The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is known for banter and sledging between players, and the ongoing first Test match between India and Australia in Perth is no different. Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon was seen engaging in a friendly chat with Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant during the match. As Pant walked out to the middle, he also shared a fist-bump with Mitchell Marsh, who have both played for Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
The highlight of Day 1 was when Nathan Lyon asked Pant about his plans for the upcoming IPL auction, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Pant, who has not been retained by Delhi Capitals, responded with uncertainty. He has set his base price at INR 2 crore for the auction.
On the batting front, India’s top-order collapsed quickly after stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and opted to bat. Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, and Virat Kohli fell early, with KL Rahul being the only one to make a significant contribution before controversially getting dismissed. Pant looked solid in the middle but was eventually dismissed by Australia captain Pat Cummins.
India handed debuts to all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Nitish Rana, while Australia included debutant Nathan McSweeney in their lineup. Bumrah is leading India in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who is expected to join the squad in Perth soon. Devdutt Padikkal replaced the injured Shubman Gill in the playing XI.
Overall, the first day of the Test match was eventful with on-field banter, a collapse of the Indian batting order, and debut appearances by several players from both teams.
