Australia vs India 2018-19, Day 2, 2nd Test: As it happened
It was a bit cloudy morning at Perth. Australia started with an overnight score of 277/6. The Australians would have thought to have a steady start and to get to a good first innings score. Cummins and Paine started cautiously without losing a wicket in the first hour of play.
They were very good with their shot selection and didn't play a single rash shot during that period of play. It was the second over after the drinks when Umesh Yadav bowled an absolute beauty of a ball to dismiss Cummins and after that, it was just a matter of time before the Indian pacers cleaned up the Australian team.
Indians took last 4 wickets in just 22 balls to finish the Australian innings at the score of 326 runs. Ishant Sharma took the most number of wickets for the Indian side as he picked up four wickets for 41 runs and thus registering his best figures in Australia. Marcus Harris top-scored for Australians. He scored 70 runs for the side.
It was just a three overs of play left before the lunch. The Indian captain would have been expecting that the openers can come back without losing a wicket before lunch but this was not the case. Murali Vijay got dismissed by Starc just at the last ball before lunch. A Lunch, India were at 6-1. Things didn't get better for the other Indian opener after the play resumed after the break. KL Rahul got dismissed by a great swinging yorker by Hazlewood and to be honest it could have taken the stumps of any batsman in the world.
Now, the Man of the Match from the last Test, Pujara, and the most bankable player for India for many many years, Virat Kohli were at the crease. Both of them knew how important was it for India to have them bat for a longer partnership. Virat stroked Hazlewood for three boundaries in one over but apart from that over, both of them were very patient and careful in their approach and deprived the Australians for a wicket. At lunch, India was batting at 70/2. The second season had 29 overs in which 64 runs were score and a lone wicket of Lokesh Rahul to fall.
After Lunch, both Pujara and Kohli was hoping to cash in for all the hard work they did in the earlier season but Pujara after facing 103 deliveries got out on an ordinary delivery drifting down the leg side by Mitchell Starc and thus ending a 74 runs partnership. Rahane came out and he was very positive with his intent and any ball bowled short to him, he was not afraid to take on the challenge.
Kohli reached his 20th Test half-century by slashing hard at a wide ball outside the off stump, a rare sight to watch in the day's play. Ajinkya Rahane also completed his 17th Test fifty off the 92nd ball he played. India finished the day at 172/3 runs and was trailing by 154 runs now. The last session belonged to India. India scored 102 runs in the final session and lost only one wicket. India would be hoping that both Rahane and Kohli score big tons tomorrow.