Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Openers’ perfect pitch

India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul wore down Australia’s bowlers on Saturday to take their team to 172 without loss at stumps on Day 2 of the first Test, extending the touring side’s lead to 218 runs.

The hosts were skittled for 104 in the morning session courtesy of a sublime haul of 5/30 from stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, after India were bowled out for 150 on Day 1 in conditions ideal for seam bowling.

Jaiswal and Rahul ended the day unbeaten on 90 and 62, as the home team failed to take a wicket in two sessions, a dizzying change of pace from Day 1 when 17 wickets tumbled.

“We have not yet thought (what kind of victory target to set),” India paceman Harshit Rana said. “The idea is to bat on.”

India’s opening duo skilfully negotiated the new ball after lunch, defending and working singles with an ease which suggested the pitch had lost its demons.

The shot of the day came in the 13th over when Rahul executed a gloriously timed straight drive past bowler Pat Cummins to the boundary.

Not to be outdone, Jaiswal punished the Australia captain for bowling too short, floating an upper-cut over the wicketkeeper.

The first six came in the final hour, when the 22-year-old Jaiswal lifted Mitchell Starc over fine leg.

The biggest cheer, however, was reserved for the oft-maligned Rahul, who poked Mitchell Marsh to third man to bring up his 16th Test fifty.

While Cummins was left searching for answers, and part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne were unable to provide any, an ever-expansive Jaiswal launched spinner Nathan Lyon for a maximum over long on to put a cherry on the tourists’ day.

“We’ve got some problems to solve ahead of us. There’s no doubt we’re clearly well behind in the game at this stage, so India have got the driver’s seat at the moment,” said Australia coach Andrew McDonald.

9 Five-wicket hauls for Jasprit Bumrah in Tests outside Asia, the joint most by an Indian, alongside Kapil Dev. It was Bumrah’s second five-for in Australia. He has two each in England and West Indies, and three five-wicket hauls in South Africa

Earlier, Australia No. 9 Mitchell Starc scored 26 and was the only batsman to provide any meaningful resistance as Bumrah and Rana (3/48) took a session to prize out the final three wickets.

Bumrah claimed his 11th Test five-wicket haul with his first ball of the day, pitching back-of-a-length and seaming away from Alex Carey (21) who nicked to keeper Rishabh Pant.

Before he was rushed by Rana to present a simple catch to Pant, Starc copped body blows to the helmet and shoulder in a 112-ball stay, persevering and showing intent that had been lacking in his side’s specialist batsmen.

Scoreboard

India 1st Innings 150

Australia 1st Innings

U Khawaja c Kohli b Bumrah 8

N McSweeney lbw b Bumrah 10

M Labuschagne lbw b Siraj 2

S Smith lbw b Bumrah 0

T Head b Rana 11

M Marsh c Rahul b Siraj 6

A Carey c Pant b Bumrah 21

P Cummins c Pant b Bumrah 3

M Starc c Pant b Rana 26

N Lyon c Rahul b Rana 5

J Hazlewood not out 7

Extras: (lb 1, nb 4) 5

Total: (All out, 51.2 overs) 104

FOW: 1-14, 2-19, 3-19, 4-31, 5-38,

6-47, 7-59, 8-70, 9-79

Bowling O M R W

Jasprit Bumrah 18 6 30 5

Mohammed Siraj 13 7 20 2

Harshit Rana 15.2 3 48 3

Nitish Kumar Reddy 3 0 4 0

Washington Sundar 2 1 1 0

India 2nd Innings

Y Jaiswal not out 90

KL Rahul not out 62

Extras: (lb 11, nb 4, w 5) 20

Total: (No loss, 57 overs) 172

FOW:

Bowling O M R W

Mitchell Starc 12 2 43 0

Josh Hazlewood 10 5 9 0

Pat Cummins 13 2 44 0

Mitchell Marsh 6 0 27 0

Nathan Lyon 13 3 28 0

Marnus Labuschagne 2 0 2 0

Travis Head 1 0 8 0

KL silences doubters

Makeshift opener KL Rahul repaid the faith India have showed in him despite recent struggles, helping to put the touring side in the driving seat in the first Test. Rahul finished unbeaten on 62. The 32-year-old has played a chanceless knock, silencing his critics by balancing the youthful positivity of Yashasvi Jaiswal (90 not out) with maturity borne from 10 years in, and sometimes out, of the Test team. “The way he saw off the new ball at the start, it was very useful for the team because if you don’t lose early wickets, batting becomes a lot easier,” paceman Harshit Rana said. Reuters