IND vs AUS 2nd Test Highlights
Australian spin bowler Nathan Lyon became the 3rd bowler to take 100 Test wickets against India. With this feat, he joins the elite list consisting of Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and England’s James Anderson. He also completed a rare feat of registering his 8th fifer in Tests against India. On Saturday, the spinner singlehandedly dismantled the Indian top order by snapping up the wickets of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Chesteshwar Pujara. He also went on to wipe out India’s best player of spin in Shreyas Iyer as well as wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.
On Friday, veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had scripted a similar record when he became the second bowler to breach the 100-wicket mark in India vs Australia Tests. With his dismissal of Alex Carey in the 2nd Test against Australia in Delhi, Ashwin reached 100 wickets against the Aussies, only behind legendary spinner Anil Kumble who has 111 wickets.
His spin twin, Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, got to his own personal milestone when he sent back Usman Khawaja and scalped his 250th Test wicket. With this, Jadeja went past the likes of Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee and Shaun Pollock.
Read more IND vs AUS stories here
IND vs AUS: Torrid run continues, tweets Venkatesh Prasad on KL Rahul’s form
Everything with the turn to the leg side: Kohli’s wagon wheel against spin
IND vs AUS: Axar and Ashwin rescue India but Australia hold the advantage at Delhi Test
I think he has been brilliant. He has the respect of the dressing room. He is one of those guys who has been there a long time. The kind of person who doesn’t speak a lot, but when he does they all listen. He deeply cares a lot about the dressing room and the players. We are very lucky to have Rohit take over the leadership from someone like Virat.
He’s a Bombay basher that’s grown up in the maidans. I feel he’s unlucky to get himself injured. He wasn’t there for the Test matches in South Africa and England. But he comes across as a good old-fashioned Test batsman.
monthly limit of free stories.
with an Express account.
It wasn’t Chole Bhature, it was Kulcha Chole. He was tempting me with it but I said I’m 50 years old, I can’t handle so much cholesterol anymore (laughs).
I think he needs to trust his processes. This is just a phase, he has been one of our most successful overseas openers. He’s got hundreds in South Africa and England, we’ll continue to back him. I believe he has the quality and class to come out of this. It is great working with this unit, managing formats is the most difficult part. But there’s not a lot of technical coaching, just simple conversations and challenging them, and giving them a pat on the back when they do well. (On WTC Final) We still haven’t qualified. It is about staying in the moment, taking it one step at a time and don’t look to the future. Now it is time to enjoy a break and go back to Nagpur.
Ravindra Jadeja took a sly dig on the Australia batters for trying to sweep him all the time. In their second essay, six Australian batsmen got out while trying to sweep.
“Don’t think a sweep is a good option against me on this kind of wicket,” Jadeja told Sanjay Manjrekar at the post-match presentation. [Read More]
Playing his 100th Test, Cheteshwar Pujara on Sunday hit the winning run as India beat Australia by six wickets to go 2-0 up in the four-match series. With the win at Feroz Shah Kotla, India have retained the Border-Gavaskar series.
Speaking to the broadcasters, Pujara on Sunday said, “Yeah, it has been a great Test match. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many runs in the first innings. I knew that if I stayed in the crease for a while and played initial balls well, I could do well.” [Read More]
I think I was enjoying my bowling. These wickets suit me because the odd ball spins and some stay low. I knew they'd play sweeps and reverse sweeps, so my idea was just keeping it simple and straight. I knew they were looking for runs, so the plan was just bowling into the stumps. If they make a mistake, I have a chance. Don't think the sweep is a good option against me on this kind of wicket (laughs and walks off).
Fantastic result for us. Looking at how things were yesterday, the way we came back and finished our job was great. Even if we were just one run behind, I felt we were trailing because we had to bat last. I think the bowlers were fantastic, to take 9 wickets today morning is commendable. And then we finished the job with the bat. On a pitch like this, people need to do something different. We were prepared for them coming out and playing shots. Our idea was to not panic and just hit the right areas, waiting for the mistake to happen and that's exactly what happened. Every game you play in this type of weather, there is some moisture. What I noticed is there is a lot to offer in the first session, but as it goes on it gets slower and there isn't enough bite. So our focus was keeping it tight in the morning, and these guys are the masters of bowling in these conditions. (Game-changing moment) There are lot of moments across four innings, but I thought the partnership between Jadeja and Virat, and then Axar-Ash was brilliant.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins: " Thought 260 was a decent score in the first innings. The guys bounced back well. But India batted well, just 1-2 partnerships and you can get to that 260 mark quite easily. In the innings break, it was all even. Disappointed, we were ahead of the game but we slipped. We need a review on what could have been done different. Everyone controls their own game, some balls just have your name. But we need a review on the shot choice, did we do things right? Both games were disappointing, this one in particular. We were ahead in the game and that doesn't happen often in India. This loss hurts.
On playing his 100th Test: Yeah, it has been a great Test match. Unfortunately, I didn't get many runs in the first innings. I knew that if I stayed in the crease for a while and played initial balls well, I could do well. It is a special feeling when your family watches you playing the 100th game. I am really happy about the occasion. I was really happy them seeing me finish off the match with a boundary.
On Saurashtra winning the Ranji Trophy: Happy for the boys of Saurashtra for winning the Ranji Trophy. I did have an eye on the proceedings till lunch but couldn't see what happened afterwards. Congratulations to all the Saurashtra boys.
On yesterday's last session: I thought we might end up chasing 200-250. But kudos to our bowlers for restricting them to such a low score.
On playing sweep shot on this pitch: Sweep is not an ideal shot to play with low bounce, but I've worked on it. With my game, I use my feet well and try to judge length as early as possible. I've always done that throughout my career. Not really, it was the initial phase when you walk out to bat. Some balls spun and some went straighter. Once you play 30-40 balls, it's a good pitch to bat. Once the ball gets softer, it gets easier to bat on.
Pujara seals victory for India in his 100th Test match with a boundary. India beat Australia by six wickets. Australia lost the Test in the morning session and India retain the Border–Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-0 lead.
Full and outside the off. Bharat leans forward and fetches the slog sweep from wide outside the off. Goes over the deep mid wicket region and the fielders keep watching the cork sail over.
Bharat lunges forward and works out the elegant cover drive this time. He's watching the narrow gaps like a wide vacant region on the off side. India need 10 runs to win the match. (India are 105 for 4 in 25 overs)
Overpitched and Bharat strides forward and creams a drive past the mid off region for a four. How good a drive is that!! A check-drive actually and neatly done. India need 14 runs to win the match. (India are 101 for 4 in 24.5 overs)
Full and outside the off stump. Bharat reaches towards the line of the ball and punches it towards the covers region for a four. Through the carpet and reaches the vacant region in no haste. India need 19 runs to win the match. (India are 96 for 4 in 23.4 overs)
Shreyas Iyer departs trying to take on Nathan Lyon he falls after playing a crucial cameo. However, Iyer has been India's best player of spin in recent times hands-down. In the era where the likes of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have struggled against turning surfaces in India. Iyer has been fabulous. His ability to play with soft hands rotate strike and come down the track and hit the ball for six at will makes him so dangerous. Shreyas Iyer's comeback has only made India stronger. Australia on the other hand would be happy with their bowling. Boy, they have issues with their batting. India needs 27 runs to win the match.
Shreyas Iyer is in a hurry to finish this game off quickly. Australia just hadn't turned up when it mattered the most. The game could have been either way this morning. Jadeja stepped it up for India. The pitch is still playing well no demons in it. Pat Cummins and Andrew McDonald have a lot of thinking before the next Test. Thankfully there is a break before the game. However, given the dent of confidence, they will take from this Test it is hard to see them come back from here on. India needs 39 runs to win the match.
Virat Kohli is Stumped! Murphy has the wicket of Virat Kohli as India lose three wickets! Good length delivery outside the off. It doesn't spin and beats the outside edge of charging down Virat Kohli for a defense. Carey behind the stumps does the rest by whipping the bails off in a flash. India need 46 runs to win the match.
It started with Waugh being unhappy with the fields set by Pat Cummins. He didn’t like a deep point for Cheteshwar Pujara and suggested he would have that man in and pack the off-side cordon.
Enter Dinesh Karthik. In a snappy tone, Karthik attempted to quiz Mark Waugh. “So you are unhappy with the field. There is nobody for Rohit Sharma, you are okay with that. Would you do the same as a captain?” (READ MORE)
How does that go for a four? Classy from Virat. He goes back and closes his bat's face and times the tuck in between backward square leg and short fine leg fielders for a boundary. India need 46 runs to win the match.
Poor from Nathan Lyon and Kohli punishes it with ease! Short and spinning in down the leg side. Virat goes onto the back foot and turns it away past the short fine leg fielder to his right for an easy boundary. India need 51 runs to win the match.
What a way to get to your 25000 International runs! Tosses it fuller outside the off. Kohli walks down the track and gets to the pitch of it to loft it down the ground for a boundary to the left of the long-on fielder. (India are 56 for 2 after 11.5 overs)
Kohli bends low and knocks it down the ground to long-on for a single. Fifty up for India. They need 65 runs to win the match. (India are 50 for 2 after 10.3 overs)
Pujara has taken the aerial route. He comes down the track and slogs it towards the widish long on region for a four. Played it well and calculative approach.
Rohit Sharma has sacrificed his wicket for Cheteshwar Pujara. A needless mix-up and Rohit walks back to the hut. Rohit stops near the middle of the pitch on the second, but Pujara keeps running towards the non-striker's end. Rohit gives his wicket away. India need 76 runs to win the match. (India are 39/2 after 7 overs)
Rohit Sharma is dealing in boundaries. High and Handsome. Rohit creates a tad room, advances down the ground, and lofts it downtown for a six. That is stupendous from Rohit and he seems to be taking the spinner down.
Rohit Sharma is in hurry. Rohit waits and changes his shot to a paddle. Just helps it down the line towards the fine of fine leg. There was no fielder at that region and the ball rolls towards the fences. India need 82 runs to win the match. (India are 31 for 1 after 6 overs)
Aired up near the off. Short of a fuller one and Rohit advances down the strip and smokes this over the long on region. Harrumphs it over the fence this time. Shortens the pitch this time and Lyon offers the freebie.
A gift from Matthew Kuhnemann and Cheteshwar Pujara dispatches it for a boundary. The target is below 100 now. India need 96 runs to win the match. (India are 19/1 after 5 overs)
Speaking on Fox Cricket, former Australian captain Allan Border said he was “disappointed” and “shell-shocked” by the carnage that had unfolded.
“I’m angry about the way they went about it today,” he said.
“It was panicky, frenetic sort of batting … nobody got in there to stem the flow with some good defensive cricket. They were all just getting out playing sweep shot, reverse sweep to just about every ball.
“You can’t get away with that on that sort of track. You’ve got to have a method.”
India need 100 runs to win the match. (India are 15/1 in 4.2 overs)
We are all set for the second and probably the final session of this second Test match. The umpires and players are walking back to the middle. India need another 101 runs. Matthew Kuhnemann with the ball for Australia. Is there still a twist in the tale? Here we go then...
Australia are still in the game but they will have to keep taking wickets.
Nathan Lyon is going to be a great threat to India. Can't afford to be a loose ball. Every ball will have to be right on the money, then they have an outside chance.
That collapse has taken me by surprise. I thought Australia will take at least the lead of 200 runs and will put India under the pump.
Australia will have to bowl the way, India bowled and on the other hand, India will have to bat as badly as Australia did. That's the only way Australia have a chance to win this match.
Out of Ravindra Jadeja's seven dismissals, five have come via bowled. The last bowler to do so was Shoaib Akhtar against New Zealand in Lahore in 2002. The only other spinner to do so in the last 50 years is Anil Kumble against South Africa in Joburg in 1992.
It's time for Lunch. Players will be back after 40 minutes. Meanwhile, we will give you the highlights of what's happened this morning.
66 runs have been scored in this session for the loss of 10 wickets in 23.1 overs.Wickets fell hither and thither on Day 3 and it was the Jadeja-Ashwin show in the first session. The off-spinner trapped Travis Head right in the first over and it was upon Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to take the tally deep. Ashwin removed Smith initially, leg before wicket and later it was Jadeja who pushed Marnus to go on the backfoot and chop back to the stumps. From Renshaw to Handscomb and Carey to Cummins, the middle and lower-middle order got wrapped up in haste.In reply, India lost KL Rahul. He flicked a ball from Nathan Lyon, but it ricocheted off the forward short leg fielder's knee and ballooned up to the keeper who completed the catch.
Sharma clears the front leg and flicks it towards the deep mid wicket region for a four. It bisects the deep mid wicket and long on and scurries towards the fences. India need 103 runs to win the match. (India are 12 for 1 after three overs)
“It’s a good option here but you need to know how. Can’t get too far beside the line. Need to come along the line of the ball,” Matthew Hayden started it off on Australia’s sweep shot tactic. (READ MORE)
Bad luck! KL Rahul departs for 1. Rahul flicks and it hits the pads of short leg. The ball rebounds from there and loops up towards the wicketkeeper. A freakish dismissal and KL Rahul nods his head and walks back in despair. Lyon gets the first wicket of the innings. India need 109 runs to win the match. (India are 6/1 after 2 overs)
Straight down the ground for a boundary. Six came from the first over. India need 109 runs to go 2-0 up in the four-match Test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. (India are 6/0 after 1 over)
Rohit and Rahul walk out to open for India. Kuhnemann has the new ball for Australia, We are back for the chase.
India have made Australia look so silly and wrapped them for just 113 runs in the second innings with a lead of 114 runs, setting India 115 to win this Test!
It didn't take long for Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to decimate the Aussies.
Jadeja finished with his best figures of 7/42, while Ashwin ended with three wickets. Not an easy pitch to bat, and let's see how the Aussies have a go with the ball defending this low target. Join us in few minutes for the chase!
Ravindra Jadeja finishes off the innings with the wicket of Matthew Kuhnemann and this is his 7th scalp this inning!! good length ball, pitching on off stump, Matthew Kuhnemann directs the ball to strike the stumps by misconnecting the reverse sweep. India need 114 runs to win the match.
Ravindra Jadeja is on fire!! India just needs one more wicket to fix their target!! Nathan Lyon, good length ball, pitching outside off stump, Nathan Lyon tries to slog the ball but it gets the under edge which then travels to take the timber out. Australia lead India by 114 runs with one wicket remaining. (Australia are 113 for 9 after 31 overs)
Fifth scalp for Ravindra Jadeja!! Alex Carey once more perishes for a sweep! good length ball, pitching on leg stump, Alex Carey as always tries to go for the reverse sweep this time! The ball goes straight to dislodge the stumpFifer for Jadeja. Australia lead India by 112 runs with two wickets remaining. (Australia are 111 for 8 after 28 overs)
In the slot and dispatched by Carey. Tossed up by Ashwin and Carey gets underneath it and hammers it over the mid-on fielder for a four. Australia lead India by 111 runs with three wickets remaining. (Australia are 110 for 7 after 27 overs)
Lyon sweeps, gets outside off and top-edges the sweep to the fine-leg fence. 100 up for Australia. Australia lead India by 102 runs with three wickets remaining. (Australia are 101 for 7 after 25 overs)
Fourth wicket in 11 balls. Jadeja castles Cummins. “That’s disappointing. I know you need to have a method but there is a time and place. Pat Cummins,” Mathew Hayden sighs on air. Cummins had gone for an all-mighty slog but missed the slow ball from Jadeja. He had completed his bat swing by the time the ball winked at him, stopped for a mid-pitch snack, a chatter with the close-in fielders and eventually fell on the stumps.
Australia lead India by 96 runs with three wickets remaining. (Australia are 95 for 6 after 24 overs)
Another one. Jadeja removes Handscomb. Jinxed him all right. Simple tossed up turner and Handscomb tries to drive it with the turn. But a bit loose, bit nervy perhaps. Edge and gone. What a soft dismissal. Australia lead India by 96 runs with four wickets remaining. (Australia are 95 for 6 after 23.1 overs)
Australia’s best batsman against spin Peter Handscomb is out there now. Unlike rest, including Marnus Labuschagne who all need a specific plan to tackle spin - be it reverse, or try batting way back etc - Handscomb’s natural game is good enough. Hopefully, this doesn’t turn out to be a jinx. But he is good to watch, though. The feet and hands come out crisply, and he has good hands, as that cricket lingo goes. When he wears the floppy hat, he looks a bit like NZ’s Ken Rutherford. Remember him? Didn’t do too well in India, though, averaged around 9 (just checked). In NZ, he averaged over 40 against India.
Another one bites the dust. Ashwin gets his third. Ashwin has another left-hander! Fuller-length delivery on the middle stump line. Renshaw sits down on one knee and misses the sweep onto the pads. Looks plumb and the appeal from India is upheld by the umpire as he raises his finger. Renshaw reviews it. Fair delivery. No bat is involved. Three reds, and it is as plumb as it gets! Renshaw burns the review and walks back to the pavilion. Australia now has lost half of their side. Ashwin is winning the battle against the Aussie batters.
Ravi Shastri on his oldest theory, been saying it for 2 decades now. Wants Axar Patel to bowl because he did so well with the bat and “confidence must be flowing”. Nothing wrong with that of course; just cute that he has been saying it for all these years. Like SMG’s conservation of energy. Shastri’s another cricket-ism when the ball turns in the first session of play, is about the moisture effect. Has he said that this morning? And in the end, Jadeja castles Marnus. He stayed right back to a length ball that skid low. Bottom-edge on to the stumps. The pitch is slow, so batsmen think they can play it off the back foot. Not so easy, though. (Sriram Veera)
Australia lead India by 96 runs with 6 wickets remaining. (Australia are 95 for 4 after 22 overs)
Jadeja cleans up Labuschangne. The ball kept a bit low but the Aussie batter could've committed on the front foot on that one. This was a quicker delivery from Jadeja that went straight and Labuschagne misjudged the length and went on the back foot. But the ball skidded through and even kept a little low and hit the stumps. Marnus departs for 35.
Gavaskar had a few words for Rishabh Pant while India had stitched up around 140 runs on board with most of their top order back in the pavilion at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Day 2 of the India-Australia Test match. (READ MORE)
Australia lead India by 94 runs with 7 wickets remaining. (Australia are 93 for 3 after 21 overs)
And that over-the-wicket angle nearly worked. Dropped by Shreyas Iyer. Ashwin is aghast. He had set up Marnus exactly for that. A few from outside off and suddenly, on on the line of stumps for the close-in catcher. Marnus fell for it, tapped it and Iyer clanged it at short-leg. (Sriram Veera)
Australia lead India by 94 runs with 7 wickets remaining. (Australia are 93 for 3 after 21 overs)
“Bad batting” Marnus gives self verdict. Spot on, too. Lovely loopy ball outside off stump and Marnus just lunges all of a sudden, bat well away from the body. And luckily got an inside edge to nowhere. And then comes his self-assessment. Short-leg, leg, slip and Slip in place and Ashwin’s attack from over the wicket is getting clearer: A couple from outside off stump, and then one on the stumps, to see if he taps to the close-in fielders on the leg side. Like Shreyas did. (Sriram Veera) Australia lead India by 94 runs with 7 wickets remaining. (Australia are 93 for 3 after 21 overs)
R Ashwin, you beauty! Ashwin has got Steve Smith the second time in the match. A tad full in length spins into the off-stump line. Smith sits down on one knee and misses a hard sweep on the under edge and wears it on the pads. Given out by the umpire on the appeal. Smith reviews this one. Ball tracking has two reds on the pitching and impact. Umpire's call on the wickets and the decision stays. Australia lead India by 91 runs with 7 wickets remaining. (Australia are 90 for 3 after 20 overs)
Ashwin gives round-the-stumps angle to Marnus and goes over the wicket. It’s been lovely to watch Marnus bat this game. Until the ball he fell to in the first innings, he was looking good. Going well here, too. That brain is cooking. Good clear plans and brave execution. Reverse sweeps and a shimmy down the track.
Now that Ashwin has gone over the stumps, let’s see how he bats. After the first ball that kept low, Marnus has started to go forward. (Sriram Veera)
Hold that pose Steve Smith. Lovely uses of the feet from Smith and he takes Jadeja on. Australia lead India by 83 runs with 8 wickets remaining. (Australia are 82 for 2 after 17.4 overs)