India’s opening batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, got off to a promising start on Day 2, but their fortunes quickly turned sour as they lost five wickets in the latter half of the day. As stumps were called, India found themselves at 151/5, trailing Australia by 318 runs and still needing 118 runs to avoid a follow-on. Australia’s bowlers, each taking a wicket, posed a significant challenge for the Indian side.
However, amidst the setbacks, there was a glimmer of hope as Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja formed a resilient partnership, contributing 71 runs for the fifth wicket. Unfortunately, Jadeja’s impressive knock of 48 off 51 balls came to an end when he was caught by Lyon, while Rahane remained unbeaten on 29 off 71 deliveries. Their collective effort provided some respite for India.
Earlier in the match, Travis Head and Steve Smith’s centuries propelled Australia to a commanding total of 469. On Day 2, India displayed a spirited fightback after struggling to take wickets on the previous day, with Mohammed Siraj leading the charge with a four-wicket haul. Additionally, Alex Carey’s quickfire 48 boosted Australia’s score beyond 450, but India managed to limit the impact of the lower-order batsmen. Australia can be pleased with their performance at the end of the day’s play, as Smith and Head continued their exceptional batting form, reaching individual milestones of 100 and 150, respectively.
The Indian bowlers, however, showed resilience by swiftly dismissing them. Looking ahead to Day 3, India faces a challenging task and hopes that the current batting pair can accumulate runs to keep their hopes alive in the match. Stay tuned for live updates from tomorrow’s final day.
