IND vs AUS: The second Test between India and Australia at Adelaide has seen the visitors struggle to keep pace with a dominant Australian side. At the end of Day 2, India finds itself in a precarious position, trailing by 29 runs in the second innings with only five wickets in hand. Here’s how the day unfolded:
Australia’s First-Innings Command IND vs AUS
Australia started the day well by capitalizing on a strong batting platform and continuing to score well on Day 2. The duo of Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head proved difficult for the Indian bowling team, as Travis Head had an outstanding knock with a score of 140 runs. The Indian bowling lineup, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, made it hard but was not in a position to control much damage.
– Travis Head’s Century: Travis Head’s dominating 140-run innings was the foundation of Australia’s total. He drove and pulled with aplomb to dominate the Indian bowling attack.
– Labuschagne’s Resilience: Marnus Labuschagne didn’t make much of his good start, but his sedate 47 runs helped him anchor Australia’s innings.
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– Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers, taking all the crucial wickets, such as that of McSweeney and Steve Smith. Mohammed Siraj cleaned up the Australian tail, including Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to finish off the innings. Ravichandran Ashwin did his job by getting Mitchell Marsh’s wicket.
-Australia concluded their innings at 337 runs, taking a sizeable first-innings lead of 157 runs.
India’s Collapse in the First Inning
India’s batting line-up didn’t fare any better in the second innings, where again the top order of the team could not hold on to their places. Scoring only 180 runs in the first innings, India was facing an uphill task to make their way back into the match.
– KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal: The opening pair failed to provide stability, with Rahul managing only 7 runs and Jaiswal contributing a brief 24.
– Virat Kohli’s Struggles: Kohli, who has been in patchy form, was dismissed for just 11 runs off 21 deliveries.
– Captain Rohit Sharma’s Misery: The Indian skipper’s bad form continued, scoring merely 6 runs before Aussie pacers could send him back.
The second innings has been no better in which the team is seen struggling at 128/5 in just 24 overs by the close of Day 2.
– Brief Resistance: Shubman Gill had a quickfire 28 off 30 balls but it did not last for too long. The other two known batsmen to stay in are Rishabh Pant (28*) and Nitish Reddy (15*), and these are trying to put together some hope for India. – **Bowling Show by Australian bowlers
– Pat Cummins and Scott Boland were relentless in picking up two wickets each as they tore into India’s fragile batting line-up.
– Mitchell Starc also added by maintaining pressure on Indian batsmen.
Turning Point in IND vs AUS, Travis Head’s Knock
Travis Head’s innings was undoubtedly the turning point of the day. His attacking century ensured Australia built a sizeable lead, putting India under immense pressure. His dismissal at 140, bowled by Bumrah, was the only major respite for the Indian camp.
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Now India is still at a deficit by 29 runs with five wickets in hand to stay away from defeat, while the Adelaide pitch assisted the fast bowlers and was a challenge to Indian batsmen.
On Day 3, if Rishabh Pant and Nitish Reddy are to make a comeback, they have to stitch together a partnership. Australia will look to wrap up the Indian innings quickly and maybe even push for an innings victory.
As things are, Australia is in very good control of the match at this point, and India might be staring at a loss unless the lower order somehow provides a miraculous fightback.
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