Team India leads by 218 runs against Australia

Yashasvi Jaiswal combined game awareness with perfect shot selection while K.L. Rahul remained technically unperturbed in an unbroken opening stand of 172 as India looked set to bowl Australia out of the match by a total lead of 218 runs on the second day of the first Test here.

After captain Jasprit Bumrah’s fateful 11th five-wicket haul destroyed Australia for 104, young Jaiswal (90 batting, 193 balls) and seasoned Rahul (62 batting, 154 balls) decided to finish the job with an old-fashioned Test match , waiting. for free deliveries and respect for good fast bowling.

The Indians showed off their compact defense by scoring 88 in 31 overs during the post-tea session as Jaiswal inched towards the coveted ton on his first outing on Australian soil.

With enough time at their disposal and signs of cracks appearing on the surface, India will lose this Test match.

The way Rahul fended off the Australian attack was a sight to behold. No chatter could be heard from the sliding cordon, and at some point the Kookaburra’s seams came apart.

The live grass died by the second day and the seam movement also went out of whack, making it easier to hit the ball.

But no one can take any credit away from these two, who were hardly bothered by it except for the mix-up that could have led to Rahul’s elimination.

Jaiswal also showed that he learned his lessons from the first innings and initially curbed his desire to move up, which was the best part of his game. Each of his seven fours and two sixes was well executed.

Once he had defended enough shots, the Australian pacers had no choice but to try either short or full length, which he used well.

Whipping through mid-wicket to hit Starc for one bounce four and then making the pacer smile by telling him, “You’re slow” spoke volumes about how fearless the current generation of Indian cricketers are.

In the final session, he clicked it to the maximum just in case.

Rahul’s reverse shot from Pat Cummins could easily be called the best shot of the match, but it was heartening to see Jaiswal take a big step forward, driving Mitchell Starc through covers, besides hitting the bounce and playing the ramp shot.

In Rahul’s case, he kept his bottom hand very loose and this helped on deliveries, even ones that took a thick edge only to fall just before the slip cordon.

After tea came the period of play when Nathan Lyon silenced the Indians but neither Jaiswal nor Rahul ran out of patience. Jaiswal’s 123-ball half-century is his slowest in 15 Tests and speaks volumes about his adaptability.

For Rahul, it was about putting Friday’s botched dismissal behind him and focusing, which he did superbly.

Any target over 300 will be very difficult to chase on this track and Washington Sundar could come into play if those cracks open up, not to mention three fast bowlers who can use the variable bounce to good effect.

In the morning, India captain Bumrah deservedly picked up his 11th five-wicket haul while debutant Harshit Rana produced a fiery opening spell to dismiss the hosts for 104 by lunch despite stubborn last-wicket resistance from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Starc (26 off 113 balls) defended Hazlewood (7 off 31 balls) superbly during their 25-run last-wicket stand that lasted 18 overs.

The day started with Bumrah (5/30 in 18 overs) getting one up from the back of the range and Carey’s lead passing to good length to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.

The skipper’s joy was subdued as he headed purposefully back to his bowling mark before Nathan Lyon arrived. At the other end, big man Harshit Rana (3/48 in 15.2 overs) picked up where he left off on the opening day.

The rookie speedster used more short balls and one of those well placed balls came to Lyon, who was bowled at gully by KL. Rahul.