Sat Jan 04 05:20:00 UTC 2025: ## India’s Top Order Crumbles Again in Sydney Test
**Sydney, Australia:** Team India’s top order woes continued to plague them on day one of the Sydney Test, leaving them teetering at 107/4 at tea. Despite captain Rohit Sharma’s rest due to poor form, the batting collapse mirrored recent performances.
Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early to the Australian pace attack, failing to capitalize on overcast conditions. While Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill steadied the ship with a promising partnership, their dismissals before tea proved costly.
Gill, who looked composed until lunch, fell victim to a clever piece of sledging from Steve Smith at first slip. Smith’s constant chatter unsettled the batsman, leading to an edge off Nathan Lyon’s bowling just before the break. Kohli, too, succumbed shortly after the resumption, continuing his struggles outside the off-stump.
Rishabh Pant showed resilience, weathering several blows to his body to reach 32 not out at tea. Despite absorbing painful hits to his bicep, helmet, and abdomen, Pant displayed controlled aggression, including a straight six. Ravindra Jadeja provided support, but the overall scoring rate remained slow.
Kohli’s continued poor form is a significant concern, with his average outside of a recent Perth century standing at a dismal 17.57 in his last 20 Test innings. His dismissal, caught at slip off Scott Boland, highlighted his persistent vulnerability outside off stump.
While Pant’s disciplined approach offers a glimmer of hope, Gill’s ill-judged shot before lunch underscores India’s ongoing challenges in converting starts into substantial scores. The team will need a significant turnaround in their batting performance to avoid another defeat.
First Piper 