Adelaide Test, Day 2: Australia smell victory after Travis Head's powerful century

Hosts Australia are totally under control at the stumps of the second day of the day-night pink ball Adelaide Test match, as they are dreaming of a dominant win to level the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with three matches to go. 

In reply to India’s 180 runs, Australia scored 337 runs in their first innings of the second Test. Starting their second innings by trailing 157 runs, the under-pressure Indian team scored 128/5 at the stumps of day two. 

Travis Head scored a brilliant century under pressure

At the start of the second day, Jasprit Bumrah provided two early breakthroughs for the visitors as Nathan McSweeney (39) and Steven Smith (2) were dismissed cheaply. Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head then controlled the innings and set up an important fourth-wicket partnership. They had a 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for 64 off 126 balls (nine fours), who suddenly lost the concentration. 

Travis Head then completely controlled the game with his powerful batting. The late batting orders provided some crucial support, where Head had a 74-run partnership with Alex Carey, who scored 15 runs. 

Before his dismissal, the game-changer Travis Head scored 140 off 141 balls with the help of 17 fours and four sixes. Mohammed Siraj finally bowled him. Captain Pat Cummins (12) and Mitchell Starc (18) also had some useful contributions with the bat. 

Among the Indian bowlers, Bumrah (4/61) and Siraj (4/98) bagged four wickets each. Ravichandran Ashwin (1/53) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/25) took one wicket each. 

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Indian batters failed to convert starts

As expected, Indian batters failed to challenge strongly against the shiny pink ball under the light. Although some batters got starts, they failed to control the innings. Opener KL Rahul was dismissed for seven runs as Pat Cummins trapped him with a short ball in the fourth over. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a golden duck in the first innings of the Test match, got a good start, and he built up a good partnership with Shubman Gill. However, Scott Boland's spell once again worked for the hosts as he dismissed Jaiswal (24) on his first ball of the innings. While Virat Kohli (11) was caught behind in Boland's over, Shubman Gill (28) was bowled by Mitchell Starc. Later, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma (6) was bowled by the Aussie skipper.

Whatever happens on the other end, the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant continued his stunning shots at the end of the day. While Pant was not out for 28 off 25 balls with five fours, Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 15 not out off 14 balls with three fours. They ended the day with a 23-run partnership for the unbroken sixth wicket.

While Cummins (2/33) and Boland (2/39) took two wickets each, the left-arm fast bowler Starc (1/49), who picked up six wickets in the first innings of the Test, scalped one wicket at the stumps on day two.