India’s opening batsman KL Rahul’s controversial dismissal on Day 1 of the opening Test against Australia has ignited widespread debate. The incident occurred in the 23rd over of India’s innings when Mitchell Starc bowled a delivery that angled across Rahul. Rahul, who had made 26 from 74 balls, got forward to defend, and the ball passed close to his bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Initially, on-field umpire Marais Erasmus ruled it not out, but Australia opted for a review. The decision was overturned after Snicko showed a faint spike, indicating contact between bat and ball. However, the front-on replay, which is critical for confirming whether the sound came from the bat or bat-pad contact, was inconclusive. Despite the ambiguity, third umpire Richard Illingworth upheld the review and ruled Rahul out, citing the spike as sufficient evidence of an edge.
Former elite umpire Simon Taufel later explained the decision on 7Cricket. “We saw with that side-on shot there was a spike on RTS with the bat away from the pad,” Taufel said. “Therefore, rolling that through in its natural course, you may have seen that second spike come through, had it been rolled all the way through.”
Rahul, visibly frustrated, walked back to the pavilion in disbelief. The dismissal proved costly as India collapsed to 47/4 against a relentless Australian pace attack.
India's poor batting performance continued throughout the day, with the team being bowled out for just 150 in 49.4 overs. Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah’s decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired, as none of the Indian batters managed to score more than 45 runs.
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India’s Top-order Fails to Deliver
India's top-order suffered a disastrous collapse, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal both dismissed for ducks. Virat Kohli (5), Dhruv Jurel (11), and Washington Sundar (4) also fell cheaply. Rahul's 26 was the only significant contribution before his controversial dismissal.
Rishabh Pant (37) and debutant Nitish Reddy (41) added 48 runs before Pant’s dismissal. Reddy, the last batter to fall, was dismissed as India’s innings folded.
Australia's Bowling Attack Dominates
Australia’s bowlers were in commanding form. Josh Hazlewood was the standout performer, claiming 4/29 from 13 overs. Mitchell Starc supported him well, taking 2/14 from 11 overs. Captain Pat Cummins claimed 2/27 in 15.4 overs, while Mitchell Marsh impressed with 2/12 in just five overs. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon bowled five wicket-less overs.
India’s batting collapse has left them with a mountain to climb on the second day of the Test.
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IND vs AUS 1st Test squads:
India: Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
