The highly anticipated second Test between India and Australia is underway in Adelaide, featuring the excitement of a Day/Night match with a Pink ball. With a 10-day gap since the first Test, both teams have made key line-up changes. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ravichandran Ashwin have been reinstated for India, while Australia has changed due to injury, with Scott Boland replacing Josh Hazlewood. The match began in front of a full house at the Adelaide Oval, and in a surprising move, India won the toss and, once again, opted to bat. Rohit Sharma explained that the pitch improves as the game progresses, making batting easier later on. For fans wondering where to watch India vs Australia, in India, the action is available on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar.
Mitchell Starc Strikes with the First Ball:Â
The match began with Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul making their way to the middle, ready to face Mitchell Starc with the new ball. The first delivery was bowled, and the crowd rallied behind Starc as he delivered a remarkable opening ball, trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal for a first-ball duck. The delivery was full and swung back into the left-hander, prompting the umpire to raise his finger immediately, without hesitation. Jaiswal consulted with KL Rahul but ultimately decided not to review the decision, as it seemed straightforward. Unfortunately, Jaiswal faced a long walk back to the pavilion, marking his second duck in this series. The crowd erupted with excitement as Starc did what he does best with the new ball, leaving India at 0/1 after the first ball of the match.
KL ‘Lucky’ RahulÂ
KL Rahul retained his opening spot after his match-saving innings during the Perth Test, while Indian Captain Rohit Sharma moved into the middle order, giving up his opening position to Rahul. At the start of his innings, KL Rahul took his time, focusing on countering the spin with some defensive play and leaving the occasional ball. However, he didn't look particularly confident during this phase, facing 18 balls without scoring.
Scott Boland replaced Pat Cummins and bowled to KL Rahul. On the first ball, Rahul nicked one to the wicketkeeper, but Boland overstepped, resulting in a no-ball that saved Rahul from being dismissed. That was a fortunate moment for him, as Boland appeared disappointed. The luck continued for Rahul when he edged the ball three deliveries later, only for it to be dropped by Usman Khawaja in the slips. Boland’s first over was quite eventful, and eventually, KL Rahul got off the mark.
Both Shubman Gill and KL Rahul formed a partnership, with Rahul taking on the role of aggressor, regularly finding boundaries, while Gill concentrated on taking singles. At one point, both batters looked comfortable and were timing the ball well. Together, they brought up a fifty-run stand for the wicket after the fall of an early wicket.
Mitchell Starc Sweeps Through the Top Order
As the score reached 69/1, Mitchell Starc was brought back into the attack and quickly made an impact by dismissing KL Rahul, who was caught by McSweeney after a low catch. Rahul's luck finally ran out as he made the walk back to the pavilion. Virat Kohli then joined Shubman Gill at the crease, and Kohli got off to a good start with a boundary. However, his stay was short-lived as Starc dismissed him with a good-length ball that trapped him outside off stump, leading to Steve Smith taking a catch. This was a huge disappointment for India as they were reduced to 77/3.
Rishabh Pant came in at number five, but momentum had shifted back to the Australians. Boland capitalized on this, trapping Shubman Gill LBW, and India went from 69/1 to 81/4 in just three overs, thanks to the efforts of Starc and Boland. Rohit Sharma entered at number six and managed to survive a few balls alongside Pant. Shortly after the 23rd over, both teams took a dinner break, having bowled 23 overs during the first session.
At the end of the session, India scored 82/4, with KL Rahul making 37 runs off 64 balls and Shubman Gill contributing 31 runs off 51 balls. Overall, the session belonged to Australia, as Mitchell Starc's impressive figures of 3 for 31 played a significant role in their comeback during the late overs of session one.
