Australia’s Worst Starts In Home Tests This Century, Full List: India Reduce Hosts To 38–5 In Perth

Having lost the toss and been asked to field first, Australia still spent a considerable amount of time batting on day one after bowling India out for 150. It was India’s joint-lowest score when batting first in a Test match in Australia, alongside their 150 all-out at Sydney in 2000. It was also the third-worst total in Australia for a team who chose the bat first.

However, India stormed back into the game when they got their hands on the ball. Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah took a wicket in his second over, trapping debutant Nathan McSweeney lbw before Virat Kohli made up for a drop by clinging on to an edge from Usman Khawaja in the slips to give Bumrah a second wicket.

Bumrah made it two in two with his next ball which trapped Steve Smith lbw for a first-ball duck. India debutant Harshit Rana then joined the action by bowling Travis Head with a beauty for his maiden wicket, before Mohammed Siraj dismissed Mitchell Marsh to leave Australia five down having score just 38 runs.

A scratchy innings from Marnus Labuschagne after surviving an early reprieve from Virat Kohli.

Scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/r64ntQ4mIM pic.twitter.com/87DcnxMjJA

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 22, 2024

That’s the second-lowest number of runs for which Australia have lost five wickets in a home Test this century, only beaten by their infamous collapse to South Africa in Hobart in 2016 when they were reduced to 5-17.

Siraj went on to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne in Perth, leaving them 47-6 in the evening of day one and still trailing India by 103. That is also the second-lowest number of runs for which Australia have lost six wickets in a home Test this century, once again only beaten by the South Africa Test match in 2016 (31-6).

However, Bumrah also managed to dismiss Pat Cummins before the end of play, leaving Australia 59-7. That’s joint-least amount of runs Australia have lost seven wickets for in a home Test this century, equalling the Hobart Test in 2016.

Full list: Australia’s worst starts in home Tests this century

*Australia were later reduced to 31-6 by South Africa in Hobart, which is the lowest score for which they’ve lost six wickets in a Test this century.

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