India vs Australia: Seizing the initiative, Jasprit Bumrah strikes Perth Test wide open

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The Indian team indeed broke from tradition during the Test match in Perth. Despite the common tactic of bowling first to assess the pitch conditions -- especially after a series loss at home to New Zealand -- the team chose a different approach.

India opted to bat first. This decision could signify a shift in mindset, where the team wanted to make a statement of confidence by taking the initiative instead of reacting to the conditions. It might also reflect their trust in the batting lineup to handle the extra pace and bounce early on.

With Jasprit Bumrah, known for his astute cricketing mind and aggression, there might have been a belief that batting first could set the tone for the match. Perhaps, the sentiment was so strong that even a bowling captain couldn't convince his bunch of men to bowl first. It also might have been aimed at putting the Australian bowlers under pressure by getting runs on the board early. But the Indians, barring the best batter Rishabh Pant and newbie Nitish Kumar Reddy, none of them could find their feet.

Making Devdutt Padikkal play the match from nowhere and dropping Abhimanyu Easwaran despite his domestic scores did not help the Indian cause in the opening session of the match. None of the top order except Pant could stand tall in front of the Aussie pace machine. Even dropping Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin ahead of Wasinghton Sunder surprised many. As MyKhel reported from Day One, the playing XI was much as expected.

The pitch in Perth, traditionally lively, might have offered indications of flattening out later in the game, prompting the team to seize the opportunity to bat in the best conditions and avoid a fourth-inning chase.

Leading from the front, a big role was a must from Bumrah and he did what "just what the doctor ordered". Bowling with pace and swing, Bumrah was simply unplayable. From the look of it, India are right in the back in the match after being dismissed cheaply. But this opening Test match is wide open. So is the Australian batting line-up.