Australia kept the second Test against India at bay with a gleaming century from Travis Head. In the Adelaide evening, during the day-night Test match against India, Head struck 140 off 141 balls and left the Indian bowlers to wonder. Australia’s lead climbs to 152 runs by stumps on Day 2 with the home side occupying the fore and being lifted by Head’s innings of sheer power and a decent whole team effort.
Head again proved why he is a nightmare for India when it comes to pink-ball Test cricket. Left-hander went in at a subtle 103/3 following early attacks by Jasprit Bumrah, who started off alongside Marnus Labuschagne (64) to level the scoring.
When the ball mellowed, though, Head flicked the switch on and hammered India’s tired pacemen. His century, the fastest in day-night Tests, off 111 balls, was a stroke of counter-attack cricket. From getting away with clean balls off Harshit Rana to slinging Bumrah’s poor deliveries at the boundary, Head had everything.
Travis Head pounded flimsy lines and lengths even after India grabbed the second new ball and Australia’s lead continued to expand like a monster. He was eventually dismissed after Mohammad Siraj yorked him late in the second session. Head, by then, had done India irreparable damage to confidence.
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Though Head’s valiant efforts were the show, Labuschagne’s raucous 68 made all the difference in the first part of the innings. On a surface where he regularly registers over 70, Labuschagne pulled through to set up Australia after Bumrah had hauled out Nathan McSweeney (4) and Steven Smith (11) respectively in short order. With 65-run partnership with Head, Australia cancelled India’s initial vigilance.
Labuschagne lost it finally to Nitish Reddy with a poor cut to gully but by then, the tide had turned. But it was not always like this—India got its ups and downs though especially thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin. Although Australia were stumped for a pair of sixes by Head, Ashwin’s line and turn was enough to keep Australia at bay in the middle overs.
For India’s bowlers, it was an mixed bag. The opener Jasprit Bumrah was again a highlight taking four wickets for 59 runs. His flaming first over dismissed key hitters early, but later in the day the pink ball was giving little back in the hot heat.
Mohammad Siraj was not consistent and Harshit Rana, the young kid, took Head’s toll, conceding four boundaries in a over. Ashwin alone – India’s secret weapon coming into the match – couldn’t produce the winning knock to put a halt to Australia’s comeback. Not to mention the injury crisis that erupted around Bumrah who seemed to tear his groin and came back to bowl late in the session.
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The visitors were also hurt in the early session, when a disputed LBW call against Mitchell Marsh denied their review. The third umpire replay did not definitively decide Ashwin’s shot had hit the pad or the bat first, which irritated India. The decision spared Marsh a shot at redemption and Ashwin fell mere seconds later. But by Tea, Australia had come roaring ahead, at 332/8 in fine form.
India are down by more than 150 runs and their batting line-up will be tested heavily under lights in a slick Adelaide surface. Their first-innings 180 (led by Nitish Reddy’s 42 and broken dead by Mitchell Starc’s 6/48)has no room for error.
For Australia, Travis Head’s knock is the icing on the cake as they sit in the best position to claim another statement win in the series. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and an upbeat second-innings score awaiting India, it’s all set to get increasingly complicated — and Adelaide’s pink ball becomes villain for the Indian camp.
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Head’s heroic innings didn’t just confirm his spot as a match-winner but also set the stage abuzz with anticipation, will India be able to claw back or will Australia tighten their grip on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the spotlight? It will be the final session, stay tuned.
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