AFP – A relentless Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc sliced through an Indian batting line-up missing Rohit Sharma yesterday to put Australia in a commanding position after day one of the fifth and final Test.
The visitors were all out for 185 after Jasprit Bumrah – captaining the side with Rohit “rested” – sent his team in at a sold-out Sydney Cricket Ground.
Boland was the chief destroyer with 4-31 while Starc took 3-49.
In reply, Australia lost Usman Khawaja for two on the last ball before stumps with Bumrah doing the damage, leaving them at 9-1 with Sam Konstas on seven.
Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw.
“It was disappointing losing a wicket on the last ball of the day but it’s a pretty good position after they won the toss,” said Boland, whose side leads the series 2-1.
“Hopefully the sun’s out and we can bat all day (today). There’s still a nice covering of grass on the wicket and hopefully another good day for us tomorrow.”
None of the Indian batsmen fired, with kingpin Virat Kohli again falling cheaply while Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made a brilliant century in the previous Test at Melbourne, was out for a golden duck.
Kohli had a huge let-off on his first ball and finally departed for 17, following KL Rahul (4), Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) and Shubman Gill (20).
Rishabh Pant made a battling 40 but that was as good as it got for India.
“I wouldn’t say it was a bad score… it’s still a very competitive score because the way the ball is moving now there’s a lot of help for the bowlers,” said Pant, who called Rohit’s omission “emotional”.
Regular captain and opener Rohit was rested, India said, after failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings during the series.
It was a significant move and could spell the end of the 37-year-old’s 67-match Test career.
Fellow veteran Kohli, 36, has similarly been under pressure since an unbeaten 100 in the first Test at Perth, with his inability to again build a big score set to intensify the scrutiny.
Rahul reverted to opener alongside Jaiswal, with Gill returning at three.
But the ploy backfired with Rahul out softly with Starc tempting him to clip a full delivery to Konstas at cover. There were concerns ahead of the Test over star seamer Starc’s fitness but he showed no discomfort and routinely troubled the batsmen.
Boland came on after an opening barrage from Pat Cummins and took the big wicket of in-form Jaiswal in his first over, collected smartly at slip by debutant Beau Webster, in the side for the axed Mitchell Marsh.
The hosts were convinced Boland had Kohli out next ball.
The Indian star edged to Steve Smith at second slip and diving low to his right he got his hand under the ball and scooped it up for Marnus Labuschagne to complete the catch.
But in a big call by third umpire Joel Wilson, he ruled that part of the ball feathered the ground and Kohli survived.
