Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024: The most awaited India vs Australia Test series is underway at the Optus Stadium, Perth. India are the defending champions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and have won it four consecutive times prior to this series. The India n team is eyeing its fifth consecutive Border-Gavaskar crown. In their last two tours to Australia, India defeated them 2-1 on both the occasions. This time around, the BGT is being played across five Test matches.

In the first Test match of the series, the Indian team looked pretty dismal with the bat in hand. The drop-in pitch at the Optus Stadium lived up to its promise of being bouncy with a lot of purchase for the seamers. The Aussie pacers bowled meticulously and bundled out Indian for 150 runs. In reply, Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah took the onus upon himself to restrict the Aussies. Bumrah took a fifer and bowled Australia out for 104 runs.

Jasprit Bumrah Equals Kapil Dev’s Record

India’s stand-in Test skipper Jasprit Bumrah has been a matchwinner for many years now and he delivers everytime the need arises. Bumrah looked at his very best at Perth and ended up dismissing Australian heavyweights Usman Khawaja, debutant Nathan McSweeney, Steven Smith, Alex Carey and Australian skipper Pat Cummins.

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All the fiver players are proven matchwinners for Australia and they could’ve easily nullified the trail, but the Aussie batters did not have any answers to Bumrah’s brilliance. Bumrah had finished Day 1 with four wickets. The historic fifth came on the second day of the Perth Test in the form of Pat Cummins. The Indian stand-in Test skipper has now equalled Kapil Dev’s record of having the most number of five wicket hauls in SENA countries which is seven.

India Grind Australia At Perth

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After bundling out the Aussies for 104 odd runs, the Indian batters fancied their chances and played the likes of Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood on merit. The Indian team has a herculean task ahead of them and they look to defeat the mighty Aussies at the Optus, which is kind of their fortress.