Yashasvi Jaiswal displayed exemplary game awareness and KL Rahul remained technically solid in an unbroken opening partnership of 172, placing India in a commanding position with an overall lead of 218 runs on the second day of the first Test against Australia.
Earlier, skipper Jasprit Bumrah’s 11th five-wicket haul proved decisive as Australia were skittled out for 104. Despite a challenging surface, Jaiswal (90 not out off 193 balls) and Rahul (62 not out off 154 balls) employed a mix of patient defence and precise shot-making, leaving India poised for a potential victory.
Demonstrating a vintage Test match approach, the pair scored 88 runs in the post-tea session, with Jaiswal nearing a century in his maiden innings on Australian soil.
Signs of cracks on the pitch have started to appear, further tilting the balance in India’s favour.
Jaiswal’s batting was a masterclass in adaptability, curbing his instincts to drive early in the innings—a lesson well learnt from the first innings. His seven fours and two sixes were a testament to his calculated aggression.
One standout moment came when he cheekily told Mitchell Starc, “you are slow,” after pulling him for a boundary, epitomising the fearless nature of India’s young cricketers.
Rahul complemented Jaiswal with a controlled knock, highlighted by a sublime back-drive off Pat Cummins, which was arguably the shot of the match. His measured approach, marked by soft bottom-hand play, nullified the Australian pacers’ efforts.
Nathan Lyon briefly tied down the batsmen during the final session, but the Indian openers remained resolute. Jaiswal’s half-century came off 123 balls—his slowest in 15 Tests—underscoring his versatility.
Earlier in the day, Bumrah’s sensational figures of 5 for 30 were complemented by debutant Harshit Rana’s fiery spell (3 for 48), restricting the Australians to a modest total.
Bumrah dismissed Alex Carey early with a rising delivery that carried to Rishabh Pant, while Rana’s short-ball strategy accounted for Nathan Lyon.
A stubborn last-wicket partnership between Starc (26 off 113) and Josh Hazlewood (7 not out) added 25 runs, frustrating the visitors before lunch.
With cracks on the surface likely to widen, India’s spinners and pacers, including the promising Rana, are expected to exploit variable bounce in the fourth innings, making any target over 300 a daunting task for Australia.
Scoreboard
India (1st Innings): 150
Australia (1st Innings):
Khawaja c Kohli b Bumrah 8
McSweeney lbw b Bumrah 10
Labuschagne lbw b Siraj 2
Smith lbw b Bumrah 0
Head b Harshit Rana 11
Marsh c Rahul b Siraj 6
Alex Carey c Pant b Bumrah 21
Cummins c Pant b Bumrah 3
Starc c Pant b Harshit Rana 26
Lyon c Rahul b Harshit Rana 5
Hazlewood not out 7
Extras: (LB-1, NB-4) 5
Total: (All out, 51.2 overs) 104
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-19, 3-19, 4-31, 5-38, 6-47, 7-59, 8-70, 9-79.
Bowling:
Jasprit Bumrah 18-6-30-5
Mohammed Siraj 13-7-20-2
Harshit Rana 15.2-3-48-3
Nitish Kumar Reddy 3-0-4-0
Washington Sundar 2-1-1-0
India (2nd Innings):
Jaiswal batting 90
KL Rahul batting 62
Extras: (LB-11, NB-4, W-5) 20
Total: (For no loss, 57 overs) 172
Bowling:
Mitchell Starc 12-2-43-0
Josh Hazlewood 10-5-9-0
Pat Cummins 13-2-44-0
Mitchell Marsh 6-0-27-0
Nathan Lyon 13-3-28-0
Marnus Labuschagne 2-0-2-0
Travis Head 1-0-8-0
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