The Border-Gavaskar Trophy indeed feels like the battle everyone anticipated. The first Test between India and Australia started with India batting in the first innings. The pressure and competition between the two teams were evident as the Indian batters struggled, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal failing to score any runs. Even the star batter Virat Kohli was dismissed for just 5 runs. However, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rishabh Pant offered hope with a promising partnership that took India to a score of 150.
Initially, it seemed that India might struggle to recover, but when Australia batted in the second innings, India made a strong comeback, hinting at their potential to win the match in Perth. Let’s see three reasons why India can still win this match.
KL Rahul – The opener shows great promise
In Rohit Sharma’s absence, KL Rahul opened the innings for India alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and showed great promise. Although Rahul was unlucky in the first innings due to a controversial decision, he managed to face more than 70 balls, demonstrating his ability to give India solid starts. He has the potential to achieve great things and build a competitive score for India in the second innings, setting a challenging target for Australia.
India has a deep batting lineup
Despite their misfortune in the first innings, it’s important to acknowledge India’s deep batting lineup. Rishabh Pant, with the support of Nitish Kumar Reddy, managed to put runs on the board. Nitish, who came in at number 8, played well, and both contributed a lot of runs to the team’s total. Even Harshit Rana might add valuable runs towards the end in the second innings. India’s deep batting lineup could prove important in putting up a considerable score.
Bumrah-led Indian pace attack seems quite dangerous
Jasprit Bumrah and Co. delivered an impressive performance. Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Bumrah themselves applied immense pressure on the Australian team, leading to early wickets in their first innings. This formidable trio could be key in securing victory for India if they manage to set a decent total and target.
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