India captain Rohit Sharma arrives to add weight to a dominant touring side, while Travis Head enjoys his time at the crease, even at the expense of Steve Smith.
- Match wrap: India wraps up 295-run win just after tea on day four
- Scorecard: Check out all the live scores and stats
Here are the quick hits from the fourth and final day of the first Border-Gavaskar Test in Perth.
1. Seven balls in, another Australian falls
Mohammed Siraj struck in the second over of the day. (Getty Images: Izhar Khan)
The size of the task facing Australia was not lost on anyone.
It was going to take every ounce of fortitude from each remaining batter just to help the Aussies into anything resembling a respectable situation.
What they didn’t need was for one of their best batters in recent years to sky the seventh ball of the day high into the air, before landing in the gloves of Rishabh Pant.
Usman Khawaja, a compulsive puller at the best of times, misjudged the bounce and got a top edge on Mohammed Siraj’s short ball.
Australia, having resumed on 3-12, were 4-17.
2. Head’s cheeky dig
Steve Smith was not getting any sympathy from Travis Head. (Getty Images: CA/Paul Kane)
It’s never nice being struck by a cricket ball.
There was little sympathy from Travis Head though, when Steve Smith was felled by a ball to the ribs from the deceptively quick Harshit Rana.
Smith let out a ghastly groan and fell to the turf.
Head, however, felt Smith could have handled it better.
“Come on Steve, there’s padding there, son,” Head said.
Head was not presuming that Smith was wearing a chest guard, more poking fun at Smith’s virtually non-existent waistline.
3. Calm Head prevails
Of all Australia’s batters, Travis Head was the only one who looked remotely confident with bat in hand, with the possible exception of Mitch Marsh.
He illustrated that perfectly by clipping over the top of the slip cordon for four to bring up his half century, much in the same way that India’s new star batter Yashasvi Jaiswal did to bring up his century.
Head has enjoyed playing against India overall.
This was his fourth 50 in 11 matches against India, having also scored a huge century at The Oval in the World Test Championship final last year.
He also averaged 47 with the bat in India last season despite being left out initially over his perceived inability to perform overseas.
4. Indian reinforcements arrive
As Australia’s frontline and back-up batting line-up faces questions over their form, India’s suddenly in-form unit received a big boost on day four as captain Rohit Sharma arrived at Perth Stadium.
The powerful opener landed in Australia on Sunday after missing selection in the opening Test as he stayed home with wife Ritika Sajdeh and their newly arrived baby.
And, on Monday morning, Rohit was spied in the Indian dressing room before heading out the back for a net.
Considering the form of openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) and KL Rahul (26 and 77), middle-order batters Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal must surely be concerned about hanging on to their spots for the second Test in Adelaide.
5. Reddy for action
Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed Mitch Marsh as his first Test wicket. (AAP Image: Dean Lewins)
India named two debutants for this first Test: Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
And although both had impressive debuts, special credit has to go to all-rounder Nitish.
Top scorer in the first innings with the bat, Nitish was the perfect foil for Virat Kohli in the second, making an unbeaten 27-ball 38.
He wasn’t given much chance to bowl in the first innings, managing just three overs, 0-4.
But when he was called upon in the second innings, he claimed the vital wicket of Mitch Marsh, just as he was getting going.
It capped a tremendous debut for the 21-year-old from Andhra Pradesh.
6. Jurel’s screamer
Mitchell Starc was the only Australian batter to show real resistance in the first innings and did the same alongside Alex Carey in the second.
Comfortably handling the bowling of Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar, Starc and Carey had one foot in the tea break when Sundar started the final over of the afternoon session.
But, as he tried to flick Sundar off his pads to a sparsely populated leg side, the only fielder with a chance of getting in the way did just that.
Under the helmet at short leg and almost certain to lose his spot in the second Test after just 12 runs in Perth, Dhruv Jurel instinctively stuck his right hand up and the ball just stayed glued to it.
Pure reflex and instinct, it was the sort of catch you pull off every once in a while in backyard cricket while you’ve got a pair of tongs or a cold drink in your other hand.
The biggest Australia-India moments
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