Perth, Nov 23 Captain Jasprit Bumrah picked a dazzling 5-30 as India secured a handy 46-run lead at lunch on day two of first Test after bowling out Australia for 104 in 51.2 overs at Perth Stadium on Saturday. It is also the third lowest-score for Australia in Tests at home since 2000.
In the morning, resuming form 67/7, India looked certain to end the innings early, but Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood frustrated them with a dogged last-wicket stand of 25 off 110 balls, as they were able to keep the deficit below 50 runs. Apart from Bumrah, debutant all-rounder Harshit Rana finished with 3-48.
India had a fantastic start to day two’s play, thanks to Bumrah striking on his first ball of the day to complete his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests, as he got Alex Carey to nick behind. Harshit Rana got the reward for his banging into the pitch deliveries as Nathan Lyon was cramped for room and his well-directed short ball took the glove edge to slip cordon.
Bumrah could have got his sixth wicket in Hazlewood if the wrong-footed Rishabh Pant had made a dive in time to take a catch. From there, Starc was solid in his defence and resorted to strike-rotation to fetch important runs for Australia, despite being hit once on the helmet by Rana.
It also helped the last-wicket pair of Starc and Hazlewood that the seam movement of the ball went down after 40 overs, thus aiding them more in getting crucial runs. The duo held their ground well to stitch a stand of 25 runs off 110 balls, the highest partnership in this innings for Australia.
But just before lunch break, Rana had Starc miscuing a slog to Pant to dismiss him for 26 off 112 balls and secure a handy lead for India, who would now aim to take the upper hand in this frenetic Test match by putting in a better batting performance in their second innings.
Brief Scores: India 150 in 49.4 overs lead Australia 104 in 51.2 overs (Mitchell Starc 26, Alex Carey 21; Jasprit Bumrah 5-30, Harshit Rana 3-48) by 46 runs
--IANS
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