Tribune News Service
Vinayak Padmadeo
New Delhi, February 18
“They are not lower order, let’s get that clear. Axar (Patel) and Ash (Ashwin) could easily bat in the top six in a few teams in Test cricket around the world. So let’s be clear, they are not lower order… They (India) have a very long top order.”
High praise from Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who grabbed another five-for at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here today to help his team gain a solitary run lead on Day 2 of the second Test.
Lyon, who registered figures of 5/67, is not new to the ground — in his last three innings here, the 35-year-old has bagged 14 Indian wickets. The last time he played here was in 2013, when he took 7/94 and then 2/71. This would have been enough for a win, but the Indian lower-order resurrected the home innings from a precarious 180/5 to take a slender lead, which set the foundation of a six-wicket win.
Today’s proceedings mirrored the 2013 Test. The Indians were tottering at 139/7 today. The Australian spin trio of Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann were not challenged enough, the noose was getting tighter and it looked like India would concede a sizable lead.
However, like in 2013, Lyon and his pack failed to finish off the tail as Patel and Ashwin put on an exhibition of how to tackle quality spin bowlers on such tracks.
India had just lost wicketkeeper KS Bharat to a rash shot, when he gloved a looping catch to Steve Smith while trying to sweep Lyon from the rough.
Ashwin walked in and eased the nerves in the Indian dressing room. A short ball was square-driven, followed by a backfoot punch to the midwicket fence a few overs later. It was a signal to debutant left-arm orthodox Kuhnemann that he would not be allowed to just trudge up and bowl his stock deliveries.
Counterattack
At the other end, Patel, who was set by then, took control and started to cut loose. First Patrick Cummins was driven straight. Then Kuhnemann was the target as he dispatched him for a one-bounce four to the long on fence, and the next ball was slog-swept for a six over mid-wicket.
The lower order, which had rescued India in the last Test, once again rallied to take India to safety. On a day when almost all the Indian batters — save Virat Kohli, who was unlucky to be given out lbw on 44 – struggled against the Australian bowlers, Patel and Ashwin started to score premium runs.
The field opened up a bit. Patel, who went on to score 74, his second successive half-century in the series, completed his fifty with another mighty six off Kuhnemann. What came in handy was the fact that the ball went soft after 50 overs and the spinners were not getting the turn and bite they had got in the first two sessions.
The duo put together 114 runs for the eighth wicket but as they looked to press on the advantage, two brilliant catches — first from Matthew Renshaw and then by Cummins — ensured that the visiting team held on to the lead, barely.
Ashwin chipped Cummins square and Renshaw took a smart catch. The next over, Cummins took a blinder at short mid-on to dismiss Patel.
Aggressive approach
After having seen what Patel and Ashwin had done, the Australians, mindful of the fact that the wicket was breaking, took a very aggressive approach and regained control of the match. They scored runs at a canter to post 61/1 in only 12 overs by stumps.
This counterattack, led by makeshift opener Travis Head, who is unbeaten on 39, and Marnus Labuschagne, unbeaten on 16, has put the Indians on the back foot.
Warner out of second Test due to concussion
New Delhi: Star Australia opener David Warner will miss the remainder of the second Test against India after suffering a concussion with Matthew Renshaw coming on as his substitute. In the 10th over of the Australian innings today, Warner was struck on the head by a Mohammed Siraj delivery. The southpaw, who was also hit on the elbow earlier, had received on-field medical attention. pti
Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings 263
India 1st innings (Overnight 21/0)
R Sharma b Lyon 32
KL Rahul lbw b Lyon 17
C Pujara lbw b Lyon 0
V Kohli lbw b Kuhnemann 44
S Iyer c Handscomb b Lyon 4
R Jadeja lbw b Murphy 26
S Bharat c Smith b Lyon 6
A Patel c Cummins b Murphy 74
R Ashwin c Renshaw b Cummins 37
M Shami b Kuhnemann 2
M Siraj not out 1
Extras: (b 8, lb 11) 19
Total: (All out, 83.3 overs) 262
FOW: 1-46, 2-53, 3-54, 4-66, 5-125, 6-135, 7-139, 8-253, 9-259, 10-262
Bowling O M R W
Pat Cummins 13 2 41 1
Matthew Kuhnemann 21.3 4 72 2
Nathan Lyon 29 5 67 5
Todd Murphy 18 2 53 2
Travis Head 2 0 10 0
Australia 2nd innings
U Khawaja c Iyer b Jadeja 6
T Head not out 39
M Labuschagne not out 16
Extras: 0
Total: (1 wicket, 12 overs) 61
FOW: 1-23
Bowling O M R W
Ravichandran Ashwin 6 1 26 0
Mohammed Shami 2 0 10 0
Ravindra Jadeja 3 0 23 1
Axar Patel 1 0 2 0
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