Twitter Reacts After Indian Bowlers Lead Visitors Fightback On Day 02
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Twitter Reacts After Indian Bowlers Lead Visitors Fightback On Day 02

India, ICC World Test Championship
Team India [Photo-Twitter]

An enthralling day of Test match cricket at the Adelaide Oval saw as many as 15 wickets tumble as Indian bowlers helped knocked over Australia for 191 to take a 53-run-lead after the culmination of the first innings. At Stumps, India had moved to 1/9 after six overs to take their overall lead to 62.

Starting the day at 6/233, India would have hoped for the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha to take the first innings total close to the 300-run-mark.

But, instead, we saw yet another abject surrender by the Indian lower-order as they folded inside a mere 11 runs with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins doing the bulk of the damage.

India started their bowling attack with Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, and even though the duo gave nothing away, they were guilty of not making the Australian opening duo of Matthew Wade and Joe Burns play enough deliveries.

India, Australia
Jasprit Bumrah [Photo-Twitter]
But just as it looked like an easy passage of play was in-store for the Aussie openers, the change of end worked wonders from Jasprit Bumrah as he trapped both Wade and Burns LBW. The rub-of-the-green went India’s way in both the DRS reviews taken by the openers with the ball-tracking displaying ‘Umpire’s Call’.

Marnus Labuschagne survived a few nervy calls at the start of his innings. He was squared up by Bumrah on the third delivery that he faced. Saha made a valiant effort but could not grasp the edge.

Labuschagne got yet another life when Jasprit Bumrah dropped a regulation catch at the boundary off the bowling of Mohammed Shami at the stroke of the Dinner break.

India, Australia
Prithvi Shaw drops Labuschagne [Photo-Twitter]
Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah picked up from where they had left in the afternoon session. The duo were absolutely relentless against Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, challenging them with short-pitch deliveries besides attacking the stumps to the hilt.

Unfortunately, Indian catching was once again pathetic, to say the least. After Jasprit Bumrah, Prithvi Shaw joined the party when he dropped a regulation catch off Labuschagne, giving the right-hander the third chance.

 

Ravichandran Ashwin led the charge for India; Time Paine scores a crucial 50 after Australia slumped to 7-111

India, Australia, Ravichandran Ashwin, Steve Smith
Ravichandran Ashwin dismisses Steve Smith [Photo-Twitter]
Steve Smith struggled his way to a 29-ball 1 before he was eventually dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin, who induced an outside edge off his bat and Rahane, unlike Bumrah and Shaw did not miss the chance as he gobbled a regulation catch at first slip.

Ashwin looked in beautiful rhythm right from the outset and the rewards came in thick and fast for the off-spinner as he claimed yet another scalp in the form of Travis Head, who was lulled into an ill-fated drive, which he gobbled safely.

Ashwin chipped in with yet another scalp, this time thanks to a screamer of a catch by skipper Virat Kohli at mid-wicket to send back the debutant Cameron Green.

India, Australia
Marnus Labuschagne trapped LBW [Photo-Fox Cricket]
Marnus Labuschagne and Tim Paine stitched a patient 32-run-stand for the 6th wicket but just as it looked like the duo were settling in, Umesh Yadav dealt a double body blow within a space of three balls.

Yadav trapped Marnus plumb in front for 47 before he bounced out Pat Cummins to leave Australia reeling at 7/111.

It could have easily been 8/113 but for another dropped catch by an Indian fielded- this time Mayank Agarwal- who dropped a regulation catch of Tim Paine after the latter top-edged a Jasprit Bumrah bumper.

India, Australia
Tim Paine [Photo-Twitter]
Mitchell Starc stroked a few lusty blows before he was eventually run-out thanks to a brilliant throw from Prithvi Shaw. Nathan Lyon hung around with skipper Tim Paine, who played a valiant knock, helping his side reduce the margin of first-innings deficit. Lyon was eventually dismissed by

Paine added another 24 runs with Josh Hazlewood before a stunning catch by Cheteshwar Pujara at 1st slip brought an end to Australia’s innings, 53 runs still in arrears to India.

Prithvi Shaw was once again dismissed by an incoming delivery- this time by Pat Cummins- but Mayank Agarwal and nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah ensured that India did not lose any more wickets and went at stumps at 1/9.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the 2nd day’s play-

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Yash Mittal

Just a student of this beautiful game called cricket. Writer. Storyteller.

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