MCG Test: Boland, Starc put Australia in command on Day 1
Jasprit Bumrah won the toss, but Pat Cummins' pacers exploited the conditions in Sydney on day one.
Jasprit Bumrah won the toss, but Pat Cummins' pacers exploited the conditions in Sydney on day one.
Jasprit Bumrah won the toss, but Pat Cummins' pacers exploited the conditions in Sydney on day one.
With their relentless accuracy, Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc ripped through the Indian batting line-up on Friday to put Australia in a commanding position on day one of the fifth and final Tests of the five-match series.
The visitors were all out for 185 after Jasprit Bumrah, captaining the side after underperforming Rohit Sharma opted out of the Test, decided to bat first on a greenish wicket at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The pitch was so green that Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar felt cows could graze on it.
Boland, playing in place of an injured Josh Hazlewood, scalped four for 31, while Starc took 3/49.
In reply, Australia lost Usman Khawaja for two on the last ball before stumps, with Bumrah doing the damage, leaving them at 9-1 with Sam Konstas on seven.
"It was disappointing losing a wicket on the last ball of the day, but it's a pretty good position after they won the toss," said Boland, whose side leads the series 2-1. "Hopefully, the sun's out, and we can bat all day (on Saturday). There's still a nice covering of grass on the wicket, and hopefully, another good day for us tomorrow."
None of the Indian batsmen fired, with kingpin Virat Kohli again falling cheaply while Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made a brilliant century in the previous Test at Melbourne, was out for a golden duck.
Kohli had a huge let-off on his first ball and finally departed for 17, following KL Rahul (4), Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) and Shubman Gill (20).
Rishabh Pant made a battling 40 but that was as good as it got for India.
Regular captain and opener Rohit was rested, India said, after failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings during the series. It was a significant move and could spell the end of the 37-year-old's 67-match Test career.
Fellow veteran Kohli, 36, has similarly been under pressure since an unbeaten 100 in the first Test at Perth, with his inability to again build a big score set to intensify the scrutiny.
Rahul reverted to opener alongside Jaiswal, with Gill returning at three.
But the ploy backfired with Rahul out softly with Starc tempting him to clip a full delivery to Konstas at cover.
There were concerns ahead of the Test over star seamer Starc's fitness but he showed no discomfort and routinely troubled the batsmen.
(With AFP report)