India vs Australia, 4th Test, Day 2 Highlights: Play abandoned due to wet outfield; India 62/2, Trails by 307 runs
India vs Australia 4th Brisbane Test Day 2 Highlights: Rain washed away the final session as India at stumps was 62/2 trailing by 307 runs.
Published : Jan 16, 2021 05:15 IST
Hello and welcome to Sportstar's Live Coverage of Australia vs India, Fourth Test, Day 2 at the Gabba, Brisbane.
India vs Australia 4th Test Day 3 Live Cricket Score
The umpires had a look at the ground and were not happy with the conditions. The final session has been washed out as India finish Day two at 62/2, trailing by 307 runs with Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara holding the key. Play will start at 05:00 AM from tomorrow onwards to make up for the lost overs.
Day 2 Stumps: Play abandoned due to wet outfield. Play on Day 3 will resume at 9.30 AM local time (5:00 AM IST)
The umpires have decided to give a little more time as there is water beneath the grass and there will be another inspection at 04:45 PM local time (12:15 PM IST)
The rain has settled down and an inspection will be done at 16:15 local time (11:45AM IST) - BCCI
It's raining at The Gabba and hopefully it's a passing shower
Tea Day 2 | India 62/2 after 26 overs - Trails by 307 runs
Australia's session as they have removed both the Indian openers as Shubman Gill failed to make an impact with Pat Cummins striking early. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara then rebuild the innings and just when it looked that Rohit is set, the opener once again threw his wicket away as Nathan Lyon playing his 100th Test picked a wicket upfront. Ajinkya Rahane then took 17 deliveries to get off the mark and it's Pujara who has once again dropped anchor having scored 8 from 49 deliveries. The weather has slightly changed as there is a cloud cover and there are chances of rain but we are not sure how long it would last. For India, Rahane and Pujara need to last the final session to keep India in the game.
Back in 20...
The rain has only increased and it is pouring at the moment.
India 61/2 after 25 overs: Rahane takes 17 deliveries to get off the mark and it's the first run since Rohit walked back as Australia are bowling some tight overs - four maidens on the trot and the pressure is on India. This is a vital partnership for India and both Pujara and Rahane need to bat deep.
India 60/2 after 20 overs: WICKET - Nathan Lyon strikes in his 100th Test match and Rohit has thrown away his wicket. Rohit decides to attack Lyon as he skips down the track but fails to get to the pitch of the delivery and miscues it as Mitchell Starc runs in and takes an easy catch in the deep. Rohit got a start but failed to convert it into a big one and instead gifts his wicket at a very crucial juncture.
India 50/1 after 17 overs: The 50 comes up for India and Rohit has looked very good so far, exhibiting complete control and has played some fab shots on either side of the wicket. Most importantly, the opener isn't flashing hard and is playing with soft hands, as late as possible. Pujara on the other end has dropped anchor.
India 26/1 after 12 overs: Rohit and Pujara rebuild after the early loss of Gill and the batsmen need to see off this tricky period of play and blunt the new ball. One of them needs to bat deep and drop anchor and it will be Pujara once again who needs to hang in there and allow the rest to play around him. Rohit has looked solid and has surviived a couple of LBW calls but it was the height that saved him.
India 11/1 after 7 overs: WICKET - Pat Cummins into the attack and he strikes straightaway as Shubman Gill falls. Eventful over from Cummins as he gets Gill and then almost had Cheteshwar Pujara. Poor shot selection from Gill as he was in two minds whether to play or leave the ball and eventually hung his bat away from his body and the ball took an outside edge as Steve Smith completed a neat catch at second slip. Pujara facing his first delivery edged to second slip but the ball fell just short of a diving Smith.
India 2/0 after 2 overs: Rohit and Gill have begun India's innings with the former getting off the mark with an exquisite push through the covers off covers. It was a class shot as Rohit leaned into the shot, covered the swing and drove through the covers. Hazlewood bowls a maiden to Gill and the batsman was beaten on an ocassion.
Right then we are back for the second session and out walk the Indian openers - Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. There is a bit of cloud cover at The Gabba but thankfully there is no rain. Very important session for India and a goood start from the openers will set the tone for the rest of the innings... For Australia, it will be Mitchell Starc who will start proceedings with the new ball.
Lunch Day 2 | Australia 369 all out
The bowling change has worked as Natarajan cleans up Hazlewood and he picks up a three-wicket haul on debut. Australia will believe they have put enough runs on board although they were on course to cross the 400-run mark but credit to India for storming back with wickets. The tail did hurt India by garnering useful runs and it's now over to the Indian top-order to stay put and help India cross Australia's first innings total. Back in 40...
Australia 369/9 after 114 overs: The struggle to dislodge the tail continues as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood continue to frustrate the Indians and the first innings score is swelling at the moment. There was an opportunity created by Siraj as Starc got a top-edge but the ball evaded a diving Mayank Agarwal at mid-on.
Australia 355/9 after 109 overs: Sundar strikes and he gets his third as Nathan Lyon falls for a very valuable 22-ball 24. Lyon kept playing the sweep shot and even this time tried repeating the shot but missed the ball as it castled the stumps. A little cameo comes to an end. Australia nine down.
Australia 346/8 after 106 overs: Nathan Lyon is playing his shots and in his 100th Test has quickly reached 22 off just 17 deliveries in company of Mitchell Starc and India needs to be careful as it can't allow the tail-enders to cash in quick runs as Australia is closing in on the 350-run mark.
Australia 317/8 after 102 overs: WICKET - Shardul strikes again and India fights back with three quick wickets. Having removed Paine, Shardul traps Cummins and the Australian reviews it only to lose it. It was a low full toss, Cummins plays all around it and it was crashing into middle and leg. India needs to wrap up the innings as quickly as possible.
Australia 313/7 after 101 overs: WICKET - Top delivery from Sundar and he removes Cameron Green, who misses a half-century and India off to a bright start on Day 2. Sundar bowls an off-spinner, straightens a bit after pitching, Green plays for the turn, which wasn't there and the ball sneaks past the huge gap and hits middle stump. Both set batsmen are gone and India right back in the game.
Australia 311/6 after 100 overs: WICKET - India strikes as Shardul breaks the stand by removing skipper Tim Paine. The Australian captain falls just after reaching his half-century as he chases a full, wide delivery, gets a thick outside edge and Rohit takes a good catch at second slip.
Australia 309/5 after 98 overs: The 300 is up for Australia and the partnership between Green and Paine is worth 96 off 196 deliveries. Paine is a single short of his half-century, while Green is batting on 45...
Australia 293/5 after 93 overs: Both Siraj and Natarajan are bowling in tandem with the former getting some swing but the batsmen are not in any kind of trouble. Paine and Green are motoring on nicely as the partnership is 80 off 166 deliveries with the Australian skipper entering into the 40s.. Green, on the other hand, has looked solid and is batting on 37 off 90 delievries. India needs to break this stand.
Australia 282/5 after 88 overs: Green up and running as he drives Natarajan for a couple of boundaries and the ball is coming nicely on to the bat. Natarajan purchases movement and beats Green with the ball coming in sharply. However, the next ball Natarajan pitches it full and Green presenting a full face of the bat drives firmly straight down the ground and then ends the over with a firm push as the ball reaches the boundary.
Right then we are all set for Day two to begin and this is going to be a huge session for both the teams. Tim Paine and Cameron Green will look to further strengthen Australia's position while India will aim to make further inroads and pick the remaining five wickets. The second new ball is just six overs old and the inexperienced Indian bowling attack will look to make good use of it and pick wickets upfront.
Marnus Labuschagne's 108 was the cornerstone of Australia's 274 for 5 at stumps on the opening day of fourth and final Test against India at Brisbane on Friday.
The host was reduced to 17 for 2 after opting to bat on a bouncy and batting wicket but recovered later, thanks mainly to Labuschagne.
At stumps, captain Tim Paine and Cameron Green were batting on 38 and 28 respectively.
Labuschagne's 204-ball knock had nine boundaries. He was dropped on 37 by Ajinkya Rahane off the bowling of Navdeep Saini.
The Australians scored runs at a fair clip in the second session after they were 65 for 2 at lunch, with Labuschagne going great guns. The hosts added 89 runs from 27 overs and lost just one wicket in that session.
India vs Australia: Navdeep Saini picks up groin injury, taken for scans
But India made a comeback in the final session, with debutant T. Natarajan getting rid of Labuschagne and Matthew Wade (45) in the space of two overs after the duo had stitched 113 runs for the fourth wicket.
The other debutant Washington Sundar got rid of the dangerous Steve Smith (36) for his first Test wicket.
Playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant(w), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan
Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine(w/c), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Toss: Australia won the toss and opted to bat first