Local boy Travis Head saved his side from falling with his gritty performance, took the onus and fought back with an unbeaten 149-ball 69 and Australia ended Day Two of the opening Test against India at 191 for 7 at the Adelaide Oval.
Local boy Travis Head saved his side from falling with his gritty performance, took the onus and fought back with an unbeaten 149-ball 69 and Australia ended Day Two of the opening Test against India at 191 for 7 at the Adelaide Oval.
India vs Australia, 1st Test: Full commentary & scorecard
For India, Ashwin picked three wickets, Ishant and Bumrah scalped two wickets apiece, while Shami returned sans wicket even after creating multiple chances.
On Day 2, India's last-wicket pair of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah resumed innings but Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood, with the figures wrapped up the Indian innings at 250 runs on the very first ball.
For Australia, Aaron Finch, along with debutant Marcus Harris, came in the middle to open first innings. However, pacer Ishant Sharma struck Finch for a golden duck on the third ball to set the tone for the match.
Their in-form No. 3 batsman Usman Khawaja stuck around for 125 balls scoring 28 runs before falling to in-fire Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin, who finished the day with three scalps. It was Peter Handscomb who stepped up for the hosts but even he threw away his wicket, like the others, by playing a poor shot.
India vs Australia:
Australia XI: Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c/wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
India's squad: Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
1. Day 3: Rainy start
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When Travis Head remained unbeaten on 61 on Day two, he gave hope to the hosts for a chance to earn a lead when they resumed the play on Saturday at the Adelaide Oval. Unfortunately, we'll not have the start on time because of the rain. However, the weather updates show that it is expected to clear up soon with no interruptions for the rest of the day. I don't think we want to lose many overs on Day three considering the neck-to-neck contest going on between the two sides that has more entertainment in store for us. PC: Reuters
Australia 191 for 7, still train by 59 runs.
2. Rain finally stops!
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Rain stops at Adelaide. Cricket Australia tweets, "The rain has stopped and the sun is breaking through. Hopefully, we’ll have a start shortly #AUSvIND." PC: BCCI Twitter
3. Day 3 begins!
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Let's let rolling on Day 3. Travis Head (61*), Mitchell Starc (8*) and the Indian players have made their way into the middle. Starc will take strike and Ishant with the ball for the first over of the day. Australia resume the day on 191 for 7, still trail by 59 runs. PC: Twitter
4. Starc goes before rain returns!
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OUT! The situation turns out to be a typical post-rain crisis for the hosts as they lose Starc soon after the play resumes after a delayed start due to the rain. Starc faced the first ball of the day and the Aussies scored three runs off Day 3's first over. A couple of overs later, Australia bring up 200. Apparently, it is only for the third time since the Ashes that Aussies have batted more than 90 overs now. In the 92nd over, Bumrah bowls too wide of off and Starc like others goes after it to only get caught behind. Pant meanwhile continues to impress as the gloveman. While the Indians celebrate the wicket, they walk off the field as the rain retruns.
Starc c Pant b Bumrah 15(34)
Australia 204/8, trail by 46 runs
5. Play resumes at Adelaide
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The players are once again out in the middle. Australia lost Starc just before the rain had returned so now it's Nathan Lyon who has joined Travis Head at the crease. Bumrah to continue and Kohli instantly keeps two slips and a gully. PC: AFP
6. Latest update from Adelaide Oval
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The rain delayed the start of Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. That was followed by a few overs before the reain returned. Now that the play is underway, here are the updated session times for Day three:
Session 1: 12:30-1:30pm (local time)
Session 2: 2:10-4:25pm
Session 3: 4:45-6:30pm
Also, a minimum of 80 overs will be played today and the play can be extended for up to 30 minutes if needed. PC: AFP
7. Shami strikes twice as hosts get 235 all-out
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Shami to Head, a short delivery away from him which the batsman should have left it but instead there is a slight touch and the rest is done by Pant behind the wickets. The FIFTH catch for Pant this innings. The very next delivery, Shami has his 2dn wicket of the innings too as Hazlewood goes for a golden duck. Despite the rain interruptions, Aussies have managed to add 44 crucial runs to their overnight total and India have managed only a lead of 15 runs.
Indian openers to walk in soon.
8. Rain stops play again!
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Oh, no! The Indian openers are walking back as the rain returns. The Aussie skipper Tim Paine has a chat with umpire Llong and the Aussies walk away in disappointment. These conditions would have favoured their pacers massively. An early lunch has been taken as the pitch gets covered. If the rain stops, we will have play resuming at 13:50 local. PC: AFP
9. India's second innings goes underway
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Nine overs gone, KL Rahul and Murali Vijay have been careful so that they don't repeat their mistakes from the opening day of this Test. They have not attempted to go after the ball so early in the innings. 11 runs so far and the lead has gone to 26. PC: Twitter
10. 50-run stand for Rahul-Vijay
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A decent start from KL Rahul and Murali Vijay as they bring up their maiden 50-run stand outside India. It will do good for their confidence as these two in the previous 11 innings as opening partners had failed to build even a 50-run stand. There have been a few banters between Rahul and Pat Cummins and he is the one of the two who has put pressure on the Aussies more.
India take their lead to 69 runs.
India 56/0
11. Starc strikes!
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Mitchell Starc strikes, Vijay gets out in a similar fashion as the first innings. Starc knew the trick, he bowled one wide outside off and that tempted Vijay who responded positively to Starc with a push. Instead, a thick outside edge flew to the slip cordon where Handscomb jumped to his left to complete an excellent catch. Vijay was known for his art of leaving the balls but that has declined to an extent over the year or so and his both the dismissals in the Adelaide Test are the testimonial to it.
First innings' centurion Che Pujara walks in the middle.
India 69 for 1, Overs 20, lead by 84 runs
12. Rahul goes
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On the fifth ball of the 24th over, the umpire gives Pujara caught behind of Lyon's bowling. The confident centurion from the first innings immediately asks for a review. The replays and hotspot show no contact between bat and ball and there the decision overturns and Pujara gets a life. Two balls later, KL Rahul is not as lucky because of the fault of his own.
Hazlewood bowls one away from outside off and Rahul once again goes after it, while attempting to drive it, gets a thick edge that flies into the gloves of Tim Paine. Same mistake, same result. Will the Indians even learn this tour?
Meanwhile, the things will heat up soon on the field as the new man in is the Indian skipper Virat Kohli.
India 83 for 2, lead by 98 runs
13. King Kohli: Milestone alert
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Virat Kohli became the fastest Indian batsman to 1,000 Test runs in Australia. The Indian skipper needed just 18 innings to reach the 1,000-run mark Down Under.
Overall, Kohli became the fourth Indian to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (1809), VVS Laxman (1236) and Rahul Dravid (1143). And, Kohli also has the best average (59.10) among these guys which speaks volumes about his run with the bat in the last few years. PC: AFP
14. Pujara survives, again!
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The Australians are left frustrated once again as Pujara has a second successful review. Llong raised his finger after Lyon appealed for LBW but replays showed the ball was bouncing over the stumps as Pujara came down the pitch. Pujara and Virat are going strong in their third-wicket stand that is 32 runs now off 110 balls.
India 108/2, lead by 123 runs
15. Lyon traps the big fish, Kohli out!
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After uncompromising hard work from Lyon, he finally gets his fruitful result in the form of the biggest wicket of the innings - Kohli! The extra spin generated by Lyon helps him; Kohli goes forward but a slight touch with the bat onto the pad and the ball flies to Finch at short leg who makes no mistake and successfully completes the catch. In the commentary box, Gilly goes crazy, shouts, "'No bigger wicket in the world cricket at the moment." This shows what Kohli's wicket means to the hosts. Meanwhile, the Indian skipper easily has played one of his slowest Test innings today.
Kohli c Finch b Lyon 34(104)
India are 151/3, lead by 166 runs
16. STUMPS
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India end Day three with a healthy lead of 166 runs and when they resume play on Sunday, they'll have Pujara and Rahane at the crease. Once again, Pujara showed their worth as he successfully kept the Aussies away. Meanwhile, Harsha Bhogle made an excellent statement about Rahane, " Good to see Rahane coming out and not seeking refuge behind a nightwatchman." India will hope these two to bat out at least the first session.
India 151/3, lead by 166 runs
