India captain Jasprit Bumrah was forced off with an injury on the second day of the fifth Test, but Australia could not take advantage of it.
India ignored the absence of captain Jasprit Bumrah and dismissed Australia for 181, reaching 141 for six and taking their overall lead to 145. An unusual second day of a balanced 5th Test.
On an eventful day at the sun-kissed Sydney Cricket Ground, Bumrah took the first wicket to depart India, but suffered cramps shortly after lunch and left with the team doctor for a back check.
Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy step into the gaping bowling hole left by their captain to beat Australia and bring India to a tee They took a narrow lead of 4 points in the first inning.
But there was still plenty of spice on the wicket, with paceman Scott Borland taking 4-42 in the final session to take Friday’s fourth wicket as Australia stripped the top off the Indian batsmen and dug deep into the middle. Added to acquisition. order.
Rishabh Pant threw off the shackles and produced some exceptional shots in a stunning half-century of 28 balls to stop the rot, but he too departed for 61 in the final hour, leaving Australian skipper Pat Cummins behind. took his 14th wicket of the day.
There is still time for Boland to pick up a fourth victim in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy, with eight-match unbeaten Ravindra Jadeja and six-match unbeaten Washington Sundar remaining at the crease at the end of the match. Ta.
When asked how much of a lead India’s bowlers would be comfortable defending without Bumrah, Krishna replied, “As many runs as possible would be great for us.”
“You don’t really know how the wicket is behaving. It’s up, it’s down. If you can be aggressive, it’s a risk, but you get a reward in runs.”
Australia coach Andrew MacDonald attributed the drop in wickets to the “generational” bowling talent of both teams and said his plan for the third day was straightforward.
“First and foremost, we have four wickets to take, to keep the wicket total as low as possible,” he told reporters.
“We still have a long way to go… so let’s see what happens.”
It was certainly worth it for the crowd of 47,257 who enjoyed the Sydney sunshine as the momentum shifted back and forth, as Australia led 2-1 in the series.
On debut, all-rounder Beau Webster scored Australia’s highest score of 57, but his half-century drew cheers from the rafters, and he took his first Test wicket later in the day when he removed Shubman Gill for 13. There was another cheer when he won.
Virat Kohli, who was India’s captain after Bumrah’s departure, was booed right up to the crease in what was probably his last innings for Australia, but he slipped off Borland for a half-hearted six. After losing the point, they returned to the boundary line and cheered.
Boland is fast becoming a cult hero in Australia, and perhaps the biggest buzz came when he bowled a peach of a delivery to hit opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s off stump, ending a promising innings with 22. It was time to finish it in the first inning.
Indian supporters also had plenty to cheer about, with Bumrah dismissing Marnus Labuschagne in the morning session to take his series total to 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 wickets.
Krishna also waved the Indian flag when he caught Steve Smith at slip for 33, breaking his five-wicket partnership of 57 with Webster and leaving the former Australia captain five away from 10,000 Test runs.
India, who were without captain Rohit Sharma for this match, need a win in Sydney to advance in the series and defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
If Australia wins, they will not only win the series, but will also qualify for the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June at Lord’s in London, England.
