A six-wicket haul from Mitchell Starc helped Australia defy brief periods of fightback by Indian stars KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Nitish Kumar Reddy as the visitors were skittled out for 180 at the end of the second session on day one of the second Test at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
At the end of the second session, India was all-out for 180 runs, with Nitish (42) being the top run-getter for India. However, Starc (6/48) dismantled India with a memorable six-fer, adding another accomplishment to his envious pink-ball Test resume.
India started the second session at 81/4, with Rishabh Pant (4*) and skipper Rohit Sharma (1*) unbeaten. The Indian captain struggled against the Aussie bowling attack and was trapped leg-before-wicket by Scott Boland for a struggle-filled three runs in 23 balls.
India was 87/5 in 25.5 overs. Pant was joined by Nitish Kumar Reddy, who had notched scores of 41 and 38* in the Perth Test and won the hearts of many with his aggressive hitting. India reached the 100-run mark in 30.4 overs, thanks to Nitish’s fine boundary towards mid-off. In the 33rd over, Pant was dismissed by skipper Pat Cummins, who removed him for 21 in 35 balls. Pant could not face the awkwardly high bounce, and Marnus Labuschagne caught him at wide gully as he tried to defend himself. India was 109/6 in 32.5 overs. Ravichandran Ashwin was next up, and he tried to exert some pressure on Australian bowlers with some boundaries, giving some support to Nitish. He was, however, trapped lbw by Starc on a fine delivery for 22 in 22 balls, with three fours. India was 141/7 in 38.2 overs. Three balls later, Starc completed his five-wicket haul by removing Harshit Rana for a duck. India was 141/8 in 38.5 overs.
Nitish provided some much-needed bonus runs to India, audaciously taking on Boland and smashing him for two sixes and a four. Boland’s line and length were unstable, and he delivered two no-balls. Twenty-one runs came from his over. However, his fightback could not last for long as Cummins got Bumrah for a duck, and Nitish was Starc’s sixth wicket for 42 in 54 balls, with three fours and three sixes. India was all out for 180 in 44.1 overs. Starc (6/48 in 14.1 overs) solidified his legacy as perhaps the greatest pink-ball Test bowler with a memorable fifer, his first against India in Tests and his fourth in day and night Tests, which is most by any bowler. Cummins and Boland also got two wickets.
At Tea, India was 82/4, Rishabh Pant (4*) and skipper Rohit Sharma (1*) unbeaten. After electing to bat first, India was off to a poor start as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped leg-before-wicket plumb on the first ball of the innings. India was 0/1. Following that, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul were the pair at the crease, which had to see off the new, shiny, pink ball. On his return from a thumb injury, Gill made his attacking intentions clear with two classy boundaries against Mitchell Starc, who had just taken Jaiswal’s wicket. Gill was targetting Starc well, hitting him for an odd boundary. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey caught behind Rahul on a delivery by Scott Boland in the eighth over, but to the delight of fans, it was a no-ball. At the end of the first 10 overs, India was 30/1, with Gill (19*) and KL (9*) unbeaten.
Rahul, who looked in supreme touch in the Perth Test, showcased it to the Adelaide crowd with some fine drives, including two successive boundaries against Aussie skipper Pat Cummins in the 15th over, which took India to the 50-run mark in 14.5 overs. KL (26*) and Gill (25*) were seeing off the pace trio of Cummins, Boland and Starc well with patience, punishing loose balls with disdainful drives. Starc ended KL’s stay at the crease with a fine catch from Nathan McSweeney at gully. KL was gone for 37 in 64 balls, with six fours. India was 69/2 in 18.4 overs. Virat Kohli was also looking good but was caught in slips by Steve Smith, with Starc getting him for just seven runs. India was 77/3 in 20.1 overs. India’s downfall continued, with Gill being trapped lbw by Boland for 31 in 51 balls, with five fours. India was 81/4 in 21.1 overs. In the end, Rishabh and Rohit were unbeaten.
Brief Scores: India: 180 (Nitish Kumar Reddy 42, KL Rahul 37, Mitchell Starc 6/48) vs Australia.
