PERTH: Indian fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took three wickets each as the tourists hammered Australia by 295 runs in the first Test at the Perth Stadium in Perth, Australia, on Monday.
Australia were bowled out for 238 after tea on the fourth day, and pacer Harshit Rana ended the fourth innings by clean-bowling keeper Alex Carey for 36 to ensure India’s 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The last time Australia won a series at home after losing the opening Test was 55 years ago against the West Indies.
“Quite disappointing,” Australian captain Pat Cummins said.
“It was just one of those games where things didn’t go well. We didn’t really give ourselves a chance in some different areas… so there’s some different areas we have to clean up.”
After opting to bat on the first day of the shutout, India were all out for 150 before fighting back to dismiss Australia for 104 courtesy of Bumrah’s five-wicket haul.
Double-captains Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal lifted the tourists to 487-6 declared, setting a huge fourth-innings target of 534 for the hosts.
“Less spicy”
Resuming day four with the score at 12-3, the hosts soon lost Usman Khawaja (four) after Siraj mistimed the opener (3-51) off wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.
Rana (1-69) bowled fire, temporarily immobilizing Steve Smith with a rib tickle and making Travis Head jump as the pair added a 62.
Steve Smith returned to his preferred number four position after an ill-fated opening experience, falling to 17th to Siraj.
Head overstepped the bounds frequently on his way to 89 but fell shy of his eighth Test ton when he edged Bumrah’s Pant (3-42), who picked up eight wickets for the match.
Bumrah was the captain in place of Rohit Sharma, who missed the match as he recently welcomed his second child but has since returned to the team.
“Very happy with the start, we were under pressure in the first innings but the way we responded after that, I’m really proud of the team,” said Bumrah, who was named man of the match after the 8-72 win. Both rounds.
“Obviously this wicket was a little less exciting than the last game I played here, but we were really well prepared.
“So I was telling everyone to trust their process and their ability, because right here in this moment, you have an opportunity to do something special.”
Mitchell Marsh put on 47 before debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy clipped onto the stumps, and Drev Gurriel showed his reflexes at short leg to catch Mitchell Starc (12) off Washington Sundar (2-48) before tea.
Washington bowled to Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon after the break for a duck as India cruised to a welcome win, which comes after their 3-0 home defeat to New Zealand earlier this month.
Tailender Josh Hazlewood remains unbeaten with four.
India have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2016-17.
The series moves to Adelaide for the second Test starting on December 6.