India vs Australia 2nd Test

India vs Australia 2nd Test, The second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia commenced at the Adelaide Oval on a bright and sunny day. India, after winning the toss, elected to bat first. The Indian openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, got off to a cautious start, weathering the early storm from the Australian pace attack. However, as the day progressed, the duo started to find their rhythm, playing some elegant strokes through the off-side.

A Crucial Partnership

Rohit Sharma, in particular, was in sublime form, driving the ball with precision and timing. He reached his fifty with a classy cover drive and looked set for a big score. However, just when it seemed like India were in control, a moment of indiscretion from Rohit cost him his wicket. He edged a delivery from Pat Cummins to the wicket-keeper, leaving India at 80/1.

Shubman Gill, meanwhile, continued to bat with composure, reaching his fifty soon after. He formed a crucial partnership with Virat Kohli, who came in at number three. The duo batted patiently, building a solid platform for the Indian innings. However, just as the partnership was gaining momentum, Kohli was dismissed, caught behind off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.

A Late Collapse

With the loss of Kohli, India’s momentum slowed down. The middle-order batsmen failed to capitalize on the good start provided by the openers and the top-order. A flurry of wickets followed, and India were soon reduced to 180/9. The tail-enders offered some resistance, but Australia eventually bowled India out for 180.

Australia’s Reply

Australia, in reply, started their innings cautiously. The Indian bowlers, led by Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, bowled a disciplined line and length, making it difficult for the Australian openers to score freely. However, Travis Head, who had impressed in the first Test, played a blistering knock, scoring a century. He was ably supported by Marnus Labuschagne, who also contributed a valuable half-century.

Australia declared their innings at 337, setting India a target of 158 runs. The Indian team went into the second day with a mountain to climb.

Day 2: A Day of Struggle

The second day of the Test match began with India resuming their innings at 9/0. The Indian openers, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, faced a tough challenge from the Australian pace attack. The pitch had started to deteriorate, and the ball was moving around. Rahul and Agarwal struggled to cope with the challenging conditions and were dismissed cheaply.

The middle-order batsmen, including Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, also failed to make a significant contribution. The Indian innings collapsed, and they were bowled out for 175, losing the match by 10 wickets.

Analysis of India’s Performance 

India’s performance in the second Test was disappointing. The batting unit, which had performed well in the first Test, failed to deliver. The middle-order, in particular, looked vulnerable against the Australian pace attack. The bowling attack, while disciplined, was not able to consistently pick up wickets.

Key Takeaways of India vs Australia 2nd Test

• India needs to improve their batting performance, especially in the middle-order.
• The bowling attack needs to be more aggressive and take early wickets.
• The team needs to adapt to the challenging conditions in Australia.

The loss in the second Test has put India in a difficult position in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. They will need to regroup and come back strong in the third Test to keep their hopes of retaining the trophy alive.

Score Card of India vs Australia 2nd Test