Australia are staring down the barrel of a first Test thrashing after failing to take a wicket on day two following their Friday capitulation at Optus Stadium.
They looked bereft of ideas with the ball after their dramatic collapse on day one with the bat and India will take a 218-run lead into Sunday’s third day with 10 second innings wickets in hand.
When you roll a team in two sessions for 150, it’s almost inconceivable that you can be trailing by such a significant margin by stumps on day two.
But after 20 wickets fell across the first four sessions, there were no more after lunch on day two as India finished on 0-172.
Everything was in Australia’s favour heading into this Test but with Pat Cummins’ side all but certain to be 1-0 down after the series opener, the selectors don’t necessarily have to wield the axe but they should be putting some of Australia’s underperforming stars on notice.
Tail can’t dig Aussies out of hole
When Alex Carey became Jasprit Bumrah’s fifth victim when he sparred at his first delivery of day two, any hope of Australia snaring a first-innings lead evaporated after their overnight 7-67 embarrassing resumption scoreline.
From 8-70, they were soon 9-79 when Nathan Lyon edged Harshit Rana into the cordon.
If not for Mitchell Starc surviving 112 deliveries to top-score with 26, the home side would not have cracked the hundred.
But 104 was never going to be enough, particularly with the green day-one pitch quickly switching to a beige colour to indicate it was no longer a nightmare for batters.
Yashasvi Jaiswal bats during day two. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Indian openers put foot on Australian throats
Yashasvi Jaiwal looked like becoming the latest in a long line of young batting stars who come to Australia and their average rapidly goes south after he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings.
But in the second dig he showed the hype was very much justified with a majestic innings to be close to a well-deserved hundred by stumps.
Jaiswal took 123 balls to reach his half-century before the left-hander accelerated late in the day to finish unbeaten on 90 with seven fours and two towering sixes.
It's a massive six for Jaiswal ????
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) November 23, 2024
With that he holds the record for the most sixes in a year in test match cricket ????
???? WATCH #AUSvIND on Ch. 501 or stream via Kayo https://t.co/FLWWoEqXQD
LIVE BLOG https://t.co/DIQPf23RuA
???? MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/qvhPusIMRE pic.twitter.com/APRHRoOdhZ
The 22-year-old left-hander now has 34 sixes for the calendar year, nearly double that of his nearest rival.
KL Rahul was a willing accomplice with a measured 62 from 153 deliveries to give Australia no hint of a sniff on Saturday as the pitch flattened out after it was a seamer’s paradise on day one.
Jaiswal had a life on 52 when Usman Khawaja grassed a low chance at first slip off Starc and Rahul could have been a goner in the next over after a mix-up but Steve Smith’s throw from short range was well wide when a direct hit would have caught him well short.
Rahul has been in and out of the Indian side for most of his career but he has mounted a strong case to keep a spot in the batting lineup for the second Test in Adelaide even if skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubnan Gill return.
There is now also talk that Mohammed Shami could be heading to the South Australian capital in time for the day-night Test in another boost for India as they make a strong start to what could be their fifth straight Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph.
A half-century for KL Rahul
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) November 23, 2024
The opening pair continue to build the lead ????
???? WATCH #AUSvIND on Ch. 501 or stream via Kayo https://t.co/FLWWoEqXQD
???? MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/qvhPusIMRE pic.twitter.com/ZvbXcy9FVw
No Plan B from Aussie attack
Australia’s pace trio of Pat Cummins, Starc and Josh Hazlewood didn’t bowl particularly poorly but there was no zip from the pitch and no Plan B in terms of tactics.
Marnus Labuschagne was indulged in his desire to try short-pitched medium pacers but that was mercifully ditched after just one innocuous over just before tea and another in the shadows of stumps.
Mitchell Marsh was ineffective in his six overs after his double breakthrough in the first innings while Travis Head was easily picked off for eight from his solitary over of benign off spin.
Late in the day Cummins tried to dig it in short to unsettle the openers but by that stage they were well set and safely negotiated the final-session blitz.
Nathan Lyon was tradesmanlike but couldn’t get extract sufficient turn or bounce to trouble the openers.
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