Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (C) walks off after his dismissal during the first day of the first Test cricket match between Australia and India at the Optus Stadium in Perth on 22 November, 2024.
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (C) walks off after his dismissal during the first day of the first Test cricket match between Australia and India at the Optus Stadium in Perth on 22 November, 2024.

Perth Test

Australia out for 104 against India after Starc digs in

Mitchell Starc hit a defiant 26 to keep Australia in touch on day two of the opening Test at Perth, with the hosts all out for 104 at lunch on Saturday to trail India by 46.

Australia lost Alex Carey and Nathan Lyon during an intense session on a lively deck before Starc and Josh Hazlewood dug in.

They reached three figures courtesy of a dogged last-wicket holdout by the pair -- their 25-run stand was the longest of the Australian innings. Hazlewood was not-out seven.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah (R) celebrates his wicket of Australia’s Alex Carey on day two of the first Test cricket match between Australia and India at Optus Stadium in Perth on 23 November, 2024.

Jasprit Bumrah was India's chief destroyer with 5-30, his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests. Harshit Rana chipped in with 3-48.

Australia resumed on 67-7, trailing by 83, after an astonishing 17 wickets fell on a chaotic opening day when India were all out for 150.

Home hopes rested on Carey as he began on 19, but after nudging two from Rana he came up against an irrepressible Bumrah.

Coming round the wicket, the Indian captain made Carey play and he nicked to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

India’s skipper Jasprit Bumrah (R) and Virat Kohli walk back to the pavilion at the end of Australia’s innings on day two of the first Test cricket match between Australia and India at Optus Stadium in Perth on 23 November, 2024.

Lyon (5) did well to hang around for 16 fiery balls before gloving a short one from Rana to KL Rahul in the slips.

That brought Hazlewood to the crease and it seemed only a matter of time before India were batting again, but he and Starc gamely stuck around, bringing up the 100 to huge cheers from the crowd.

It was an intelligent innings by Starc, who doggedly faced 112 balls and protected Hazlewood to add crucial extra runs before holing out Rana to Pant.

India have won their last two Border-Gavaskar trophy series in Australia. Perth is the first of five Tests in the series.