December 6, 2024: At the close of Day 1 of the second Test at Adelaide Oval, Australia finds themselves in a strong position, with Nathan McSweeney (38*) and Marnus Labuschagne (20*) unbeaten, guiding the team to 86/1 after dismissing India for just 180 earlier in the day.
India’s innings faltered early and often, as Mitchell Starc (6/48) delivered a devastating spell, removing key Indian wickets, including a memorable six-wicket haul. After India won the toss and opted to bat, their top order was dismantled by the Australian bowlers.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped LBW on the very first ball of the innings, leaving India at 0/1.
KL Rahul (37) and Shubman Gill (31) formed a brief partnership, putting on 69 runs. However, both were dismissed in quick succession—Rahul was caught at gully by Nathan McSweeney off Mitchell Starc, while Gill was LBW to Scott Boland.
Virat Kohli looked good initially but was dismissed cheaply for 7, caught behind in slips by Steve Smith off Starc.
Despite Nitish Kumar Reddy‘s aggressive 42 (with three sixes), which briefly raised India’s hopes, the Indian batting line-up collapsed under pressure. Ravichandran Ashwin (22) was trapped LBW by Starc, and Harshit Rana was dismissed for a duck.
Reddy’s valiant attempt to counterattack with two sixes off Scott Boland provided some brief entertainment, but his dismissal by Starc marked the end of India’s innings at 180 in 44.1 overs.
Australia’s chase got off to a steady start despite losing Usman Khawaja early. Khawaja (13) was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah, caught behind. However, McSweeney and Labuschagne built a solid partnership, reaching 86/1 by the end of Day 1.
McSweeney looked in solid form, reaching 38* at stumps with Labuschagne (20*) playing a steady hand at the other end.
The duo put on 62 runs together, with McSweeney finding the boundary on multiple occasions, including a couple of fine shots against Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj. Bumrah was the standout bowler for India, with a disciplined spell of 1/13 from 11 overs, including four maiden overs.
Starc’s brilliance with the ball was the highlight of the day, finishing with 6/48 and delivering a crucial breakthrough for Australia at regular intervals.
India’s inability to tackle deliveries outside the off-stump was once again exposed, as multiple batters were caught in the slips or dismissed LBW.
- Australia’s response was methodical, with McSweeney and Labuschagne’s partnership taking them to the end of Day 1 without further loss.
With Australia at 86/1, still needing 94 runs to surpass India’s total, the hosts will be feeling confident, especially with McSweeney and Labuschagne in solid form. India will need a strong comeback with the ball to break the partnership and restrict the Australians from taking further control. The second day promises to be an intriguing battle between India’s bowlers and Australia’s determined batsmen.
