The second day of the World Test Championship 2021-23 final witnessed Australia’s continued dominance, with their bowlers making a strong statement after a formidable partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith.
Although India managed to restrict the damage caused by the Australian batsmen, they faced a challenging task as they ended the day at 151/5, trailing by 318 runs.
The day started with Steve Smith showcasing his class by scoring two consecutive fours off Mohammed Siraj in the opening over, completing his 31st Test hundred. Shortly after, Travis Head registered his fourth score of 150 or more, extending their partnership to an impressive 285 runs.
However, India mounted a strong comeback by dismissing three Australian batsmen for just 26 runs. The breakthrough came with the dismissal of Head, who was caught down the leg-side off Siraj’s bowling, ending his brilliant innings at 163.
Cameron Green fell victim to a Mohammed Shami delivery, edging it to second slip, while Smith chopped Shardul Thakur’s delivery onto the stumps, departing after scoring 121 runs. Mitchell Starc was run out, adding to Australia’s woes as they lost their fourth wicket in the first session.
Pat Cummins and Alex Carey provided stability to the Australian innings in the second session. Carey began aggressively, hitting several boundaries, including three in one over off Shami. He even smashed a six off Ravindra Jadeja, propelling Australia past the 450-run mark and making an important half-century partnership with Cummins.
India’s batting innings started confidently, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill scoring boundaries regularly. However, Australia quickly regained control by dismissing both openers in quick succession.
Cummins trapped Rohit leg-before, while Gill’s stumps were destroyed by Scott Boland. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara faced a challenging period before the Tea break but managed to survive without losing their wickets.
Pujara began the final session positively, playing some elegant shots. However, like Gill, he misjudged a delivery and was bowled while shouldering arms to a delivery from Cameron Green. Kohli’s thumb was struck by a rising delivery from Mitchell Starc, resulting in a catch to the wicketkeeper and adding to India’s woes at 71/4.
On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja played aggressively, hitting boundaries at regular intervals, including a six off Boland. However, just two runs short of a half-century, Jadeja edged a delivery from Nathan Lyon to slip, leaving Rahane and KS Bharat unbeaten at the stumps.
As the match heads into the third day, India faces an uphill battle to recover from their precarious position. Australia’s dominance with both bat and ball has put them in a commanding position, while India’s batsmen will need to show resilience and determination to mount a comeback.
Also Read: WTC 2023 Final: Virat Kohli As ‘The Saviour,’ Top 3 Virat Knocks Against Australia
