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The brilliant Travis Head gives Australia a slight lead in the second Test against India…as Nathan Lyon takes an impressive five wicket haul before Axar Patel and Ravi Ashwin frustrate the tourists with an excellent counter-attack.
- Australia lead by 62 runs at the end of the second day in Delhi
- India collapsed to 4-87 but rallied to finish on 262 all out
- Nathan Lyon took five wickets in 29 overs as Australia kept the series alive
Travis Head used his chance to impress as Australia took a slim lead on the second day of the second test of the series against India in Delhi at Delhi’s Arun Jaitely Stadium.
Ruled out for the series-opening Test at Nagpur, which Australia lost by an innings and 132 runs, the 29-year-old was recalled for the second Test and promoted to the top of the order when David Warner was ruled out with concussion.
Warner was replaced by Matt Renshaw, who is expected to hit at No.5.
And Head wasted no time in making their case, scoring a brilliant 39 from 40 balls as Australia negotiated a tricky 13-over mini-session before stumps after India were bowled out for 262, falling just shy of equaling the 263 of tourists.
The visitors lost Usman Khawaja tightly, with the opener falling to just six runs to Ravindra Jadeja, but Head and Marnus Labuschagne put together a useful 38-run partnership to give Australia a slim lead going into the third day.
Travis Head was promoted to the top of the order in place of David Warner on Saturday
Head (left) and Marnus Labuschagne (right) put together a useful 38-run partnership after Usman Khawaja was dismissed for 6 by Ravindra Jadeja
The loss of Khawaja, Australia’s leading scorer in their first innings, is a blow, but they quickly extended their one-run lead in the first innings in attacking form to surprise the Indian bowlers.
Head were controversially dropped for the opening Test loss at Nagpur based on his poor record in Asia, but looked home batting at the top of the order, playing aggressively as he does in Australian conditions.
Head will resume batting with Labuschange on Sunday as Australia try to push their lead further to try and level the Border-Gavaskar series at 1-1.
But the undisputed star of the day was Nathan Lyon, who put in one of the best performances of his career in 117 Tests to finish 5-67.
Lyon looked out of sorts during the first Test in Nagpur, going 1-126 and being comfortably outscored by 22-year-old spinner Todd Murphy, who was making his debut.
But the 36-year-old couldn’t have responded better in the Indian capital, bowling accurately into a bouncing, spinning wicket.
“Whatever we get, we have to make sure it’s enough. […] be very brave,’ Lyon said of Australia’s second innings.
“We need to trust the guys’ methods when they have the support of the whole dressing room to go out and play the way they want to play and the way they think they can combat the quality of bowling India have.”
After taking 4-13 during a masterful spell in the morning session, Lyon picked up India wicketkeeper KS Bharat (six) to bring out his 22nd five-wicket Test haul.
For the second Test in a row, an Australian rookie took the prized wicket from Virat Kohli (44).
Queensland left arm Matt Kuhnemann (2-72) broke through for his first scalp test after the referee gave Kohli pounds-for-weight.
Kohli reviewed the decision, but the third referee upheld the decision on the field, much to the chagrin of the 34-year-old and his army of fans.
Nathan Lyon (left) was the Australian bowlers’ choice on day two, claiming five wickets
The veteran swept through the India batting line-up to take four wickets before lunch.
But India mounted an excellent counter-attack as Ravi Ashwin (left) and Axar Patel (right) made 37 and 74 respectively as the hosts conceded a first-innings one-run lead to Australia.
India fell to 7-139 and seemed to be falling into a dire position, but versatile bowlers Axar Patel (74) and Ravichandran Ashwin (37) rescued the hosts.
Patel and Ashwin staged a 114-run partnership, the third-highest eighth-wicket position by an Indian pair against Australia, to frustrate the tourists.
Renshaw and Pat Cummins needed some sack brilliance to take out Patel and Ashwin after the dangerous pairing got the home crowd back into the game.
But by the end of the play, the Indian fans were as quiet as they have been in every series as Head smashed his heroes everywhere on the ground.