07 December,2024 06:16 AM IST | Adelaide | R Kaushik
Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli in Adelaide yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
India enjoyed both the best batting and bowling conditions on Friday, but could make the most of neither to hand the advantage to Australia on Day One of the second Test. The first two sessions are generally the best to bat on each day of the pink-ball Test, while the ball calls the shots in the final session when the floodlights take effect. India batted during the day and bowled during the night, but did neither with any great authority at the Adelaide Oval.
Australia have won all seven previous day-night Tests at this ground, mainly templating their success on batting first and posting a big total. Rohit Sharma called right to deny them that opportunity, but India were rocked straightaway when Mitchell Starc produced a beauty to trap first-Test hero Yashasvi Jaiswal in front with the first ball of the game.
KL Rahul, riding his luck, and Shubman Gill steadied the ship when Starc, who has a terrific record in pink-ball matches, returned for a second spell to trigger a collapse of three for 12 in just 16 deliveries. Rohit's return to the middle order lasted only 23 deliveries and if India managed to scurry to 180, it was largely on the back of another enterprising innings from Nitish Kumar Reddy and a useful hand of 22 from R Ashwin, who replaced fellow Tamil Nadu off-spinner Washington Sundar.
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Australia battled manfully in the two-and-a-half-hour final session through Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, who showed ominous signs of regaining his best touch, after Jasprit Bumrah had seen off Usman Khawaja late in a seven-over first spell. By close, Australia had made their way to 86-1, only 94 behind with nine wickets in hand.
Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were culpable of not making Khawaja and McSweeney play enough at the new ball and when Bumrah did catch the latter's outside edge, Rishabh Pant dived his right to parry a catch that was headed straight into Rohit's hands at first slip. It pretty much summed up India's day as small margins came back to haunt them. India will need an explosive start on the second afternoon if this game isn't to run away from them quickly.
Jaiswal had schooled Australia with 161 in the second innings in Perth, but Starc ensured there was no heartache this time with a wonderful ball that swung back late into the left-hander after pitching on leg stump to trap him in front. Rahul, scoreless for his first 20 deliveries, and Gill held their own, though Rahul was caught behind off the first ball of Scott Boland's comeback, only for the bowler to have overstepped, and then dropped in the same over by Khawaja at first slip.
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His luck finally ran out when Starc had him caught at gully. In his next over, Starc accounted for Virat Kohli, flirting at a widish ball outside off, while Gill got himself out, playing all round a full Boland ball to be trapped in front. Boland also came up with a corker that cut back in sharply to trap Rohit in front and Pat Cummins produced a snorter out of nowhere to surprise Pant. From there, India were grateful for every run on the board.
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc acknowledged on Friday that things couldn't have gone better for the hosts on the opening day of the pink ball Test, saying it was a great way to start the day and an even better way to conclude it. "Yeah, a very good first day for us with the ball, I think. After that first hour, I think we were pretty bang on. So, yeah, a nice way to start the Test, but a nice Day One for us. It's a good way to finish the day, or a good day all up," said Starc during the press-conference.
Brief scores
India 180 all out (N Reddy 42, KL Rahul 37, S Gill 31; M Starc 6-48, P Cummins 2-41, S Boland 2-54) v Australia 86-1 (N McSweeney 38'; J Bumrah 1-13)
