl. 134.3 in Overs)  (Yashasvi Jaiswal 161, Virat Kohli 100*, KL Rahul 77, Nitish Reddy 38*, Extras 55; Nathan Lyon 2/96, Josh Hazlewood 1/28,  Mitchell Marsh 1/65,  Pat Cummins 1/86, Mitchell Starc 1/111) beat Australia - 104 all out in 51.2 Overs (Mitchell Starc 26, Alex Carey 21; Jasprit Bumrah 5/30, Harshit Rana 3/48, Mohammed Siraj 2/20) and 238 all out in 58.4 Overs) (Travis Head 89, Mitchell Marsh 47, Alex Carey 36; Jasprit Bumrah 3/42, Mohammed Siraj 3/51, Washington Sundar 2/48, Nitish Reddy 1/21, Harshit Rana 1/69) by 295 runs. Player of the Match: Jasprit Bumrah (India)