AUSTRALIAN pacer Mitchell Starc dismantled India’s batting line-up, taking 6-48, as the visitors were bowled out for 180 on the first day of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide on Friday.
After India captain Rohit Sharma opted to bat first, the team faltered under overcast conditions, with their innings ending just before tea.
Starc set the tone immediately, trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw with the first ball of the match. Support came from Scott Boland and Pat Cummins, who claimed two wickets each. India lost six wickets in the second session, including Rohit for three and Rishabh Pant for 21.
Pant survived an early chance on five when Nathan McSweeney dropped him in the gully off Boland. However, Boland dismissed Rohit lbw shortly after, and Cummins accounted for Pant, whose edge off a rising delivery was caught by Marnus Labuschagne.
Starc returned for a devastating spell, dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin (22) and Harshit Rana (0) in quick succession. Nitish Kumar Reddy showed resistance with a career-best 42, hitting two sixes in a Boland over, but Starc and Cummins wrapped up the innings, dismissing him and Jasprit Bumrah.
India had entered the match buoyed by a 295-run victory in Perth but faced a tough challenge in Adelaide, where Australia have won all seven of their pink-ball Tests.
Rohit, returning after paternity leave, batted at number six as India retained Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as openers. Starc’s inswinger dismissed Jaiswal lbw for a golden duck, while Rahul survived multiple chances before being caught by McSweeney at gully for 37.
Shubman Gill, back after recovering from a thumb injury, scored 31 but fell to Boland just before the first break. Virat Kohli, coming off an unbeaten century in Perth, was dismissed for seven when Steve Smith caught him in the slips off Starc.
(With inputs from AFP)
Vikram Doraiswami
Andrew Quintman
Lord Jitesh Gadhia