December 7, 2024: Australia is closing in on yet another Pink-ball Test victory, with Day 2 of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at Adelaide firmly in their control. India ended the day at 128/5, trailing by 29 runs, and facing an uphill task to stay in the game. The Australian seamers were in top form, complementing a stellar knock by Travis Head (140), who continued his excellent record against India.
After starting the day at 191/4, Australia added 146 more runs before being bowled out for 337. Travis Head, in scintillating form, played a match-defining innings of 140 runs off 141 balls, including 17 fours and 4 sixes. Head’s century came off just 111 balls and was crucial in increasing Australia’s lead to 157 runs.
While Head was the standout performer, there were key contributions from Mitchell Starc (18*) and Scott Boland (duck), but India’s bowlers eventually wrapped up the Australian innings. Mohammed Siraj was the most successful bowler for India, claiming 4/98, including the last two wickets of Starc and Boland. Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) was also impressive, and Ravichandran Ashwin and Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with one wicket each.
India, chasing a steep target, had a rough start. The Aussie pacers, led by Pat Cummins, dominated the opening exchanges. KL Rahul was dismissed cheaply for 7 by Cummins, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had been in good touch, fell for 24 to a superb delivery from Scott Boland. The pressure mounted as Virat Kohli was caught behind off Boland for 11, leaving India at 66/3.
Shubman Gill showed glimpses of his class but was dismissed for 28 by a brilliant ball from Mitchell Starc, reducing India to 86/4. Rohit Sharma, after being saved by a no-ball from Starc earlier, could only manage 6 runs before being bowled by Cummins.
At 100/5 in 18.4 overs, India faced a huge challenge. However, Rishabh Pant (28* off 25 balls, including 5 boundaries) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (15*) offered some resistance and will be key to India’s hopes of reaching Australia’s first-innings total. Both will need to continue fighting on Day 3 to keep India in the contest.
Pat Cummins (2 wickets) and Scott Boland (2 wickets) led the charge, with both seamers exploiting the Pink-ball conditions.
Mitchell Starc claimed the crucial wicket of Shubman Gill, while Nathan Lyon (not used much on Day 2) could be expected to come into play in the later stages of the game.
As Day 3 looms, India will need their young pair of Pant and Reddy to continue battling and possibly defy the Australian seamers to avoid a big first-innings deficit. With the Australian bowlers in form and the pressure mounting, India’s task will only get tougher as they look to rebuild their innings.
For Australia, the next step will be to dismiss the remaining Indian batsmen quickly, aiming to extend their lead and set up a potential victory. If they manage to do so, they will move one step closer to sealing the series. With Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc leading the attack and the Adelaide Oval pitch continuing to offer assistance to seamers, Australia will be eager to close out the match and take a commanding position in the series.
