Adelaide: Travis Head (61 batting, 149b, 6×4) helped Australia avoid an early collapse Friday as India had the slight edge in a sedately-paced battle of attrition after senior off-spinner R Ashwin (3/50) cleaned up the Australian top order and a meticulous pace effort kept the home team’s scoring in check on the second day of the opening Test here.
Head and Pat Cummins (10) kept Australia in the game with a 50-run partnership in the last session but India walked away with the advantage after the latter fell towards the end of day’s play.
At stumps, Australia were 191/7 with Ashwin being their primary tormentor. He was aided well by the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah (2/34) and Ishant Sharma (2/31). Mitchell Starc (8 batting) was giving Head company at close of play with Australia trailing by 59 runs against India’s first innings effort of 250.
Post tea, the hosts lost two wickets for 10 runs in a passage of play spanning eight overs. It was credit to Indian bowling that it kept the runs in check and regular inroads into the Australian line-up meant that they were never really out of pressure.
Peter Handscomb (34) had been living dangerously and he was the first to fall. He tried to play the late cut against Bumrah but only managed to edge behind. Shortly after, Ishant came up with an unplayable length delivery and Australian captain Tim Paine (5) had no choice but to play at it, only to edge to the keeper.
Australia were struggling at 127/6, when things turned their way thanks to the eighth-wicket partnership between Head and Cummins.
It was the only passage of play where India’s bowling lost a little colour, but it was partly due to the fact that Murali Vijay (0/10) bowled four overs before the second new ball was taken.
Bumrah trapped Cummins in front, putting an end to the Aussie’s 44-ball stay. However, the Indian pacers were unable to make further inroads into the Australian lower order as Head and Starc batted out the remaining overs before stumps.
Earlier, Ishant cleaned Aaron Finch up with a beautiful inswinger on the third ball of the Australian innings after the hosts wrapped up the Indian innings on the very first ball of the day.
However, Usman Khawaja (28) and debutant Marcus Harris (26) took Aussies past 50-run mark before Ashwin dismissed the latter to reduce the hosts to 57/2 at lunch. Australia lost two more wickets in Khawaja and Shaun Marsh (2) post lunch, both off Ashwin deliveries, as they were down to 117/4 at tea.
Brief scores: India 250; Australia 191/7 (Travis Head 61 batting; R Ashwin 3/50, Ishant Sharma 2/31, Jasprit Bumrah 2/34). Match to continue.
CA wants D/N Test with India
Adelaide: With the turnout in the opening Test not quite up to their expectation, Cricket Australia (CA) has urged India to reconsider their opposition to day-night Tests and play under lights here in their next tour Down Under. Roberts said he hoped that the BCCI would agree to a day-night for the next tour here in 2020-21. “Let’s hope so. We embrace that they (BCCI) have a different view of this Test match but we hope in time, with the sentiment from fans, we can have a day-night Test,” he said.
