New Delhi: Australia were once again in control in the second day-night pink-ball Test in Adelaide thanks to the bowlers and the phenomenal knock from middle order batter Travis Head earlier in the day. The hosts finished the day with a 29-run lead still in the game as India were reduced to 128 for 5 in 24 overs.
Despite a mini-collapse in the Australian innings, Head made 140 from 141 balls against the bland Indian bowling unit. Riding on the southpaw’s knock, the Aussies posted 337 on the board a day after bundling up the opposition for a moderate 180. That meant the World Test champions would walk in with a substantial lead of 157 runs when they walked in to bowl for the second innings.
Australian bowlers struck at regular intervals to ensure the Indians didn’t make a substantial partnership. India need to cut off the 29-run deficit before a formidable target could be setup.
Travis Head the big-time nemesis of India
Be it the resilience in the World Test Championship final at the Oval or the guile in the World Cup 2023 final at the Motera, Travis Head was on top of his game every time he faced India in crucial matches. The 89 in the second innings in Australia’s 295-run loss in Perth was just a warning send by Head that he wasn’t going to throw down and buckle under pressure.
Head swatted anything that was pitched to him outside the off-stump areas and pulled marvellously, be it Jasprit Bumrah trying to bowl him on the stump-line. The southpaw smashed 17 fours and four sixes at an impressive strike rate of 99.29. He notched up his eighth ton in the red-ball format.
Indian batters collapse
Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed boundary off Starc in the first over to kick off the innings on a promising note. Just when he gave the glimpse of repeating the Perth flamboyance, the southpaw edged toward the slip cordon to throw his wicket against Scott Boland. India lost Kohli and Rahul on either side of Yashavi Jaiswal’s dismissal and Mitchell Starc castled Shubman Gill with a sensational delivery. Pat Cummins knocked his opposite number Rohit Sharma to reduce the half-of-the-Indian batting order in the dressing room. The 30-run partnership between Jaiswal (24) and Gill (28) was the best in the second innings as has been the case of Indian missing to build crucial partnerships.
Rishabh Pant, Nitish Reddy have huge responsibility on shoulders
Rishabh Pant (28) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (15) left the pitch at the Adelaide Oval as unbeaten batters. The two have played some great shots to push India’s hopes of taking a lead on the third day. Rishabh took his usual unorthodox way to go heavy on the Australians. Scott Boland was smashed for a unbalanced reverse ramp shot from the Indian gloveman while Reddy played stupendous cover drive against Cummins.
India need these two to play determined knocks in a bid to post a commendable target for Cummins and Co to chase. Pant is known to play gritty knocks under pressure and Reddy could be the apt candidate to support his senior.
Australia ended Day 2 of the second Test against India in Adelaide with a 29-run lead. Travis Head smashed a phenomenal 140, propelling Australia to 337 after India’s 180. The Australian bowlers then struck regularly, reducing India to 128/5. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
