1st Test
Day-2 Evening Session Highlights:
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal has put the India team in a strong position in the Perth test
At The Stumps of Day-2:
India scored 150 (1st Innings) & 172/0 (2nd Innings), where as Australia scored 104 (2nd Innings).
So, finally India lead by 218 runs.
After a thrilling 17-wicket opening day, Australia’s bowlers were made to toil hard without reward on Day 2, as KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal struck fifties to put India in control of the Perth Test.
The openers extended India’s 46-run first-innings lead, earned through a brilliant five-wicket haul by Jasprit Bumrah, and stretched it to over 200 by the close of play.
The day began with Jasprit Bumrah quickly quashing Australia’s hopes of a comeback, dismissing in-form Alex Carey with the first ball of the day.
Carey, who had been in excellent form in first-class cricket, nicked one to Rishabh Pant in the second over.
India continued with energy, with Harshit Rana at the other end engaging in friendly banter with Mitchell Starc and making Nathan Lyon uncomfortable with short deliveries.
Lyon was eventually caught off a bouncer from Rana by KL Rahul at third slip, leaving Australia at 79 for 9.
A resilient final-wicket stand worth 25 runs between Starc and Josh Hazlewood lasted 18 overs, frustrating India’s attack and allowing Australia to pass 100.
Rana returned to wrap up the innings on 104, dismissing Starc and giving India a crucial 46-run lead.
In the second innings, Australia’s bowlers saw far less seam movement, allowing Rahul and Jaiswal to play with greater freedom.
The openers batted cautiously at first, with Rahul playing inside the line of the ball and Jaiswal resisting the temptation to go for risky runs.
As the pitch flattened out and the sun shone brightly, they began to take control, seizing opportunities against Pat Cummins and even uppercutting a short ball for a boundary.
The brief spell from Nathan Lyon also posed little threat as the duo safely reached the next break.
Their dominance continued in the final session, even as the ball began to misbehave.
Rahul became just the second batter after Virender Sehwag to be part of three 100-plus opening partnerships in SENA countries since 2000.
Australia came close to a breakthrough on a couple of occasions—Starc got Jaiswal to edge one to first slip, but Usman Khawaja failed to gather it cleanly.
Moments later, Rahul narrowly avoided a run-out, as Jaiswal had to send him back after he’d already covered most of the ground.
Jaiswal reached his fifty off 120 balls, followed by Rahul’s milestone in 124 balls.
Jaiswal then hit Starc for a flicked six and exchanged words with the fast bowler, before striking another six off Lyon to break the record for most sixes in Tests in a calendar year, with 34.
By the end of the session, India had surpassed their first-innings total without losing a wicket, while Australia had been forced to turn to Marnus Labuschagne’s medium pace to finish both bowling sessions, reflecting the shift in conditions and the upper hand India had gained.
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