3rd Test
Day-2 Morning Session Highlights:
India has claimed the three wickets in an exciting session of play before Lunch
At The Lunch of Day-2:
Australia scored 104/3 (1st Innings) vs India.
India made three breakthroughs in a captivating and extended opening session on Day 2 of the Brisbane Test, with Jasprit Bumrah continuing to dominate Australia’s openers.
The hosts managed only 76 runs at a slow rate of 2.56, as veteran Steve Smith battled through the tough period after reverting to an old technique that had previously served him well.
After the gloomy conditions of Day 1, the early start to Day 2 brought a refreshing shade of powdery blue to the sky over The Gabba, and a renewed intensity from Bumrah.
On the opening day, Bumrah had bowled slightly straighter and shorter at Usman Khawaja across six overs, but he quickly adjusted, producing a mesmerizing spell right from the start.
Operating on a fuller length, between six and eight meters, Bumrah repeatedly forced Khawaja forward.
The fuller deliveries were just short enough that Khawaja couldn’t drive, leading to an early battle with the batter’s indecision.
Bumrah beat him on the inside edge and then twice on the outside edge in his very first over.
He struck on the first ball of his next over, as Khawaja tentatively poked at a delivery outside the off-stump, which straightened enough to edge through to Rishabh Pant for his 150th dismissal behind the stumps.
The other opener, Nathan McSweeney, who had faced only three balls from Bumrah on Day 1, fared little better on Day 2.
After facing just two more balls from Bumrah, McSweeney edged a straight delivery to second slip.
Bumrah’s performance against Australia’s openers in the series has been staggering, with an average of 4.28, taking seven dismissals in just three Tests (McSweeney 4, Khawaja 3).
At 38 for 2, Smith joined Marnus Labuschagne at the crease, with Smith reverting to his trademark back-and-across trigger movement, trusting his eye to deal with the straight balls.
India applied pressure with a leg slip and even had Akash Deep bowl around the wicket with a couple of deep fielders in place.
The experienced pair survived the remainder of Bumrah’s fiery burst and began to face India’s third and fourth seamers.
Labuschagne faced most of the bowling from Mohammed Siraj, doing well to leave balls on length and trusting the bounce of the surface.
Smith, finding some rhythm, took on the inexperienced Nitish Reddy and collected runs on the on-side.
The pair added 37 runs, but it took nearly 15 overs to do so, as India maintained tight control.
On one such occasion, Nitish got Labuschagne to drive at a full and wide delivery, with Virat Kohli taking an excellent catch at second slip.
Smith also had close calls, especially when he shouldered arms to a nip-backer from Siraj, which was saved by ‘Umpire’s Call.’
He also managed to get inside a full ball from Akash Deep, narrowly avoiding being hit on the pads.
India’s bright start to the morning was briefly disrupted when Siraj hobbled off the field after a hamstring issue during the seventh over, but he returned before the session ended.
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