Mitchell Starc’s best Test haul puts Australia in driver’s seat on day one of Adelaide Test

The Australian cricket team ended the first day of the second Test against India at the Adelaide Oval in a commanding position. Mitchell Starc picked career-best figures of 6/48 from 14.1 overs to bowl out India for just 180 in their first innings. In reply, Australia were placed at 86/1 after 33 overs of play and still trailed India by 94 runs. 

Rohit Sharma had decided to bat first after he won the toss. The 37-year-old had missed the opening game of the series which India had won in Perth by 295 runs. India made three changes to their team with Gill and Ashwin also coming back into the side. Injury to pacer Josh Hazlewood meant that Scott Boland made his return to the Playing XI. 

Mitchell Starc sends Virat Kohli packing!#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/2AzNllS7xT

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024

At the end of the first session, India were 4 down for 82 runs. Mitchell Starc had taken 3 wickets which had rankled India’s top order. After scoring 161 in the second innings of the Perth Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for a first-ball duck. This was a huge blow for India who had pinned their hopes on the young batter to give a good start. 

Mitchell Starc dismantles Indian batting with yet another sensational spell

Scott Boland struck a few overs after lunch as he dismissed skipper Rohit Sharma for just three runs. The 37-year-old had pushed himself down the order to let KL Rahul open but sadly saw his bad run of form with the bat continued. Rishabh Pant was then dismissed by Pat Cummins thanks to a sharp short ball. 

Nitish Reddy entertained the capacity crowd with some unorthodox shots. The 21-year-old reverse-scooped Scott Boland for a huge six during his knock. Indian all-rounder also smashed Starc for a huge six over extra cover. Reddy was the last man out for 42 to Starc who ended with career-best figures of 6/48. 

Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja came out to bat and had nearly seen the threat posed by Jasprit Bumrah. The 31-year-old got India their only wicket of the day when he dismissed Khawaja caught in the slips by Rohit Sharma for 13 runs. This wicket was also the 50th of the year in Test cricket for Bumrah making him the 3rd Indian bowler to achieve the feat. At stumps, Nathan McSweeney was batting on 38 with Marnus Labuschagne for company on 20.