The Indian team fielded two debutants in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Harshit Rana, known for his performances with Kolkata Knight Riders, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s emerging talent, received their Test caps.
Ravichandran Ashwin handed the debut cap to Rana, while Virat Kohli presented the honor to Nitish.
During commentary, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shared a light-hearted anecdote from his own debut, revealing that his Test cap was handed to him by a hotel concierge. The story sparked laughter in the commentary box. Reflecting on the moment, Manjrekar said, “My debut cap was handed over to me by the hotel concierge.”
Former cricketer Zaheer Khan had earlier suggested including one of the young players, but the Indian team chose to back both debutants in this high-stakes match.
Day 1 of the Perth Test saw drama unfold around KL Rahul’s dismissal. Rahul looked composed, carefully defending and leaving deliveries outside off. However, a back-of-a-length delivery from Mitchell Starc brought his downfall. Rahul opted for a review, and replays showed a spike as the ball passed the bat, leading to his dismissal.
Sanjay Manjrekar, speaking on Star Sports, criticized the quality of technology available to the TV umpire in Perth.
He highlighted the lack of conclusive evidence and questioned the decision-making process,”Ideally, if there was an edge, there should have been an earlier spike. The visual evidence clearly showed the bat hitting the pad. If that was the spike, then there wasn’t an outside edge. Without two distinct spikes, the decision couldn’t be nailed. It was a poor supply of technology, and the TV umpire should have ruled it inconclusive,” said Manjrekar.
As the Test progresses, debates over technology and its accuracy continue to be a point of discussion, adding another layer of intrigue to the series opener.