BRISBANE : India picked up three crucial wickets in the post-lunch session, including that off half-centurion Chris Rogers, as Australia made 121 for three in their first innings at tea on the second day of the second cricket Test, here today.
Umesh Yadav dismissed Rogers (55 runs, 79 balls, 10 fours) just at the stroke of tea to bring India back into the contest.
Australia were 121 for three in 24.5 overs at the break in reply to India’s 408 all out. The hosts currently trail India by 287 runs.
Rogers clipped a Yadav (2/35) delivery to give India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni a simple catch behind the stumps. The left-arm opener’s dismissal was the last action of the post-lunch session. Australia skipper Steve Smith (6 not out) was the unbeaten batsman at the other end.
Rogers had been under some pressure after failing in the Adelaide Test, when he walked out to open the innings with David Warner (29 runs, 28 balls, 6 fours).
For India, Ishant Sharma (0-35) and Varun Aaron (0-46) took the new ball but returned wicketless.
While Aaron mended his ways from the first Test and displayed much better control of the ball, Ishant proved to be expensive as he went for 29 runs in just three overs.
Warner was at his aggressive best as he gave a speedy start to Australia’s innings once again. He struck six fours in his short stay at the wicket and as a result Yadav was brought into the attack in only the seventh over.
Playing his first Test since 2012, Yadav not only bowled the quickest delivery of the match, but also removed the dangerous-looking Warner. The batsman went for a pull but only ended up mistiming the shot, caught at first slip by R Ashwin (1/5).
Warner’s wicket brought Shane Watson (25 runs, 29 balls, 4 fours) to the crease and he did not let the momentum down scoring at a brisk pace.
With Rogers, he added a quick-fire 51 runs for the second wicket. Their 50-run partnership came off only 63 balls in the 19th over.
With Rogers and Watson finding it easy against the pacers, Dhoni introduced spin in the 18th over and Ashwin struck in his second over.
Ashwin removed Watson when the batsman stepped out in search of a big shot but mistimed it only to find Shikhar Dhawan at mid-on, who took a fine low catch.
Rogers then brought up his sixth Test half-century in the 21st over as also the Australian 100-run mark. He faced 73 balls to get there and snapped his run of eight innings without a fifty.
With tea round the corner and the match in balance, he had added 23 runs with Smith but got out just prior to the break, handing India the initiative.
Earlier, debutant Josh Hazlewood grabbed a fifer as India lost six wickets in the extended morning session to be bowled out for 408 in their first innings at lunch.
Hazzlewood returned with impressive figures of 5 for 68, picking up three of them this morning, as the visitors lost their last six wickets for just 97 runs to be bowled out in 109.4 overs.
Play started on time this morning despite seven overs not being bowled on day one, with Ajinkya Rahane (81 runs, 132 balls, 8 fours) and Rohit Sharma (32 runs, 55 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) looking to build on their 50-run partnership.
Except Mitchell Marsh (1/14), Australia had all their other bowlers back in the field and looked to improve their performance from the third and final session last evening.
And they succeeded, particularly Hazlewood as he bowled a nagging off-stump line and moved the second new ball enough to trouble the Indian batsmen.
The Indian batters especially found it difficult to tackle Hazzlewood’s outswingers as he picked up all three wickets this morning using that delivery.
First Hazzlewood accounted for Rahane, in only the third over of the day, with a beauty of an outswinger. Rahane was struck at the crease and only managed to edge it to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who registered his fifth catch of sixth dismissal of the innings.
Rahane’s dismissal brought skipper Dhoni (33 runs, 53 balls, 4 fours) at the crease but despite Rohit being set at the other end, runs dried up.
Watson (1-39) then removed Rohit in the 92nd over. The talented Mumbai batsman went for a drive to a wide delivery only to loft it in the air and young Australia captain Smith held a beautiful catch at the second slip, diving low to his right.
It brought Ashwin (35 runs, 41 balls, 6 fours) at the crease and together with Dhoni and the duo added 57 runs for the seventh wicket in quick time.
Dhoni and Ashwin’s 50-run partnership came off just 54 balls in the 101st just after India reached the 350-mark had in the 96th over.
The duo was looking good for a lot more, but Hazlewood had other plans when he returned to the attack in the 103rd over.
Ashwin had looked good so far, playing with his usual comfort and solidity, but he received a good outgoing delivery from the debutant bowler and only ended up edging it behind to Watson at first slip.
Two overs later, Hazlewood removed Dhoni as well, the batsman looking to leave an inswinging ball only to edge it to Haddin.
While India’s 400-mark came up in the 107th over, Nathan Lyon (3/105) thereafter polished off the tail with two quick wickets. His first victim was Varun Aaron (4) as substitute fielder Marnus Labuschnage held a stunning catch at forward short leg. It was supposedly the last delivery before lunch but the fall of wicket extended the session by half an hour. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel