NEW DELHI: Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan had a hilarious take on the way the Perth Test strip changed in just two days of play during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener between India and Australia.
On the opening day, the Perth surface was covered in grass with pacers of both sides enjoying movement and bounce, a paradise for the quicks.
But on the second day, the outlook of the turf completely changed. The movement from the surface became minimal as cracks slowly started appearing on the strip.
Pathan was quick to point out the change in nature of the pitch and added a hilarious touch to it.
“Itna jaldi to meri wife ka mood bhi change nahi hota jitni jaldi ye pitch badli hai,” Pathan wrote on X while commenting about the change in pitch.
Itna jaldi to meri wife ka mood bhi change nahi hota jitni jaldi ye pitch badli hai. pic.twitter.com/crzEw8VUVT
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 23, 2024
On the opening day of the BGT, Australian pacers took India by surprise with their lethal form and fiery pace. KL Rahul provided crucial 26 runs at the top of the order which was followed by Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rishabh Pant’s classic strokeplay.
Pant and Reddy didn’t allow seasoned spinner Nathan Lyon to settle and find his rhythm with their relentless attacking mindset.
The southpaw slammed 37 while debutant Reddy top-scored for India with his well-paced 41. The combined efforts of the trio propelled India to 150, a delicate position which depended on how well India performed with the ball.
Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah raised the temperature as he spearheaded India’s pace attack. Mohammed Siraj and debutant Harshit Rana offered the ideal support to wreak havoc in Perth.
The stand-in Indian skipper was the mastermind behind Australia perishing on 104. Bumrah’s magic in the first innings ended with figures of 5/30 in 18 overs.
Rana ended the first innings with a three-wicket haul, while Siraj dazzled with two wickets to restrict Australia to 104 and take a valuable 46-run lead.
After the hosts folded on 104, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul made the most of the placid surface to pile up runs on the board and put India in a commanding position. (ANI)