Perth
Australia captain Pat Cummins expressed disappointment after his team suffered a crushing 295-run loss to India in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite solid preparations, where they dominated the first two sessions, Australia failed to capitalize on key moments and ultimately could not recover.
“We thought our prep leading into it was good, but not much went right. It’s just one of those games,” Cummins admitted after the loss. Australia had a chance to seize control after India was bowled out for 150, but their batsmen crumbled under pressure, leaving the team at 67/7 by the end of Day 1. Cummins acknowledged that if they had survived that period, things might have unfolded differently on Day 2, where they folded for just 104.
India, led by KL Rahul (77), Yashasvi Jaiswal (161), and Virat Kohli (100*), capitalized on their 46-run first innings lead and set Australia a daunting target of 534. Despite solid efforts from Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47), Australia’s chase fell apart. The Indian bowlers, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and debutant Harshit Rana, tore through the Australian lineup, leading to a dominant victory.
Cummins noted that the team would focus on regrouping and improving ahead of the second Test in Adelaide. “After a loss, you want to get back on the horse quickly. We’ll take a couple of days off and prepare for Adelaide,” he said, looking ahead to the next challenge.
