IndvsAus: Indian team falters in Delhi Test, lost four wickets before scoring 100 runs
In the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the post-lunch game has also started on the second day of the second Test cricket match between India and Australia. The innings of the Indian team is going through a lot of trouble during this period. Indian team’s score has been four wickets for 95 runs. Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has wreaked havoc on the Indian batsmen. The first four wickets were taken by Nathan Lyon, due to which the Indian innings faltered.
At present, India’s score is 95 runs at the loss of four wickets. Ravindra Jadeja is on 19 and Kohli is standing at the crease after scoring 17 runs. Both are trying to handle the Indian innings. So far there has been a partnership of 29 runs between the two. Let us tell that the Australian team has given India a target of 264 runs while batting first in the first innings.
The Indian team started the day at 21 without loss but Nathan Lyon dismissed Lokesh Rahul (17) to break their 46-run partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma (32). Lyon then removed Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) in the same over. He made Australia’s hold on the match in the 26th over of the Indian innings by getting Shreyas Iyer (four) caught by Peter Handscomb.
Such was Australia’s innings
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami along with the spinners presented the view of excellent bowling. Despite spectacular half-centuries from Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb, Australia were bowled out for 263 on the opening day of the second Test here on Friday. By the end of the first day’s play, India scored 21 runs without loss in nine overs in their second innings. Captain Rohit Sharma is playing on 13 and KL Rahul is on four runs. Rohit was given out by the umpire at short leg in the last over of the day off Nathan Lyon but the Indian skipper remained at the crease after the Decision Review System (DRS) was invoked.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, but apart from Khawaja (81 off 125 balls) and Handscomb (72 not out off 142 balls), none of their other batsmen could stand up to the Indian bowlers. Captain Pat Cummins played an inning of 33 runs. Khawaja hit 12 fours and a six in his innings while Handscomb’s innings included nine fours. The pitch has been favorable for spinners but India’s most successful bowler has been Shami. He took four wickets for 60 runs. He was well supported by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3 for 57) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3 for 68). Cummins won the toss for the second consecutive match and decided to bat first. Khawaja and David Warner (15) gave the team a good start by adding 50 runs for the first wicket. Khawaja was batting with more confidence and his footwork was also good but Warner struggled. Mohammad Siraj troubled him a lot in his first spell. His ball also hit Warner’s elbow and helmet. Siraj had set the stage in a way and in such a situation, Rohit again handed the ball to Shami from the other end.
Shami gave India its first breakthrough soon thereafter. His angled ball took the edge of Warner’s bat and got into the gloves of wicketkeeper Kona Bharat. Khawaja fought back against Ashwin and Jadeja. Ashwin, however, got India second success by dismissing Marnus Labushen (18). Then the DRS decision went in favor of India. After one ball, Steve Smith returned to the pavilion without opening the account, but all the credit goes to wicketkeeper Bharat, who took a very good catch which was very low. Australia scored 94 runs for three wickets till lunch. He also lost three wickets in the second session and meanwhile brought the score to 199 runs. Shami got the first breakthrough for India in the second season as well. Travis Head (12), playing his first match of the series, caught Rahul standing at second slip off his ball. Rahul’s second catch of the match was excellent as Khawaja returned to the pavilion. This was the turning point of this session. Playing shots well on both sides of the ground, Khawaja reverse-swept Jadeja in the 46th over of the innings but Rahul made him walk with a brilliant one-handed catch.
This was Jadeja’s 250th wicket in Test matches. Alex Carey (0) was the third batsman to be dismissed in the second session. He caught Virat Kohli standing in the first slip off Ashwin. Handscomb held one end. After adding 59 runs with Khawaja, he shared the same number of runs with Cummins. Cummins adopted an aggressive approach in his innings and also hit two sixes on Ashwin. Jadeja bowled Todd Murphy in the same over after dismissing Cummins lbw. Shami ended the Australian innings by uprooting the wicket of Matthew Kuhnmann (six), playing his first Test match. India are leading 1-0 in the four-match series after winning the first Test by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur.
