Earlier, India’s quest to conquer Australia again on their own turf began inauspiciously.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the tourists were bowled out for 150 just before tea at Perth Stadium despite some audacious strokeplay from Rishabh Pant.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and No.3 Devdutt Padikkal both failed to score in their first Test innings in Australia.
Having earlier been presented with his first baggy green cap by former Test coach Darren Lehmann, McSweeney needed just 13 balls to get into the action by taking a comfortable catch at gully off the bowling of Starc to remove Jaiswal.
India’s young prodigy, coming into the series with a Test average of 56.28, went hard at a ball outside his off stump but was unable to control it.
Starc and Hazlewood (both 2-10 off eight overs) were brilliant in the opening session on a bouncy Perth pitch, with the latter removing Padikkal after a miserable 39-minute stay at the crease.
Padikkal’s dismissal brought Kohli to the crease at 2-14, a situation which was far from ideal for the Indian superstar given his woes of late. Kohli has been a shade of his former self in the last five years, making just two centuries.
Hazlewood worked Kohli over before India’s most dangerous batter guided a rising delivery to Usman Khawaja at first slip to depart for five from 12 balls.
Australia celebrate after Josh Hazlewood’s dismissal of Virat Kohli.Credit: AP
Kohli’s premature departure left India reeling at 3-32, and their predicament worsened when Rahul was adjudged caught behind for 26.
Australia thought Rahul had nicked a delivery from Starc, but it was initially given not out. The home side immediately referred the decision upstairs, and it was duly overturned after video replay service snicko showed a spike as the ball went past the bat.
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Rahul, however, clearly felt the bat had hit his pad on the way through, and the decision left him visibly upset as he walked from the field shaking his head after appearing to remonstrate in the umpires’ direction.
Initial replays on the broadcast did not show footage of the ball going past the bat, raising questions as to whether snicko had picked up the sound of bat hitting pad. Hotspot no longer exists, with broadcasters using snicko and providing replays to the third umpire to make decisions.
“The umpire is looking for conclusive evidence and there were a few gremlins … where he didn’t get a few camera angles that he wanted,” said former Test umpire Simon Taufel on Channel 7. “In my view, the ball does graze the outside edge. With that side on shot, there was a spike with the bat away from the pad.”