Australia v India: Five things we learned from first Test

The much-anticipated Test series between Australia and India started with a bang in Perth and left the hosts, in particular, with plenty to ponder following a massive 295-run defeat.

The Baggy Greens seemed to be in control after bowling India out for 150 on day one, but once they had capitulated to 104 all out in their own first innings, the tourists were always in control.

There are still four more Tests to play between now and early January, with the two teams moving on to the Adelaide Oval for the second match of the series, which starts on Friday December 6th.

Here are five issues which cropped up during play at Optus Stadium.

1. Australia need a proper opener

Since David Warner retired from Test cricket, the Aussie selectors have opted not to pick a specialist opening batter to partner Usman Khawaja, instead opting for first Steven Smith and then Nathan McSweeney.

McSweeney made his Test bow in Perth, having only opened the batting once previously in his first-class career, so it came as little surprise to see him struggle against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj - as he made 10 and 0.

The likes of Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw may have struggled when given Test chances in the past, but they must surely be better options to try and blunt the world-class Indian pace attack.

2. Experienced batters need to contribute

While it is easy to criticise the selection of McSweeney, the truth is that he was given no back-up by the experienced trio of Khawaja, Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

Between them they totalled 34 runs in six knocks in the match, with Smith the only one of the three to reach double figures in making 17 in the second innings.

And those collective failures can’t really be seen as a blip, as Labuschagne has gone 18 Test innings without a century, Smith hasn’t reached three figures in any of his last 23 knocks and Khawaja’s last century came 26 innings ago.

There may not be any clear alternatives ready to step in, but the situation is even more worrying when you consider that Travis Head only has one century to his name in his last 26 Test innings.

3. Kohli shows that class is permanent

India's star batter Virat Kohli had also been misfiring in Test cricket in recent times, but he silenced his critics with a second-innings ton in Perth, a knock which helped put the tourists out of sight.

Kohli stepped up at just the right time, with both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill missing the series opener, ending a run of 15 Test innings without a century as he made 100 not out from 143 balls.

Australia will have hoped to have kept Kohli quiet with the bat for as long as possible, but must now fear that he will add substantially to a tally of 2,147 Test runs against the Baggy Greens.

4. Jaiswal continues to go big

Left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has made a huge impact in his short time in Test cricket, as he averages a touch over 58 from the 15 matches he has played to date, recording four centuries and eight 50s from 28 innings.

What is more impressive is that his second-innings 161 in Perth was the lowest score he has made when he has reached three figures, having marked his debut against West Indies with 171 and recorded two double-centuries in the home series against England earlier this year.

Not long ago Gill was seen as the next superstar of Indian batting, but he has already been eclipsed by the outstanding talent that is Jaiswal.

5. Bumrah leads by example

Jasprit Bumrah captained the tourists in the absence of Rohit, who will be available for the rest of the series, while Gill is fit again and R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja played no part in Perth, so India have plenty of options.

One that cannot be questioned is the position of paceman Bumrah, whose ability to move the ball at high pace is reminiscent of West Indies legend Malcolm Marshall.

Generating ferocious pace from his unique action, Bumrah took 5-30 in the first innings at Optus Stadium and added 3-42 in the second innings, forming a deadly partnership with Mohammed Siraj, who claimed five wickets in the match.

He now has 181 wickets at 20.06 in 41 Tests played to date, including 40 in eight Tests against the Baggy Greens, all of which have been on Australian soil.

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