
STUMPS: India 9/1, lead by 62
Mayank Agarwal will be thanking his stars that he’s still out there after being dropped once over a nervous start. But he’ll take it, and so will India as they end the day with a distinct advantage. Will they be able to build on this to take the game away from Australia tomorrow? Or will there be a twist again? You cannot count Australia out despite conceding the lead, and given how hardly fought this Test has been so far, India cannot afford to relax. Join us again tomorrow for all the fun.
WICKET: Shaw fails to deliver once again
He’s been bowled for just 4, and it’s through the gap between bat and pad once again. Cummins gets it to sneak through perfectly and give Australia their first wicket of the second innings.
India get a lead of 53!
Australia are finally bowled out for 191 as Hazlewood is taken down by Umesh Yadav through a sharp, short ball. The edge is taken well at first slip by a leaping Pujara. Paine remains unbeaten after a valiant 73, and will hope that his bowlers can hit back in the short period of play left.
WICKET: Ashwin finally gets Lyon
The 27-run 9th wicket stand comes to an end as Lyon chips softly to mid wicket and falls for 10. Ashwin gets his fourth with India leading by 77.
Lyon survives again
This time India go for a review for LBW. R Ashwin was confident that he had his man but replays show that Lyon got a bit of an inside edge while sweeping. Could have been a close call otherwise.
Fifty for Paine!
He gets it off 68 balls and has played a very important hand lower down the order. His quick runs have come as a big boost for Australia and has eaten into some critical deficit. More of it should frustrate India a lot.
Lyon survives through a review
Bruce Oxenford has another decision overturned against him as Lyon successfully overturns a LBW call. Ashwin’s off break hits Lyon on the front pad but only after a big inside edge.
WICKET: Starc is run out
The duo try to pinch a quick double after turning a ball to Shaw at deep square leg, and Starc is guilty of misjudging Shaw’s agility. He’s caught well short after a sharp throw to the keeper. Australia lose their 8th for 139.
Paine and Starc counterattack
They’ve played their shots against the fast bowlers in the quick stand and forced India to spread the field. It’s yielded a couple of chances but India aren’t latching on. Saha now puts down a very tough skier running back against a Mitchell Starc top edge. Bumrah should have had five now if not for the dropped catches off his bowling.
WICKETS: Umesh strikes twice!
Here’s another twist. Umesh Yadav has Labuschagne trapped plumb in front with one that doesn’t rise too much. He goes three short of a fifty. And in the same over, Umesh goes the opposite way getting Cummins fending at a snorter and presenting a simple catch at gully. Australia 111 for 7 now.
It could have been 111/8 but Mayank Agarwal puts down a sitter at deep square leg with Paine pulling Bumrah. India’s fielding has been way below par today.
What’s twilight going to bring us today?
Last night we saw that this might not be the best time for new batsmen to come in. Australia do have more experience in tackling this, can they do better?
TEA: Australia 92/5, trail by 152 runs
Labuschagne survives through a review
He was adjudged caught behind against Mohammed Shami but Labuschagne was confident that there was not bat. And DRS proves him right, the ball flicks the back pad on the way to the keeper.
WICKET: Green falls to Ashwin too
A lot of credit for that wicket is down to a splendid catch from Virat Kohli at mid wicket. Ashwin gets one a little short prompting Green to pull in the air, and Kohli dives full length to his right to snap up a splendid catch. Australia lose their fifth on 79
WICKET: Ashwin gets two!
He’s been at the top of his game throughout this spell has Ashwin. This time he foils Head with a slower, loopier full one and gets him driving straight back into his hands. Simple catch taken and Australia slip to 65/4.
Head survives a review
Ashwin pushed for an LBW call against Travis Head, who missed a straighter one from round the wicket. Kohli goes for it reluctantly but the ball tracker shows it to be clipping the leg stump.
WICKET: Ashwin gets the big fish
Steve Smith is done in by Ashwin in his first over. The ball does not turn as much as Smith anticipated and it takes the outside edge where Rahane takes a simple chance. It sets Ashwin off on a big sprint followed by his teammates. Smith falls for just 1.
Smith survives a run out chance
Labuschagne sends Smith back after turning a ball to square leg. The throw from Shami is gathered by Ashwin who breaks the stumps and is off celebrating. Replays though show that Smith’s dive worked well in getting back just in time.
Dropped again!
Labuschagne gets another life, this time thanks to Prithvi Shaw who puts down a simple chance at square leg. Bumrah’s the unlucky bowler now, the got him to mistime the pull shot but Shaw makes a mess of the chance. Bumrah also sees an edge from Smith fall short of second slip in the same over. Lots happening but not going India’s way.
Dinner: Australia 35/2
Dropped!
Bumrah seemingly could do no wrong but he’s now put down a relatively easy chance at fine leg. Labuschagne hooks Shami to fine leg where Bumrah gets both hands to it but palms it away unsure of where the ropes are behind him.
WICKET: Bumrah strikes again
It’s the full ball angled in that does the trick for Bumrah against the other opener as well. Joe Burns is hit low on the front pad as he falls over missing a flick but he still goes for the review, the ball-tracker shows the ball to be just about clipping the leg stump. It leaves Burns furiously shaking his head as he walked off.
WICKET: Bumrah gets Wade
Bumrah comes back for a spell and hits Wade on the body first and then traps him LBW from round the wicket in the next over. The review is taken in optimism but it’s umpire’s call. Australia will keep the review but Wade’s 51-ball 8 comes to an end.
Australia remain steady
India have managed to keep the batsman quiet even though they haven’t threatened the wickets too much. Both Burns and Wade continue to remain sedate and steady. Something’s got to give, surely.
India start with four maiden overs
Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah have been on target at the start, beating the outside edge and testing the batsmen. Wade and Burns too have been up to it though, not making any errors so far and showing the patience to counter the good bowling.
India bowled out for 244
Cummins gets his third as Shami is felled by a sharp bouncer. India have lost four wickets for 11 runs and have been bowled out in just 25 balls on day 2. We’ve seen lower order contributions turn Test matches in the recent past, how much will the lack of it cost India?
WICKET: No. 4 for Starc
Umesh Yadav goes down swinging hard, he tries to take Starc out of the ground but skies an edge that it taken well at mid off. India going down rather quickly now.
WICKET: Saha falls to Starc
Saha too falls without adding to his overnight score. He reaches out to a wide one from Starc but only nicks behind. That’s wicket No. 3 for Starc and a perfect start for Australia.
WICKET:Cummins gets Ashwin!
He’s not added anything to his overnight score, and Cummins does the trick with his perfect length. This one draws Ashwin forward but nips off the pitch to catch the outside edge. Simply too good. India lose one without adding to their overnight score.
Hello and welcome backto day 2 of this historic day-night Test between the hosts Australia and India.
It was patience and restraint from the experienced Indian top-order that was starting to offset Australia’s advantage from early wickets in the day. But just as India seemed to be taking charge, a silly mistake – the run out of captain Virat Kohli – triggered all sorts of panic that saw India slip from 188/3 to 206/6in the space of eight overs, leaving it up to Ashwin and Saha to do the heavy lifting as the visitors seek a competitive first innings total. Pujara, later in the day, said it’s still pretty even in his eyes.
If you missed any action on day 1, here’s Bharat Sundaresan summing up the day’s play for you, and our report.