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On Friday, December 6, the highly-anticipated second Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 kickstarted at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide. After winning the toss, India were bundled out at the score of 180 runs in 44.1 overs, courtesy a six-for from Mitchell Starc.
While Mitchell Starc handed India an early jolt, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first delivery, Indian scoreboard read 82/4 at Tea on Day 1 of the pink-ball Test. Skipper Rohit Sharma (3 off 23), along with the likes of Virat Kohli (7 off 8), failed to get going with the bat, continuing their struggle after the horrific 36-all out scenario last time.
Although after Jaiswal’s early wicket, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill steadied the innings, before Nitish Kumar Reddy played a quickfire 42-run knock off 54 deliveries to give that much-needed push to the Indian scoreboard, along with a 22-run knock from R Ashwin down the order.
Mitchell Starc registers his best figures in Test cricket
Starc, who has had a great record in pink-ball Test cricket, registered his fourth fifer with pink-ball. He further went on to register his best figures in Test cricket as he finished with 6/48 in his 14.1 over spell at the Adelaide Oval. Starc ran through India’s batting order, picking up his 15th five-wicket haul in Test cricket as he got the prized wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, R Ashwin and Harshit Rana.
With six wickets on the opening day of the day-night Test, Starc extended his lead at the top of an elite list, picking four five-wicket hauls in pink-ball Test, which is most by a pacer. He also became the only fourth Australia bowler to take more than 350 wickets across all formats of the game in home conditions, joinging the likes of legendary Shane Warne and Brett Lee.
