Key events
1st over: India 0-0 (Jaiswal 0, Rahul 0) Mitchell Starc has had 40 minutes to grab a shower and a feed and a tub of cold drinks, and now he’s swapped bat for the new ball. Jaiswal drives with power first ball, but Starc stops it himself. Doing everything. India’s score gets underway with a leg bye into the leg side. KL Rahul on strike, who batted so well in the first innings and got a bit unlucky, I reckon… can’t see how the third umpire can give a caught behind when there’s no footage of the exact spot where the ball passes bat. The frame wasn’t there for that decision, in my interpretation. Can’t be assuming or guessing when it comes to umpiring. Not the umpire’s fault, but the way their procedures are written when it comes to DRS spikes. Rahul plays out the over.
Here we go. The third innings of the match, starting after lunch on day two.
Lunch – Australia all out 104 in the second innings
A frustrating last hour or so for India, but still a strong position in the match, holding onto a lead despite being all out for 150. That lead is only 44 though, so the game is anyone’s. India need to bat as well and as patiently as Australia’s last-wicket pair did.
Lunch time! See you in a bit.
WICKET! Starc c Pant b Rana 26, Australia 104-10
Finally, for India! The batting pair are expecting the extra half hour. They call the runner out with drinks. Harshit Rana comes on, pitches up, and finally Starc wants to have a go at somebody. Aims to drive over mid on, but mistimes it high towards point, and Pant has time to get under it with the gloves. A fine effort, batted for two hours this morning, and the partnership was an hour and a half.
51st over: Australia 103-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 6) The partnership heading up towards 17 overs. Lunch is due in a few minutes but can’t the umpires take an extra half hour at nine down? Bumrah bumps Starc, bowls a fractional no-ball on the front foot too. Then pitches back up. Starc is covering the line. Last ball, an edge into the ground, then to the keeper. Bumrah tilts his head back and sighs.
50th over: Australia 102-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 6) Starc happy to face every Bumrah ball and leave Hazlewood to face Washington. The No11 essays one aggressive drive on the bounce to Kohli at short cover, but otherwise gets a big stride in, and gets well over the top of every ball.
49th over: Australia 102-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 6) Now Bumrah is back. Has to find another spell to try to finish this off. But the batters are well set, the ball is doing less, the pitch has eased. Still tough batting out there but not with that pep of the early morning. And even then, Bumrah gets one to seam and jump. Serious movement, and it goes past the edge. “That’s going to beat Brian Lara, that one,” says Allan Border. Great to hear him back for the trophy that bears his name. Sunil Gavaskar is here too.
48th over: Australia 102-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 6) Washington Sundar on! Spin. It doesn’t seduce Starc into anything aggressive. Pats back five balls, scores one off the sixth.
47th over: Australia 101-9 (Starc 25, Hazlewood 6) The spinner is warming up furiously. It feels late to have left that option. Bumrah has bowled brilliantly but as captain has let things drift during this stand. Huge gaps on the leg side, Starc waits for the fourth ball, dinks it out there for his single. Too easy. Hazlewood blots the last two.
46th over: Australia 100-9 (Starc 24, Hazlewood 6) Another over, another late Starc single, another Hazlewood seeing-out. And guess what? The ton is up for Australia. The partnership more than 20. Reddy isn’t threatening.
“Starc and Hazelwood may be experiencing charmed lives but their tenacity is very impressive. Every run materially and psychologically precious here.” Brian Withington sent that 40 minutes ago.
45th over: Australia 99-9 (Starc 23, Hazlewood 6) Starc facing Siraj, the same pattern, just blocking away for a while, then aims one big pull shot but doesn’t want the run. Can’t understand this field back tactic, it lets him play shots like that with very little risk. Siraj finishes with a testing bouncer that follows Starc as he back away, past the grille.
44th over: Australia 98-9 (Starc 22, Hazlewood 6) Reddy aims at the stumps, and it’s easy enough for Hazlewood to push a defensive drive past the bowler and belatedly call for a single. Too easy to get off strike first ball. Starc has only played a couple of big shots but they’ve got four fielders out on the leg side. Nor does he play a big shot here, just waits for the last ball of the over and dashes a single to cover. Goes past Carey for top score of the innings.
43rd over: Australia 96-9 (Starc 21, Hazlewood 5) India still in the lead by 54, but they’ll be grinding their teeth by now. Starc blocks out the whole over, Siraj bouncing him last ball so he doesn’t have a chance to retain strike. Takes a blow on the back in that over, too, as he tries to evade one that doesn’t get up.
42nd over: Australia 96-9 (Starc 21, Hazlewood 5) A bowling change, and Reddy will get his first bowl in Test cricket. Medium pacer, starts at 127 kilometres an hour. Bowls in the IPL. Hits his spot first ball, keeps finding a good length, nearly gets an edge from Starc cutting at width. Fields neatly off his own bowling, stops a straight drive. Clunks a pull shot, looking to go large but only skews it into a gap at midwicket for one. Hazlewood blocks the last though, and another over goes by.
41st over: Australia 95-9 (Starc 20, Hazlewood 5) Bumrah finally gives himself a breather, he’ll be annoyed at how many times he should have had that wicket. Siraj comes on. And they’re dropping the field back for Starc, that tactic that so often backfires. He still has three in the cordon, mind. But he’s able to bat out a few balls then take an easy single. Surely Siraj is capable of getting Mitchell Starc out? And they have a gap at point for Hazlewood to drive into, he refuses the run, which might have been two runs had they gone immediately.
40th over: Australia 94-9 (Starc 19, Hazlewood 5) They finish the over, Starc taking a single, Hazlewood not taking one late in the over so Starc can keep strike.
Sticking with Rana, no change in the first hour this morning. Starc ducks the first but doesn’t duck the second, it hits his helmet. Rana comes up to check on him. Looks like a glancing one off the curved side of the helmet. They’ll take the drinks break mid-over while Starc gets the mandatory concussion check…
39th over: Australia 93-9 (Starc 18, Hazlewood 5) Another edge, glove in there, slower ball it looks like, so again no catch, it doesn’t carry to slip. Starc scurries a single last ball of the over, pushed to mid on, another Bumrah over gone. Getting frustrating for India, even if the difference on the scoreboard isn’t huge.
38th over: Australia 92-9 (Starc 17, Hazlewood 5) Time to slog! Starc realises Rana is his best hope to score, slaps a drive down the ground but there’s a sweeper, so he stays put and bangs the next ball over midwicket for four. Glances a single to keep strike against Bumrah. Important runs.
37th over: Australia 87-9 (Starc 12, Hazlewood 5) Did Starc forget the plan? Maybe in the moment, instinct taking over as he plays a good pull shot and runs. They take the single, just making it too, and that leaves Hazlewood two balls to face against Bumrah. It’s enough for the bowler, but not for his field, a spearing ball at middle stump that Hazlewood nicks, protecting his timber, and the edge flies between keeper and slip for four very lucky runs.
36th over: Australia 82-9 (Starc 11, Hazlewood 1) Rana carries on, still with pace. Up into the 140s. Oversteps though in his striving. Starc does let Hazlewood take his first run into the leg side – you can’t decline too many in this position. But they swap the strike back with a leg bye, and Hazlewood survives the over, despite nearly nicking an attempted steer from the last ball. Three from the over, two of them extras, and Bumrah is back.
35th over: Australia 79-9 (Starc 11, Hazlewood 0) Bumrah looking to finish it off and take his sixth. Short to Starc, gets out of the way. Huge attempted drive misses, no nick though despite the appeal. Doesn’t take a single, interestingly, when one is on from a glance. Starc reckons he has to be the one to survive Bumrah, and hope they can get through this spell to look for runs elsewhere.
34th over: Australia 79-9 (Starc 11, Hazlewood 0) Nearly gets Hazlewood nicking behind too, another rising ball outside off stump. The two left-handed quicks are all the Australians have left.
WICKET! Lyon c Rahul b Rana 5, Australia 79-9
There it is! Rana short and nasty, Lyon punches it, fist rather than bat, to gully for a looping catch, KL Rahul running in with his locks flowing. Lyon just couldn’t evade that, the ball followed him. Good fast bowling.
33rd over: Australia 79-8 (Starc 11, Lyon 5) Bumrah to Starc, nasty bouncer first ball that’s just over his front shoulder, Starc having to work to evade it. Then nearly getting a leading edge as Starc tries to clip across his pad to a ball angling away. Does make contact with the same shot next ball to midwicket. He’s rotating strike decently but how long can it last? Bumrah cuts Lyon in half. Surely a wicket comes shortly.
32nd over: Australia 77-8 (Starc 10, Lyon 4) Play Bon Jovi. They’re halfway there with Starc’s single to mid on. Lyon gets them into the second half with a gentle pull from Rana for another single. 76 plays 150, as Starc edges on the bounce into the cordon. Then a pull shot that nearly carries to square leg! Single there, and Rana snorts a lifting ball past Lyon’s edge. This is raw stuff. A bit more chatter between Starc and Rana, maybe getting pricklier.
31st over: Australia 74-8 (Starc 8, Lyon 3) Runs from Bumrah, Lyon manages to squirt it away for three. Starc says, no thanks, you have strike, and glances a single. Lyon defending awkwardly with an angled bat, but he’s still kept Bumrah out for longer than several of his batting colleagues. Tries a big drive but find cover. Australia still short of halfway on India’s score.
30th over: Australia 70-8 (Starc 7, Lyon 0) Rana the young bowler was picked to bowl fast, and he is at Starc, a few short balls including one that takes glove but lands safe. Starc is chipping him, though with a smile on his face. “I bowl faster than you, and I’ve got a long memory.” Starc pats Rana on the shoulder at the end of the over, all seems friendly.
29th over: Australia 70-8 (Starc 7, Lyon 0) Nearly gets a nick from Lyon, too, does Bumrah. And again. Pushing at one ball, fanning at the next. Finally gets bat on a defensive push from the fifth. Hit on the body to end the over.
WICKET! Carey c Pant b Bumrah 21, Australia 70-8
Of course it’s Bumrah! The Indian captain completes a five-wicket haul in the innings with his first ball of the second day. Around the wicket, back of a length, moving away off the seam with his brilliant wrist position. It’s not good batting though, Carey doesn’t need to play that, it’s too short to threaten the stumps and too wide on line, but he’s drawn into it, nervous about Bumrah, just wanting to block the ball out, and his defensive push nicks it through low to Pant.
28th over: Australia 70-7 (Carey 21, Starc 7) Harshit Rana to get us underway, with Australia trailing by 83 runs! Carey is happy to take an early single though, and Starc responds with one of his own. Carey again. Nudging and glancing, busy start.
Here’s my report on yesterday’s play.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hello from Perth. The sun is shining strongly. It should be a bit warmer today, though still forecast to stay under 30 degrees. But the heat will be on in the middle. Alex Carey, in form and with a history of saving Australian innings, will need to do a special version of that, with only Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood for company. If not, then India will take a surprising advantage after they were knocked over for 150 yesterday. It was a wild opening day, 17 wickets falling in a fast-bowling demonstration.
