Jasprit goes boom, boom, boom, boom

Stand-in skipper rips through Aussie top order with four-for to regain advantage after Hazlewood helps restrict India to 150

There was a time when India didn’t have the pace resources to fight fire with sustained fire in foreign lands. Now, they have Jasprit Bumrah, and a host of support personnel, to give back as good as they get. Bumrah is regarded as the best all-format bowler going in world cricket, and he reiterated why with a fabulous burst of fast bowling at the Optus Stadium on Friday, the opening day of India’s first Test against Australia.

Standing in for Rohit Sharma, the temporary skipper spearheaded a wonderful fightback after his batters had disappointed in folding up for 150, taking 4-17 in 10 hostile overs to leave the hosts gasping at 67-7 at the conclusion of an absorbing day’s play.

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Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of Steve Smith yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

A good Test pitch is generally considered to be one that facilitates almost equal balance between bat and ball, with the scales slightly tilted in favour of the bowlers, but this strip was a fast bowlers’ paradise, marrying bounce and carry with prodigious lateral movement. Australia’s quicks, accustomed to these conditions, were on top of their game, but it was heartening to see India top them through the brilliance of Bumrah, the perseverance of Mohammed Siraj and the fire of debutant Harshit Rana, who produced an absolute beauty to get rid of Travis Head.

Wearing the twin hats of captain and bowling spearhead, Bumrah revelled in both roles. He set the tempo by slipping into excellent rhythm and hitting the lengths that would bring success, evidenced by the leg before dismissals on a bouncy track of Nathan McSweeney, the debutant opener, and Steve Smith. Even though he had the misfortune of seeing Virat Kohli at second slip shell Marnus Labuschagne second ball when the batsman had yet to get off the mark, Bumrah kept charging in, offering no respite despite bowling a long first spell of six overs that brought him three for nine.

Siraj and Rana were able understudies, keeping up the pressure built by their skipper and offering Australia no loose offerings whatsoever. Siraj ended Labuschagne’s misery by trapping him in front for a 52-ball two after earlier having accounted for Mitchell Marsh, while Rana will remember his first Test wicket with great fondness. From round the stumps, he angled a full ball into the left-handed Head, they got it to nip away on pitching to hit the off-stump. Perhaps the ball of the day on a day of several near-unplayable deliveries.

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