Starc takes six as Australia bundle out India for 180 in Adelaide pink-ball Test

Mitchell Starc produced a stunning performance with the ball as Australia dismissed India for just 180 on the opening day of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide.

After winning the toss, India struggled under overcast skies and were bowled out on the brink of tea. Starc led the charge, taking 6 wickets for 48 runs, while Scott Boland and Pat Cummins each claimed two wickets.

India’s innings got off to a nightmare start as Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal with the first ball of the match. The visitors found themselves in further trouble in the second session, with six wickets falling, including that of captain Rohit Sharma for just three runs, and the aggressive Rishabh Pant for 21.

Virat Kohli fell cheaply for 7, caught by Steven Smith off Starc’s bowling, leaving India at 77/3.

Shubman Gill was dismissed lbw by Boland for 31 runs off 51 balls, including 5 boundaries, while Rishabh Pant remaining not out on 4.

Pant, who was dropped on five by Nathan McSweeney, fell shortly after to a rising ball from Cummins, edging it into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne.

Starc returned to the attack to dismiss Ravichandran Ashwin (22) and Harshit Rana (0) in quick succession, further tightening Australia's grip on the match.

India enters the second Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval with confidence after a dominant 295-run victory in the opening Test in Perth. However, Australia remains formidable at this venue, having won all seven pink-ball Tests they have contested at Adelaide.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test for the birth of his second child, expressed optimism about the pitch ahead of the match. “It looks like a good pitch. It’s a little dry at the moment, but there’s enough grass covering as well,” Rohit said. “There will be something in it for everyone.”

India made one additional change, bringing in veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in place of Washington Sundar. Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal were also excluded from the squad.

Australia made one change, with Scott Boland replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood. Captain Pat Cummins expressed that while they would have preferred to bat first, they were prepared to take advantage of the early conditions with the pink ball, which can offer some movement.

"It's a venue we really love playing at, and the pink ball can behave differently than the red ball," Cummins said.

Teams

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma (captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj