Perth: It was at 3.47pm local time that Harshit Rana spread his arms and set off on a run in celebration after taking the final Australian wicket. India had finally finished the hosts off to seal one of their most memorable wins in Test cricket — one that, Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah said, his son will hear stories of in the years to come.
He probably won’t be alone, for such were the twists and turns of this Perth Test that it left a mark on all those watching. Stories will be told. Memories will be made. Hosannas will be sung.
India won the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series by 295 runs with more than a day to spare. Chasing a 534-run target for victory, Australia were bowled out for 238 in 58.4 overs on day four, with Travis Head’s 89 the only real piece of resistance.
The Perth defeat was Australia’s heaviest in terms of runs on home soil since 2012 – a 309-run loss to South Africa at the WACA – and few people would have seen it coming when they bowled India out for 150 in the first innings. It was also the first time Australia have lost a match at the Optus stadium.
“Very proud of this team,” said a beaming Bumrah in the post-match press conference. “We were put under pressure in the first innings when we were bowled out for 150, but then, the team showed character and didn’t lose belief.”
The win seems even more remarkable when one considers that this team flew in from India having lost 3-0 against New Zealand with no tour game scheduled. Captain Rohit Sharma didn’t fly in with them, and Jasprit Bumrah was asked to fill in. The first Test was to be played on a pacy Perth track, and even before the match could begin, an injury to Shubman Gill ruled him out.
One could go on: Kohli wasn’t in great form; the pace attack featured two debutants; Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel were drafted in from the A team; and the disparity in experience (either past their prime or too war) meant that most observers gave Australia an advantage.
But try telling this Indian team that the odds are stacked against them and they’ll sneer at you.
“The biggest positive for me was when we got out of the 150 nobody in the dressing room was down because everybody was confident that if they back their own ability, we can also make an impact. So, I think that, going further, will help us in a good sense, because as I said, this is a tough place to play cricket and you will be put under pressure. But when you respond to pressure, that gives you a lot of confidence going further in your career,” Bumrah said..
The manner in which India fought back showed that few things intimidate this team anymore. Bumrah stepped up as bowler and captain to put a dent in the Aussies and then the batters took things to another level. They found a new hero each time they needed one, and Day 4 was little more than a formality.
“I think it was a fair few things,” said Australia skipper Pat Cummins when asked what went wrong for the hosts. “150… I thought placed us quite well. Obviously, the game sped up that night of day one. They bowled terrifically well and put a dent into us and once the pitch started to slow down a little bit, we weren’t as well placed and we were back out in the field and couldn’t get the breakthroughs. I thought they played really well, just not much went our way this game.”
The local media is already calling it a humiliation for the hosts — there are calls for a revamp, calls for batters to be dropped and bowlers to have better plans. The last time Australia recovered after losing the first match to win a Test series was the 1997 Ashes tour of England, while for a home series you have to go back to the 1968-69 summer against the West Indies. So the visitors definitely have an advantage now, but the next Test at Adelaide is a day-night affair and that will bring the challenge of a different wicket and the pink ball.
Not that Bumrah is too worried.
“I would never mind the wicket having bounce and seam movement because I love watching fast bowlers bowl and I love to bowl on such wickets as well,” said Bumrah.
“When you come in India, the wickets are different. Over here, it’s a different challenge with the Kookaburra ball. You get seam movement; you get bounce and a different aspect comes into play. Everything is tested and when the pitch settles down, the ball gets a little older, it becomes easier to bat on. So, then the challenge comes of your accuracy and the patience that you have.”
The other thing India will be very happy with is that skipper Rohit Sharma is back with the team and had his first net session in Australia on Monday afternoon. But, for now, the visitors will want to just enjoy the win and soak in the joy. These are the moments you play sport for. There are still four matches left in the series but, as they say, well begun is half done
