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Australia 221/4 at stumps against India on Day 2 of 2nd Test at Brisbane

Umesh Yadav took three wickets to put Australia on the back foot.

Steven Smith © Getty Images
Steven Smith is yet to be dismissed this series © Getty Images

By Shiamak Unwalla

Dec 18, 2014

Australia ended at 221 for four against India on Day Two of the second Test at The Gabba, Brisbane. Steven Smith remained unbeaten on 65 while Mitchell Marsh was not out on seven. Umesh Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers with three for 48 as Australia trail by 187 runs after India were bowled out for 408 in the morning session.

Smith, leading the side for the first time in Tests, did his reputation of being one of Australia’s most promising batsmen no harm with another half-century, holding the middle-order together as wickets kept falling at the other end. Resuming his innings after tea, Smith took on Ravichandran Ashwin, who looked India’s best bowler at that point, hitting him for two sixes and a four off one of his overs to signal his intent. He got to his half-century off Ashwin, and was unbeaten on 65 at stumps. Smith is yet to be dismissed this series after having scored a century and two fifties.

Shaun Marsh overcame an edgy start before attempting a hook shot off Varun Aaron that resulted in a top edge. Ajinkya Rahane — perhaps one of India’s best fielders — positioned himself under the swirling ball but failed to latch on to it. However, India did not have too much time to mull the drop, as Umesh induced an outside edge off an attempted cut soon thereafter, which was caught well by Ashwin in the slips. Mitchell Marsh walked in to replace his brother, but play was called off for the day soon thereafter due to bad light.

Earlier, David Warner and Chris Rogers came out to open the innings for Australia as usual, and raced away to 47 for no loss in the ninth over before Umesh struck. Warner, batting on 29 off 27 balls, went for a short-arm pull off Umesh only to see the ball balloon off the top edge to Ashwin at slip.

That brought in Shane Watson at No. 3, who came out swinging. He scored 25 off only 29 deliveries before deciding to take on Ashwin. He went down on one knee and slogged the ball to mid-on where Shikhar Dhawan took a terrific diving catch. Smith came in to bat next.

Rogers was secure at the other end, looking far better than he had at Adelaide. Aided by some wayward bowling from Ishant Sharma and Aaron, Rogers was able to keep up the scoring rate without ever looking very aggressive. He brought up his first half-century of the tour with a boundary off Ashwin. However, he was dismissed off the last ball before tea, caught down the leg side by MS Dhoni off Umesh for 55 off 79 balls.

For India, overnight Indian batsmen Rahane and Rohit Sharma were unable to add much to their scores, as Rahane was the first man to be dismissed, caught behind by Brad Haddin off Josh Hazlewood for 81. The “c Haddin b Hazlewood” entry appeared four times in the scorecard as the Indians kept edging behind on a bouncy Gabba wicket. Hazlewood ended up with five wickets on debut, while Haddin had six catches — an Australian record — in the innings.

After Rahane’s dismissal, a lot was expected of Rohit but as is his wont, he flattered to deceive. Rohit chased a wide ball from Shane Watson and was caught brilliantly by Smith in the slips as India were in danger of getting bowled out for less than 400. One feels that that could have been a possibility if India’s Nos 7 and 8 were Wriddhiman Saha and Karn Sharma; but with Dhoni and Ashwin, India’s batting was far more fortified.

The duo looked in command right from the start, with Ashwin actually out-scoring Dhoni in their alliance. Ashwin was finally dismissed by Hazlewood for an attacking 35, before Dhoni was dismissed in strange fashion, finding the inside edge while trying to leave the ball to give Hazlewood five on debut. Yadav chanced his arm and got a few runs, though Aaron was dismissed by Nathan Lyon. Umesh holed out soon thereafter as India were bowled out for 408, co-incidentally the number of Phillip Hughes’ Test cap.

Earlier, Murali Vijay scored his fifth Test match hundred — and fourth against Australia — to guide India to 311 for four at stumps on Day One. Rahane was unbeaten on 75 with Rohit for company on 26 as India became only the second visiting team in history to score over 300 runs at The Gabba on Day One of a Test.

Brief scores:

India 408 (Murali Vijay 144, Ajinkya Rahane 81; Josh Hazlewood 5 for 68, Nathan Lyon 3 for 105) lead Australia 221 for 4 (Chris Rogers 55, Steven Smith 65*; Umesh Yadav 3 for 48) by 187 runs.

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(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and cricket fanatic. You can follow him on Twitter @ShiamakUnwalla)

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