The atmosphere at Optus Stadium was electric as the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicked off. Visiting captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and elected to bat first.
The fast and bouncy Perth pitch lived up to its reputation as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood unleashed fiery spells. India’s scorecard read 5/0 after two overs, with openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal cautiously handling the testing conditions.
However, the partnership was short-lived as Starc made an early breakthrough, removing Jaiswal with a brilliant delivery.On the first ball of the third over, Starc bowled a perfect inswinger that moved just enough.
Full and inviting, it tempted Jaiswal to push forward for a risky cover drive. But the ball found the thick edge, racing through the gully region. Debutant Nathan McSweeney, stationed perfectly, reacted quickly to take a sharp catch, sending Jaiswal back for a duck.
— Pandit Pranoob (@pranoob76889) November 22, 2024
The Twitterverse buzzed with praise for Starc’s fiery start while sympathizing with Jaiswal’s misfortune in the challenging Australian conditions.