New Delhi: Australia ended Day 1 of the second Test against India in a commanding position after Mitchell Starc and top-order dominated proceedings in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval. After the Starc-led bowling attack bundled India out for a paltry 180 in two sessions, the Australian top-order produced a resolute performance to take the home side to 86 for 1 at Stumps on the opening day and head into the second day 94 runs behind the visitors
The fact that Australia lost just a single wicket under the floodlights, a phase considered the most challenging for the batters and under-fire Marnus Labuschagne getting among the runs, would be all the more pleasing for the hosts.
Jasprit Bumrah picked up the only wicket of the Australian innings, dismissing Usman Khawaja in the 11th over. Nathan McSweeney, who got an early reprieve due to Rishabh Pant’s error behind the stumps, was unbeaten on 38 while Labuschagne was not out on 62 runs.
Starc breathes fire to demolish Indian batting order
Australian pacer, who has picked the most number of wickets in pink-ball Tests, set the tone for the rest of the day with a first-ball wicket. The ace pacer dismissed in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal, the centurion in the Perth Test, for a golden duck to give the hosts a perfect start.
The left-arm pacer returned to break a dangerous-looking partnership between Shubman Gill and KL Rahul. Starc dismissed Rahul for 37 and ended the 69-run stand to trigger a dramatic collapse at the stroke of Tea break. India lost two more wickets in the first session to go from a decent position to a dismal one.
Starc was not done yet. The Australian paceman bagged two wickets in an over in the second session and got the dangerous wicket of Nitish Reddy (42) to limit the damage done by India’s lower-middle order. Starc completed his first five-wicket haul in Tests against India and finished with 6/48 – his best-ever Test figures.
Resolute Australian top-order thwarts Indian pace attack
After dismissing Australia for 104 in the first innings and 238 in the second essay, the confidence of India’s pace battery would have been sky-high. The prospect of bowling the pink ball under floodlights added more fuel to their confidence against an out-of-sorts Australian top order.
However, all the hopes of a wicket-filled session were dashed as a second-wicket unbeaten partnership of 61 between McSweeny and Labuschagne not only put Australia in a dominating position but also gave the hosts a solid platform to build a big first-innings lead in much-easier conditions in the first two sessions of Day 2.
Nitish Reddy: India’s only bright spot on a gloomy day at Adelaide Oval
Nitish Reddy continued from where he left in Perth with another crucial knock in the lower-middle order in Adelaide Reddy, who impressed with scores of 41 and 38 not out in his debut Test last month, scored a quickfire counter-attacking cameo of 42 to take India past the 150-run mark.
It was an important innings from India’s perspective, especially after losing the big wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma cheaply. Reddy gave some much-needed impetus to a drab Indian innings with quickfire knock which was studded with three sixes and three boundaries.
AUS vs IND: Australia ended Day 1 of the second Test against India in a strong position. Mitchell Starc set the tone with a career-best haul of 6/48 which helped the hosts restrict India to 180. In reply, Australia lost just one wicket and set the stage for a dominant Australian show on Day 2. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
