By India has achieved the following in the WTC period (for India, which began in August 2019 in the West Indies). Outside of Asia, their record is 10 wins and 10 losses over this period.
Jasprit Bumrah has played 31 of the 52 Tests, taking 132 wickets at 19.4/41.6. Since returning from a year-long injury break (Bumrah did not play a Test from July 2022 to December 2023), he has 53 wickets in 11 Tests at 15.4/30.8. Bumrah gets almost half of his wickets bowled or LBW (93 out of 181, 46 bowled and 46 LBW). His ability to attack the stumps—to get the ball to travel in both directions and hit the stumps at a dangerous length—distinguishes him as the best bowler of his era. Bumrah averages 7.5 (with one wicket every 12.7 balls) on deliveries that hit the stumps. The average fast bowler averages 14.0 and takes one wicket.
Six of the twelve Australian wickets in the top six were bowled (one) or caught out (five). The Indian bowlers attacked the stumps far more than the Australians did. As a result, they put themselves in more danger, with a false shot per 4.1 balls compared to one every 5.5 for Australia’s bowlers.
In addition to the gap in length, the conditions suckered Australia.
The Optus Stadium pitch transitioned from fiery, green, and bouncy on Day One to flatter and more placid on Day Two and the first half of Day Three. Then there’s unevenness. India enjoyed the better batting conditions, allowing them to declare with a 533-run lead. The weight of the lead told as Virat Kohli had the unusual experience of making a century in Perth while 71 of his 143 balls were delivered by Nathan Lyon (off-spin), Travis Head (part-time off-spin), or Marnus Labuschagne (part-time bouncers and leg breaks). It was one of his easier test hundreds.
The conditions determined the outcome of the Perth Test. India had the better of the conditions. Their hunch regarding the requisite lengths proved to be spot on. After losing three Tests due to the toss, they had the upper hand in Perth.
Scoreboard: India: 150/10 (49.4) & 487/6d (134.3)
Australia: 104/10(51.2) & 238/10(58.4)
Player of the Match: Jasprit Bumrah
