New Delhi: Travis Head slammed a brilliant knock of 140 runs while Mitchell Satrc and Pat Cummins bagged a fifer apiece as Australia hammered India by 10 wickets in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide to level the five-match series 1-1 in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Australia continued their dominant run in pink-ball Tests, recording their 12th victory in 13 matches since the inception of the format.
Australia dominated the proceedings at the Adelaide Oval right from the onset as Mitchell Starc ran riot after India won the toss and opted to bat first in the pink-ball Test. Starc picked up his maiden Test fifer against India to help the Aussies bundle out the visitors for a paltry 180 runs in their first innings. A blistering knock of 140 runs from Head helped Australia continue to remain on top on Day 2.
Head slammed his 3rd pink-ball Test ton and 8th overall as his stupendous knock combined with Marnus Labuschagne’s brilliant 64 powered Australia to a strong total of 337 runs on the board in their first innings, helping them amass a huge lead of 157 runs. India suffered batting collapses in both innings as the batters failed to stand up against Australia’s quality pace attack leading to a shattering defeat in Adelaide for the visitors.
Mitchell Starc rips through India
Asked to bowl first in the Test match, Starc got Australia off to a dream start after dismissing in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal on the very first ball of the match. There was no looking back for the Aussies after the fabulous start as Starc ripped through the Indian batting line-up. The left-arm pacer went on to dismiss the likes of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Nitish Reddy to finish with excellent figures of 6/48 as India were bowled out for 180 runs in their first innings.
After Jaiswal was sent packing on a duck, Rahul and Gill combined to steady the ship with a 69-run stand for the second wicket. However, the visitors lost the plot after the duo’s dismissal as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Nitish played a fighting knock of 42 runs in the lower middle order and combined with R Ashwin (22) to help India put a fighting total on the board.
Travis Head mauls Indian bowling attack
Head mauled the Indian bowling attack during Australia’s first innings on Day 2 en route to his sensational 140-run knock which was laced with 17 fours and 4 sixes. The Aussies did lose quick wickets at the start of Day 2 after resuming their first innings from 86/1, however, Head and Labuschagne combined to take Australia past the 300-run mark.
Labuschagne scored a gritty 64 and was involved in a crucial 67-run stand for the second wicket with Nathan McSweeney before adding another important partnership of 65 runs for the 4th wicket with centurion Head. Head looked in splendid touch as he took the Indian bowlers to the cleaners, scoring runs across all parts of the ground.
Head ended up breaking his own record for the fastest ton by any batter in a pink-ball Test match by completing his century off just 111 balls in Adelaide. Courtesy of Labuschgane’s 64 and Head’s cracking century, Australia posted 337 runs on the board and amassed a huge lead of 157 runs which proved enough to bat India out of the game.
Pat Cummins seals Australia’s victory with a fifer
The Australian pacers continued their stellar show in India’s second innings as Pat Cummins ran through the visitors’ batting line-up with a fifer. It was yet another abysmal batting display from India as none of the top 4 managed to deliver.
Cummins got rid of Rahul cheaply on 7 to draw the first blood before Scot Boland removed Jaiswal on his first ball in the innings. Shubman Gill showed some fight with 28 off 30 balls but saw his stumps getting uprooted by a sensational delivery from Starc. Kohli and Rohit flopped again with scores of 11 and 6, respectively, raising questions about their form and place in the XI.
Rishabh Pant (28) and Nitish Reddy (42) were the only silver lining in an otherwise disappointing display from India as the visitors could only manage 175 runs on the board in their second innings to set Australia a slender target of 19 runs in their second innings. It was a mere formality for the Australian openers and Usman Khawaja and McSweeney chased down the 19-run target in just 20 balls to hand Australia a dominant victory, their 8th straight in pink-ball Tests.
Travis Head and pacers starred as Australia thrashed India by 10 wickets in the pink-ball Test match in Adelaide to level the five-match Test series 1-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia bowled out India for 175 runs in their second innings before comfortably chasing down the target of 19 runs to wrap up an easy win. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
