BGT: India Stumbles on Day 1 as Scott Boland’s Pace Sets the Tone

Australia's disciplined bowling attack, led by Scott Boland's four-wicket haul, put India on the back foot on Day 1 of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Test in Sydney. Boland's remarkable performance, including two quick wickets in the final session, helped Australia limit India’s progress, despite a resilient fightback from Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.

Boland made the crucial breakthrough, dismissing Pant with a short ball, forcing the left-hander into top-edging a pull shot, which was safely caught by Pat Cummins at short mid-wicket. Boland’s next delivery saw another wicket fall, as Nitish Kumar Reddy edged behind to Steve Smith at first slip, sending India further into a tailspin.

Mitchell Starc then joined the party, trapping Jadeja plumb in front to end the Indian all-rounder’s gritty innings. Starc’s relentless pressure saw the fall of Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna, leaving India reeling. The Australian bowlers continued to exert control as they wrapped up India’s innings, with India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah (22) adding some late runs before falling to Cummins.

Earlier in the day, Pant and Jadeja had briefly steadied the Indian ship after the early wickets of KL Rahul (4) and Shubman Gill (20). The pair moved the score past the three-figure mark, with Pant showing patience in his 40-run knock. However, Virat Kohli’s dismissal for 17, edging to Beau Webster off Boland’s second wicket, left India at a precarious 72/4.

Kohli’s departure had been a dramatic affair, surviving a first-ball scare after an attempted catch by Steve Smith was ruled not out by third umpire Joel Wilson. Despite the close call, Kohli could not resist the pressure for long and was dismissed.

Boland’s impact as the first-change bowler was immediate, forcing Yashasvi Jaiswal to edge a delivery to Beau Webster for his first Test wicket. Australia’s early breakthroughs came thanks to Starc and Nathan Lyon, who had claimed the wickets of Rahul and Gill in the morning session. With the pressure mounting, India lost their key batsmen one after another.

The morning session had been marred by confusion and concern over Rohit Sharma's absence from the Indian XI. Bumrah confirmed at the toss that Sharma had been rested for this Test, with Shubman Gill taking his place. The change came as part of India’s quest to level the series and remain in contention for the World Test Championship final at Lord's.

Australia, meanwhile, had named their XI a day prior to the match, with Beau Webster earning his first Test cap. His impressive debut added a fresh dimension to the Aussie lineup as they dominated proceedings on the first day.

India's innings ended at 200/10, and with Australia’s strong bowling attack leading the charge, the hosts will look to build on their advantage as the series reaches its crucial stages.

Australia XI: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

As India faces an uphill battle to level the series, Australia’s sharp bowling performance on Day 1 has left a deep impact, setting the tone for what promises to be a thrilling contest.