India versus Australia Test Series, 2024

2nd Test

Day-2 Evening Session Highlights:

Travis Head and the pacers have put the Australia team in a commanding position

At The Stumps of Day-2:

India scored 180 (1st Innings) & 128/5 (2nd Innings), where as Australia scored 337 (1st Innings).

So, finally India Trail by 29 runs.

Travis Head once again proved to be a thorn in India’s side, blasting a brilliant 140 off 141 balls, giving Australia a first-innings lead of 157 runs.

To further assert their dominance, Australia’s pacers claimed five wickets under the lights, reducing India to 105/5 by the end of the day, leaving them trailing by 29 runs.

Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Mitchell Starc exploited the pink ball, moving it sharply to rip through India’s top order for the second time in the match, reinforcing Australia’s commanding position, which had been built around Head’s heroics throughout the day.

By the time Mohammad Siraj dismissed Head with the second new ball, the left-hander had done more than enough to shake India’s confidence.

In the second session, Head accelerated against a tiring attack, taking advantage of an older ball.

He powered through Harshit Rana’s over, reaching his century off just 111 balls—the fastest-ever in a day-night Test—while increasing Australia’s lead at a rapid pace.

Even against the second new ball, India’s biggest weapon, Head dispatched Bumrah and Siraj for crucial boundaries.

India faced a brief injury scare when Bumrah was down with a groin issue but returned to bowl shortly after.

Siraj finally got the breakthrough by yorking Head, followed by a verbal exchange as the batter walked off.

India’s frustration deepened as they struggled to take wickets.

R. Ashwin, India’s best bowler during this period, had earlier dismissed Mitchell Marsh and saw Head dropped on 76 by Siraj.

Head then joined Alex Carey (15) for a swift 74-run partnership before Carey was caught behind.

Australia’s lead surged past 150 before Siraj wrapped up the tail early in the third session, leaving India with a daunting task ahead in the toughest batting conditions of a day-night Test.

KL Rahul was the first to fall in India’s response, surprised by a short ball from Cummins, which he pulled to the keeper.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s promising start ended when he edged Boland to the ‘keeper, followed quickly by Virat Kohli’s dismissal.

Starc then flattened Shubman Gill’s stumps with a sharp delivery.

Rohit Sharma endured a rough stay, surviving a helmet blow and an overstep call on an LBW appeal, but eventually fell to Cummins, leaving India at 105/5.

Australia’s control over the game was evident, as the hard work done in the morning session was not undone.

Marnus Labuschagne found form with a gritty half-century, building a crucial 65-run partnership with Head for the fourth wicket after Australia had lost two early wickets to Bumrah.

India’s morning session had seen Bumrah’s brilliance in dismissing Nathan McSweeney and Steven Smith, putting Australia in a spot at 103/3.

Head weathered the storm, reaching his fifth Test fifty and taking Australia to a lead in the first session.

India faced more frustration with an LBW review against Mitchell Marsh being turned down, despite evidence suggesting the ball had hit the pad first.

This further compounded India’s woes, ensuring that Australia’s momentum remained unbroken throughout the day.