India debutant Harshit Rana celebrated euphorically after a sensational dismissal of Australia’s Travis Head on Day 1 of the Perth Test at the Optus Stadium. Harshit’s delivery, a masterpiece of precision and seam movement, sent the bails flying and marked the young bowler’s first-ever Test wicket in dramatic fashion. Rana, 22, who had shown glimpses of his promise earlier in the innings, delivered a length ball angling in from around the wicket.
Head, who had punished bowlers with his attacking flair throughout the series, looked to defend off the back foot but was caught in two minds. The ball nipped away just enough off the seam, missing the bat and crashing into the top of off stump. The Australian southpaw was left stunned, departing for 11 runs off 13 balls. Rana’s celebration was one of pure euphoria. He leapt into the air, punching it with a roar, as teammates surrounded him in a jubilant embrace.
AUS vs IND, 1st Test, Day 1: Live Updates and Reactions
The dismissal was especially crucial, given that Head had been one of India’s chief tormentors in recent matches. Rana’s breakthrough came as India sought to claw their way into a game that had been heavily skewed in favor of bowlers on a challenging pitch. The pitch at Optus Stadium has been unforgiving for batters, with an average seam movement of 0.8 degrees. Rana’s delivery, seaming a notable 1.36 degrees, exemplified the level of skill needed to succeed in such conditions.
Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah produced a sensational opening spell to leave Australia reeling at 19 for 3 in the first session. The stand-in Indian captain’s brilliance began with a successful review to dismiss Nathan McSweeney. Switching to around the wicket in his fourth over, Bumrah delivered a gem to Usman Khawaja. The ball angled into the channel, straightened off the seam, and caught the outside edge. Virat Kohli, stationed at second slip, made no mistake this time after dropping Marnus Labuschagne earlier.
Steven Smith walked in under pressure but lasted just one ball. Bumrah fired in a full delivery that nipped back sharply, beating Smith’s defence and trapping him plumb in front. The decision was so emphatic that Smith walked off without a review, leaving Australia stunned. With figures of 4-2-7-3, Bumrah narrowly missed a hat-trick as Travis Head survived the next delivery. However, the damage was already done, as Australia’s top order crumbled under Bumrah’s precision and pace.
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