India in Perth: Fans gather to farewell cricketing heroes from WA as Australian challenge laid bare

Fans did not miss the opportunity to farewell their cricketing heroes as the Indian team departed WA after one of their most dominant victories over Australia. A group of dedicated India supporters were on hand outside the team’s hotel in Perth, with some players stopping to sign autographs and pose for pictures before departing for the airport en route to Canberra for the next stop on tour. After a nightmare start that saw India fold for 150 in their first innings down under, a devastating performance by stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah turned the match on his head and gave them a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar series. With Australia left reeling after their biggest defeat in more than a decade, it’s not going to get any easier, with Rohit Sharma back in the line-up having missed the first Test for the birth of his second child. Sharma was seen batting in the nets on the fourth day of The West Test and will be back as captain for Adelaide while their superstar spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were not required in Perth. The man many are dubbing as the next Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal was all smiles as he departed Perth with a century to his name that ground Australia into the dust. With Australia’s batting line-up in disarray, Indian fans will be licking their lips at the thought of this bowling line-up with the pink ball under lights while Mohammad Shami is tipped to return later on in the series. India will now have a chance to sharpen their skills with a two-day match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, starting on Saturday, with the likes of Sharma, Ashwin and Jadeja all expected to feature after missing out in Perth. The team will then convene in Adelaide ahead of the second Test starting on December 6.