After a resounding win in the first Test, India take on a resurgent Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. Jasprit Bumrah leads the side in absence of Rohit Sharma.
WICKET! Kuldeep Yadav removes Mitchell Marsh. He bowls a short delivery on the stumps, the batsman rocks back to pull but Axar Patel takes a spectacular catch at deep square leg region.
Rain
Rain stopped play just after a few overs had been bowled on the third day of India’s tour match against Australia at the Gabba. Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney were batting at that stage and had taken Australia to 28/0.
India’s bowlers struggled to find the right length early on. Spearhead Jasprit Bumrah looked off the pace and Mohammed Siraj leaked a few runs. But Akash Deep finally found the right line and length late in his over and took two wickets to change the momentum of the match.
The rain is back and puddles are starting to form at the Gabba. The covers are being put back on and it could be a long wait before the players return to the field.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant had to rue the decision to not review a caught-behind call against Mitchell Starc, which appeared very clear cut from the pitch of the ground. He was attempting to swivel out of the way of a Starc bouncer when it struck him in the face. But he was not able to keep his hands out of the way and Snicko suggested that there may have been a bit of glove on the ball. That was a big decision for Pant, who has had a troubled tour so far with several dropped catches.
Scattered showers
Rain has fallen again in Brisbane and the players are back in their dressing rooms. The groundstaff is rushing to cover the pitch in order to avoid any further interruptions. It doesn’t look like play will resume until at least lunch time.
Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney are both unbeaten on 13 and 2 respectively at the halfway point of the first session. The batting pair will hope to continue their good start as the new ball hasn’t helped the Indian bowlers so far today.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are both getting a bit of bounce as they bowl but it doesn’t seem to be making much impact. Siraj in particular has come in for a lot of criticism from the Aussie fans after his fiery send-off to Travis Head last week.
Bumrah, on the other hand, has been very economical so far and is averaging just 18 from around the stumps to left-handers. The paceman will be hoping to replicate his performance from the second Test when he takes on Australia’s batsmen again. But for now, the bowler’s patience will be put to the test as he waits to get back on the field.
Session 2
With the series tied at 1-1, India will be looking to put a stamp on their dominance in the second Test on Day 2. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be hoping to take advantage of the favourable conditions in Brisbane, which could make things difficult for Australia’s batsmen.
The rain is falling heavily now and the groundstaff have covered the pitch. The umpires have walked out of the changing rooms and it is not long before we resume play.
IND vs AUS 2nd Test live: A risky run by Head brings him to his 18th half-century in the longest format for Australia! He hammers a boundary off Siraj down the leg side. A brilliant batting performance from the opener.
India bowler Siraj gets booed by the Adelaide crowd for his send-off of Head! The first delivery was a fuller one outside off and the batsman looked well set before he pushed it to backward point. The next delivery was short and Siraj got a tickle on the pad that went to the gully fielder.
A good start for the hosts with Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney sharing a solid partnership. The onus will now be on the India pacers to make quick breakthroughs under the lights. They will need to take a leaf out of the book of Bumrah, who was impressive in the opener and needs to deliver here as well.
Session 3
The rain returns and play will be delayed for a bit. We will keep you updated with the latest news from Brisbane.
The Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney are looking to build a decent partnership as the new ball is not doing much for India bowlers. The duo has hit two boundaries and a few singles so far.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj share the new ball for India, who will be hoping to break through soon. However, the pitch has been giving a lot of help to batsmen and India need their bowlers to step up and make early breakthroughs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has put India in a good position after scoring his maiden ton on Australian soil. The Indian youngster played a dashing upper-cut off Josh Hazlewood and reached his ton in just 25 balls.
A good news for all the fans! The rain has stopped in Brisbane. The covers are being pulled off and the match will resume in a few minutes. Keep following Sportstar for all the latest updates.