Australia finished day one of the pink-ball Test at the WACA on 96 for 3, trailing India’s first-innings total of 198 by 102 runs in a contest shaped by bowlers on a lively surface. Debutants Lucy Hamilton and Sayali Satghare made immediate impacts as 13 wickets fell during an action-packed opening day.
India were dismissed for 198 in 62.4 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues top-scoring with 52. Annabel Sutherland led Australia’s bowling effort with figures of 4 for 46, while Hamilton impressed with 3 for 31 in her first Test appearance.
Australia’s innings ended the day with Annabel Sutherland and Ellyse Perry at the crease after the hosts lost three wickets late, including retiring captain Alyssa Healy.
Debutants Make Early Impact
Healy’s final Test began with a significant moment when she was dismissed for 13 with half an hour left before stumps. Attempting to play Sayali Satghare, she hit the ball straight to backward point and walked off to a loud ovation from the crowd.
India, who had fielded four debutants in the match, responded strongly after being bowled out earlier in the day. Satghare was particularly impressive with the new ball, while Kranti Gaud also picked up her maiden Test wicket.
Gaud removed Phoebe Litchfield thanks to a sharp catch by Rodrigues at backward point. Satghare had earlier struck by dismissing Georgia Voll with a delivery that pitched outside off-stump before swinging back to hit leg stump.
Hamilton and Sutherland Lead Australia’s Bowling
Australia had begun the day strongly after Healy chose to bowl first. Left-arm pacer Lucy Hamilton immediately justified her selection with a dream start to her Test career.
She clean-bowled Smriti Mandhana for 4 with a full delivery that beat the bat and crashed into middle stump. Hamilton later removed Rodrigues and Sneh Rana to finish with 3 for 31 from 11 overs.
The conditions suited Australia’s seamers, who extracted considerable swing with the pink ball. Annabel Sutherland delivered a standout performance, taking 4 for 46 from 17 overs. Her spell could have produced even better figures had several chances not been dropped off her bowling.
Sutherland first ended Shafali Verma’s innings on 35 with a delivery that was caught behind. She later dismissed Pratika Rawal after tempting her into edging to gully, where Hamilton completed the catch.
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur started aggressively before being bowled by Darcie Brown as India reached the tea interval at 99 for 4.
Rodrigues Fights Back for India
After the break, Sutherland continued to trouble the Indian batters and removed Deepti Sharma as pressure mounted on Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh.
Legspinner Alana King was introduced later in the innings, and Rodrigues responded by attacking, striking four consecutive boundaries to counter the pressure.
She reached her half-century from 74 balls with a well-timed drive as she looked comfortable against King’s legspin. However, the momentum shifted again when Ghosh pulled a short delivery from Ashleigh Gardner straight to short midwicket.
Rodrigues soon followed, flicking a delivery from Hamilton to square leg, which triggered another collapse in India’s innings.
Hamilton then dismissed Rana as India slipped to 157 for 8. Debutant Kashvee Gautam played an aggressive cameo similar to her approach in the ODI series, but eventually ran out of partners when Sutherland claimed her fourth wicket by dismissing Satghare.
Australia Face Late Challenge
Despite Australia’s strong bowling effort, India managed to create pressure late in the day with the ball. Satghare’s early breakthrough removed Voll, while Gaud’s wicket of Litchfield kept India in the contest.
The final wicket of the day came when Healy departed for 13, leaving Australia at 96 for 3 at stumps with Sutherland and Perry steadying the innings.
The opening day also marked the beginning of a new chapter at the redeveloped WACA Ground. With temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius, many spectators gathered in the limited shaded areas, with similar weather conditions expected for day two.
