India was in trouble during the first Test against Australia at Optus Stadium, Perth. It lost wickets in heaps before the end of the first session as India went to lunch on 51/4. But from the pressure also came a moment of levity between Nathan Lyon and Rishabh Pant. Pant stood inside his crease when Lyon crossed him, and with a smile, asked, "Where are we going in the auction?" Pant, keeping his cool, replied with a simple, "No idea." That unexpected exchange brought a grin to the faces of both players and momentarily shifted focus from the tension in that tight game. Rishabh Pant Delivers a Stunning Falling Sweep for Six What a shot pant ππ pic.twitter.com/SnWh5UGlb7 — Jitendra Singh Rathoreπ© (@jitendra72727) November 22, 2024 Watch the video of Rishabh Pant and Nathan Lyon here: SOUND π Just two old friends meeting! ππ€Don't miss this stump-mic gold ft. π₯ππ¦ππππ-π£ππ‘π§π! π€πΊ #AUSvINDOnStar π 1st Test, Day 1, LIVE NOW! #AUSvIND #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/vvmTdJzFFq — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 22, 2024 Also Read | "Don't see any clear evidence": KL Rahul wicket controversy at Perth India Struggles in the First Innings as Australia Dominates Batting first, India has had a torrid start as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal lost their wicket for ducks. The early wickets left India in a spot of bother and Virat Kohli went under pretty soon, scoring just 5 runs off 12 balls. KL Rahul was looking solid and fell a victim to a controversial decision and then left the field after scoring 16 runs. Rishabh Pant then took the command of the innings and helped stabilize the batting significantly. At the end of his 78 balls, he had scored 37 runs, including 3 fours and 1 six, for India to gather some semblance of a comeback. The others, however, who had failed to produce any effect, kept the pressure mounting. Dhruv Jurel made just 11 runs while Washington Sundar only 4 runs. India was eventually reduced to 144/9 after just 49 overs. Australia’s bowlers were on top throughout the innings, with Josh Hazlewood leading the way by taking 4 wickets. Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Marsh also chipped in, each picking up 2 wickets. Australian captain Pat Cummins added to India’s woes by picking up a key wicket. India’s batting collapse handed Australia complete control of the game.