Mohammed Siraj reacts to Australia’s Travis Head after dismissing him on day 2 of the second Test in Adelaide on December 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

A glorious century marred by the manner of departure, was the theme when Travis Head squared upto the media here at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday (December 7, 2024) night. The southpaw’s 140 set Australia on a pedestal in the second Test, but talk centred around Mohammed Siraj’s send-off to the batter after castling him.

“I was surprised at the reaction in terms of the situation of the game and the lead up, and there was no confrontation leading up to it, and I felt like it was probably a bit far at the time, and that’s why I am disappointed in the reaction that I gave back, but I’m also going to stand up for myself. We are pretty civil with each other as teams and that is why it was disappointing to see a couple of reactions after I was out,” Head said.

Elaborating about his special hundred, the batter said: “Yeah, I was very pleased with the way I started. Very pleased with the way I was able to play against Ashwin. I guess at the start with the field up, I picked my moments and manoeuvred the field. And then sort of sensed where the game was at and I thought it was a great opportunity to put some pressure on before that new ball and try to maximise.”

Jasprit Bumrah reacts on day 1 of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy day-night Test in Adelaide on December 6, 2024.
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Ryan ten Doeschate felt that India can turn the tide in the second Test. “I know that the scores look like there is a big gap between the two teams but we still feel we are in the game and with a few tweaks tomorrow (Saturday, December 7, 2024), we can get back in the game,” India’s assistant coach told the media at the Adelaide Oval on Friday (December 6, 2024) night.

He mentioned that things happen a bit faster with the pink ball: “It is the nature of the pink ball. Things happen in clumps, we lost wickets in clumps, which we wanted to avoid. I also thought that Mitchell’s (Starc) stock ball was very good and there are lessons to be learnt from that first innings. We will look at how we can play better in the second innings.”

Drawing inspiration from the Perth Test, ten Doeschate said: “At Perth we got bowled out for 150 and still we got back into that game. This is a proud team and the players want to come here and do well. We may be slightly behind in the game now but there won’t be any surrendering.”

Explaining that perhaps the Indian seamers could have bowled a bit fuller, ten Doeschate also gave credit to the way Australia batted: “They left very well. We feel that the kind of swing and seam is a little bit inconsistent which makes it tough for both parties.”

The assistant coach also lauded Nitish Kumar: “We are pleased with him. He is a young kid, and a little bit of work has to be done. But the way he played at Perth and out here, these are knocks of good quality.” And about picking R. Ashwin, ten Doeschate said: “We felt that on this surface he will be more suited.”

Australia saw the light on a Friday (December 6, 2024) night. At a packed Adelaide Oval and on a rather unusual day in which the expected rains stayed away while the floodlights malfunctioned twice, the host scored 86 for one in reply to India’s first innings score of 180.

The second Test’s opening day was a tale of two parts. The first revealed a vulnerable Indian stint and the second highlighted Australia’s desire to fight back in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, in which the host trails by 0-1.

Ind vs Aus 2nd Test Day 1 Highlights

Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney survived the first 10 overs before Jasprit Bumrah caused the initial breach. Khawaja redirected a Bumrah special to Rohit Sharma at first slip. A twitchy Marnus Labuschagne then survived an inquisition from Bumrah before finding his voice.

McSweeney too freed his earlier dour arms and that found an echo through Labuschagne’s bat as the 62-run unbeaten second-wicket partnership took shape. Pat Cummins and his men would perhaps believe that they are marginally ahead even if they still have a 94-run deficit to clear.

In the afternoon, Rohit won the toss, elected to bat and India had the services of R. Ashwin, who was preferred over Washington Sundar. The atmosphere around the ground was like a carnival, fans trooped in from all corners with a mix of the local yellow and the Indian blue shade. There was a Village Green enclosure where members of the South Australia Cricket Association gathered for banter and refreshments.

The venue got an instant adrenaline boost when Mitchell Starc dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal with the match’s first ball. Trapped right in front, Jaiswal left. A patient K.L. Rahul and a keen Shubman Gill then anchored India. Gill, with two fielders under his gaze and a waiting slip cordon, drove carefully. Rahul defended astutely even if there were a few play-and-miss routines.

Gill tucked into Starc and Rahul opened his account off the 21st ball he faced. There was drama too as he edged Scott Boland and it turned out to be a no-ball, and then Khawaja dropped him in the slips. Gradually Rahul began to cut and drive but once he fell to Starc, with the catch flying to McSweeney, India went through a delicate phase.

From 69 for two, it became 81 for four as Virat Kohli and Gill, became tentative, as a bat was grazed and pads got ruffled. With Rohit walking in at six and Rishabh Pant for company, India needed an alliance extending past the break. It was not to be as Boland got one to nip back and cramped Rohit while Cummins surprised Pant with a delivery that climbed steeply.

At 109 for six, India leant on Nitish Kumar and Ashwin to hustle the runs, which they did partly well. After Starc accounted for Ashwin and Harshit Rana, Nitish (42) turned aggressor and Boland felt the heat as reverse-scoops and pulls yielded a six each. Once Nitish fell, the Indian first innings concluded and Starc had his rewards (six for 48).

Scoreboard

India – 1st innings: Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw b Starc 0 (1b), K.L. Rahul c McSweeney b Starc 37 (64b, 6×4), Shubman Gill lbw b Boland 31 (51b, 5×4), Virat Kohli c Smith b Starc 7 (8b, 1×4), Rishabh Pant c Labuschagne b Cummins 21 (35b, 2×4), Rohit Sharma lbw b Boland 3 (23b), Nitish Kumar c Head b Starc 42 (54b, 3×4, 3×6), R. Ashwin lbw b Starc 22 (22b, 3×4), Harshit Rana b Starc 0 (3b), Jasprit Bumrah c Khawaja b Cummins 0 (8b), Mohammed Siraj (not out) 4 (3b, 1×4). Extras (lb-5, nb-7, w-1): 13

Total (all out in 44.1 overs): 180.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Jaiswal, 0.1 overs), 2-69 (Rahul, 18.4), 3-77 (Kohli, 20.1), 4-81 (Gill, 21.1), 5-87 (Rohit, 25.5), 6-109 (Pant, 32.5), 7-141 (Ashwin, 38.2), 8-141 (Harshit, 38.5), 9-176 (Bumrah, 43.3).

Australia bowling: Starc 14.1-2-48-6, Cummins 12-4-41-2, Boland 13-0-54-2, Lyon 1-0-6-0, Marsh 4-0-26-0.

Australia – 1st innings: Usman Khawaja c Rohit b Bumrah 13 (35b, 2×4), Nathan McSweeney (batting) 38 (97b, 6×4), Marnus Labuschagne (batting) 20 (67b, 3×4). Extras (b-13, lb-1, nb-1): 15

Total (for one wkt., in 32 overs): 86.

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Khawaja, 10.6).

India bowling: Bumrah 11-4-13-1, Siraj 10-3-29-0, Harshit 8-2-18-0, Nitish 3-1-12-0, R. Ashwin 1-1-0-0.

Indian squad celebrate the victory in the first Border-Gavaskar Test match against Australia, in Perth.
| Photo Credit: ANI

It was a weekend of rain and runs for the Indians at Canberra. The warm-up fixture against the Prime Minister’s XI at the Manuka Oval was touted as the ideal base ahead of the second Test in Adelaide from Friday (December 6, 2024). A two-day tussle under lights and against the pink ball was also seen as a lens to understand how players were primed for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

In the end, damp skies washed out Saturday’s play while a kind sun and floodlights at night ensured a Sunday (December 1, 2024) contest with its facade of a limited overs skirmish but one that had the depth of a Test match. Among India’s leading stars, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and R. Ashwin, played no role while all the others had their turns either as a batter or bowler.

India won with ease and even tucked into the host’s courtesy and batted the full quota of 46 overs much after going past the winning tape. There were these little stories within perhaps a friendly battle. That K.L. Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal strode out as openers could be seen as a hat-tip to the combined form they revealed especially during their second outing in the first Test at Perth. But does that mean, a rejig is in order?

With Shubman Gill having recovered from an injury and batting well, he obviously slots in at number three, a position earlier strengthened by the broad willows of Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahul Dravid. If the past is a yardstick, then maybe Rohit will continue teaming up with Jaiswal atop the batting tree and yet the Canberra sojourn and the skipper’s meagre three from 11 deliveries, does raise some questions.

The Mumbaikar, all fluid sixes and rapid yields in ODIs, has a lone fifty in his last 10 innings from Tests. To be fair, he did try to dig in on Sunday before chasing one outside the off-stump. Till then Rohit looked his part at the crease. He has always put team over self, and never worries about statistical judgements. It remains to be seen if in the twilight phase of his career, he would go back to the middle-order, counter the old ball and be well set to tackle the new cherry.

Perhaps, with Prithvi Shaw losing his way, in a post-Rohit stage, a Rahul-Jaiswal combine may do the opening honours unless Gill moves up again. There is enough strategy to chew upon for the Indian management over the next few days. That Rohit and Gill are back in the playing eleven with Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel making way, is the presumed reality.

Kohli’s unbeaten 100 at Perth is a good sign and if Rohit can join forces, India will flourish for the rest of the series. Pushed into the opening slot, Rohit had prospered in Tests, maybe he will still do that against a tough rival unless a middle-order foray is what he and the management are looking at for now.