IND vs AUS Highlights 2nd Test Day 2: Australia 61/1 at Stumps, leads by 62 runs

A very good reply by Australia in the second innings after the Ashwin-Axar partnership frustrated the visitors. Australia leads by 62 runs and India will need to pick early wickets tomorrow as it wouldn’t want to chase too many in the fourth innings.

Axar to bowl what should be the last over of the day. Labuschagne pushes one through covers for a single. Just a couple of runs from the last over. Australia 61/1 in 12 overs, leads by 62 runs.

SIX! Tossed up from Ashwin and Head steps out and smashes this over long-on for a maximum. Head drives the next one just wide enough of short mid-off for a single. Labuschagne is stepping out to smother the spin at the other end. Australia 59/1 in 11 overs.

FOUR! Head slaps this Jadeja delivery through covers and that brings up 50 for Australia in 9.2 overs. After 10 overs, Australia is 51 for one.

FOUR! Fullish and Labuschagne sweeps Jadeja to the midwicket fence. Australia off to a quick start here. FOUR! This time Labuschagne stays back and cuts this gently through point for a boundary. FOUR! Three boundaries in the over as Labuschagne slog sweeps this last delivery through midwicket again. Australia 43/1 in 8 overs.

FOUR! Full from Ashwin and Head is quick to drive it through covers for a boundary. Ashwin beats Labuschagne with one that angles across and keeps going away. Australia 30/1 in 7 overs.

With eight overs remaining in the day, Jadeja raplaces Shami. FOUR! Khawaja springs a surprise and slog sweeps to find a boundary at deep midwicket. OUT! Khawaja goes for the paddle sweep next ball and Shreyas Iyer takes a well-anticipated catch at short-leg. Labuschagne comes in next.

FOUR! Short from Shami and Head pulls this gloriously through square-leg and midwicket for a boundary. FOUR! Length ball just outside off and Head drives with a bit of an open face and finds a boundary at point, where Siraj fumbles and lets it go for a four. Australia 12/0 in 4 overs.

Maiden over from Ashwin but he misses his line on a few occassions, drifting on leg-stump line. Australia 4/0 in 3 overs.

He starts with a wide one outside off and Head lets it go. The next one angles in and goes through the defence of Head and just misses the off-stump. Head pushes a full one to deep point for a couple. Australia 4/0 in 2 overs.

With Warner out with a concussion, Head will open with Khawaja. Ashwin will bowl the first over. Khawaja whips the first ball off the backfoot for a single and is off the mark. Two slips and a short-leg in place for Head. He flicks one through square-leg for one more. Both openers off the mark in the first over. Australia 2/0 in 1 over.

Here comes Kuhnemann. Shami starts off by defending the first two balls on the backfoot. OUT! Shami swings and misses to see his stumps rattled. India 262 all out in 83.3 overs and Australia takes a one-run lead.

A couple of singles from the over, one each for Shami and Siraj. Shami ends the over with a single, miscuing a pull to deep square for a single. India 262/9 in 83 overs, trails by one run.

The off-spinner is back into the attack to operate with the second new ball. SIX! Axar makes room outside off and hammers a flat six over wide long-off for a maximum. India now trails by just four runs. OUT! Another stunning catch and this time it is Cummins who takes it at mid-on, diving to his left. Ashwin and now Axar both perish within two overs of the second new ball being taken. India 259/9 in 82 overs, trails by 4 runs.

Cummins comes from around the wicket to Axar. The first delivery hits the inside half of the bat and goes behind square for a single. OUT! Ashwin is gone and Matt Renshaw takes a blinder at square leg. Ashwin will be disappointed as this was a fullish delivery on the pads and should have been put away. A vital innings nevertheless as Ashwin walks back for 37 off 71 balls. Shami comes in next. India 253/8 in 81 overs, trails by 10 runs.

FOUR! Short and wide outside off from Lyon and Axar cuts this hard to the boundary behind point. FOUR! Some more luck for Ashwin. This one takes Ashwin’s outside edge and goes wide of the slip fielder before trickling to the boundary. India 252/7 in 80 overs.

Cummins decks it in short again and Ashwin miscues the pull and gets a single at square-leg. FOUR! The next one is half-volley and Axar is quick to drive it through covers for a boundary. FOUR! This is slightly wide outside off and Axar slashes this to the point fence for back-to-back fours. This boundary also brings up the 100-run stand between Ashwin and Axar. He keeps strike with a single off the last ball. India 243/7 in 79 overs.

The Aussie skipper darts in a rare bouncer and Ashwin goes for the pull and misses. The ball hits his shoulder and goes to first slip. Cummins appeals for a catch but the umpire is not interested. India 231/7 in 77 overs.

SIX! Axar brings up his fifty in style with a six. He sends a Kuhnemann delivery over deep midwicket for a maximum and brings up his fifty off 94 balls. Back-to-back fifties now for Axar and what a crucial innings this has been for India.

FOUR! Lyon pitches it down leg and Ashwin once again flicks it just wide of the leg-slip fielder and it goes away for another boundary. India 222/7 in 74 overs.

FOUR! Axar drives a full one from Head down the ground to end the over with a boundary. India 218/7 in 73 overs, trails by 45 runs.

Three singles from the over and Axar and Ashwin are rotating strike and steadily chipping away and nearing Australia’s first-innings score. India 208/7 in 71 overs.

FOUR! Drifted down leg by Lyon again and Ashwin goes back and flicks this behind and it goes between the leg slip fielder’s hands and to the boundary. India 206/7 in 70 overs.

Lyon darts this down leg and it beats Carey and goes for four byes. This brings up India’s 200. India 201/7 in 68 overs, trails by 62 runs.

FOUR! Axar gets an outside edge that falls just short of the slip fielder and runs away to the boundary. Lyon is in utter disbelief. That also brings up the fifty partnership between Axar and Ashwin off 79 balls.

Murphy to Ashwin. A crucial session lies ahead for India. Ashwin tucks one off his hips for a couple behind square. FOUR LEG-BYES! Gifts for India. This is drifting down leg and spinning away further. Ashwin misses the sweep but the ball goes off his thigh and to the boundary. India 186/7 in 63 overs.

FOUR! Axar once again cashes in on the match-up against left-arm spinner Kuhnemann. He uses the depth of the crease and punches through covers for a boundary. The partnership now worth 40 off 66 balls. The last delivery keeps low but Axar fends it off.

FOUR! Width outside off from Cummins and Axar sends that crashing to the point boundary. Cummins retorts with a bouncer a couple of deliveries later and Axar ducks under it.

FOUR! Axar launches this delivery from Kuhnemann down the ground and he hasn’t timed it well. The ball just drips before the boundary rope. SIX! This is a much better connection as Axar slog sweeps this for a big six over deep midwicket. India 170/7 in 60 overs, trails by 93 runs.

FOUR! Beautifully timed on-drive by Axar goes all the way to the boundary for four runs. India 159/7 in 59 overs.

Maiden over for Lyon. The runs have dried up, with jus two coming in the last four overs. Ashwin and Axar keen on taking India to Tea without the loss of another wicket.

FOUR! Ashwin goes back and punches this delivery from Kuhnemann through midwicket to bring up India’s 150 in 53.2 overs.

There is a bit of width on offer from Kuhnemann and Ashwin pounces on it with a punch off the backfoot behind point for a boundary. India 144/7 in 52 overs.

Lyon replaces Murphy. FOUR! A bold reverse-sweep from Bharat and it goes over the slip fielder and to the boundary. OUT! Bharat gets a top edge on the sweep and is taken by the slip fielder. Lyon picks his fifth wicket and becomes the first Australia to take 100 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Wickets! Huge blow for India as Kohli walks back leg-before. He defended off the front-foot and it seemed like the ball hit bat and pad at the same time. The third umpire deemed it to have been pad first and ball-tracking went on to show it was clipping leg-stump on umpire’s call. India doesn’t lose the review but loses Kohli for 44 (84). Kuhnemann gets his first Test wicket. Axar Patel joins Bharat after the drinks break. India 135/6 in 50 overs.

FOUR! This one from Murphy keeps very low but Kohli watches the ball closely and slaps it to the backward square-leg fence after going deep inside his crease. He moves to 42 off 79 with that boundary. Nine runs from the over. India 135/5 in 49 overs.

FOUR! Kohli steps out to Murphy and hammers the ball over short mid-on for a boundary off the first ball of the over. OUT! Jadeja has to go leg-before! He pressed forward to defend. While the ball missed the inside edge before shooting off the pad and going straight to silly point, DRS confirmed that the front pad was in front of the stumps. India loses a review too. KS Bharat joins Kohli. India 125/5 in 47 overs.

The left-arm spinner is back into the attack. A single each for Jadeja and Kohli as Kuhnemann gives the ball some flight throughout the over. Partnership now worth 54 runs in 124 balls.

Kohli gets a boundary as the ball goes off his outside edge and past the slip fielder. This is brings up the fifty-run partnership between Kohli and Jadeja. India 118/4 in 45 overs.

There’s an appeal for a stumping as Jadeja takes a big stride forward to defend but misses the ball. However, the third umpire review shows Jadeja had his back leg well inside the crease. He then misses a fullish delivery that turns into him slightly and the ball thuds into his front pad. A half-hearted appeal for LBW but not given. Jadeja living a little dangerously.

Virat flicks one off the backfoot to deep square and that brings up 100 runs for India in 39.3 overs. Kohli is reading the length of the ball well and Jadeja lending him able support. India needs a big partnership here between these two. FOUR! Jadeja goes back in his crease and whips this Lyon delivery through midwicket for a boundary. A bit of a mix-up off the last ball as Jadeja wants a single but Kohli sends him back. India 104/4 in 40 overs.

He starts off with a long hop and Kohli pulls it to deep midwicket for a couple. FOUR! Jadeja drills one down the ground to end the over with a boundary. India 95/4 in 37 overs.

Lyon starts off with a maiden over. He induces Jadeja’s outside edge first ball but it’s played with soft hands and doesn’t carry to the slip fielder.

It’s Australia’s session as resuming at 19 for no loss, India lost four wickets with Nathan Lyon dismissing KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer. Virat Kohli has looked solid in defence and along with Ravindra Jadeja holds the key for India as it still trails by 175 runs. Lyon has been supported well by Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann. In the first session of Day two 26 overs were bowled, with India scoring 67 runs and losing four wickets.

Ravindra Jadeja is off the mark after facing 15 deliveries and Todd Murphy is rushing through his overs with Australia eyeing another wicket just before Lunch. Lyon has been relentless by picking four wickets. A good part from India’s point of view, Kohli is looking good and is batting with immense concentration. At his home ground, Kohli has an opportunity to bail India out of trouble, a job he has done on numerous occasions.

Lyon picks his fourth wicket and what a sensational start from Australia with the ball on Day two of the second Test. Peter Handscomb pulled off a magnificent catch at short-leg and Iyer can’t believe it, so does Rohit Sharma and the Indian camp. Iyer flicks Lyon but Handscomb doesn’t take his eyes away and follows the ball as it hits him on his arm and then as it dies down, Handscomb with brilliant reflexes and presence of mind juggles and grabs it to push India into a spot of bother. Ravindra Jadeja joins Kohli.

No reviews left for Australia and that’s a poor call from the skipper. Todd Murphy was convinced that the ball brushed Shreyas Iyer’s flick as it flew to a diving Marnus Labuschagne at short leg but there was no bat involved and no score for an LBW also. That was a shocker of a review as Iyer stays on his job of rebuilding the innings with Kohli.

Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann are bowling in tandem and Australia is sniffing another wicket to cap off in what has already been a brilliant session for the visitors. However, Kohli and Iyer are off the mark and both the batsmen have been positive in their approach and have rotated the strike well. Kohli is moving well by lunging forward, getting close to the ball and then rocking backwards while dealing with the bounce. Iyer, too is looking in good shape. Interesting passage of play.

This is huge as Lyon traps Pujara, who falls for a duck in his 100 th Test match and what an excellent review from Australia. Tossed up delivery, Pujara lunges forward to defend it but is late as the ball hits the pad first before the batsman jams in the bat. Pat Cummins had no hesitation in taking the review and it was three reds as a jubilant Australian team celebrate in Kotla having packed off three reputed Indian batsmen. Shreyas Iyer is the new man in and India’s best play of spin joins Kohli.

Nathan Lyon is on song and the off-spinner is bowling beautifully. He strikes again and this time castles the Indian skipper as Rohit gets caught at the crease and the ball gets past between the bat and pad to disturb the timber. India in a spot of bother as Virat Kohli walks out with Pujara yet to open his account.

Nathan Lyon strikes and that’s the end of KL Rahul who departs for yet another low score as the India vice-captain falls for a 41-ball 17. India didn’t lose a review as it was umpire’s call. Tossed up delivery, Rahul gets forward to defend and the ball hits low on his pad and hitting the leg stump. Rahul’s poor form continues and his fall brings in Cheteshwar Pujara, who is playing his 100 th Test.

Pat Cummins steams in from the other end and the first runs of the morning have come from KL Rahul’s willow who carves a good length delivery to the backward point area for a single. Rohit too takes a single off the last ball as India gets Cummins the proceedings rolling.

Kuhnemann starts with a slip and short-led and it’s a fine first over to start Day two of the second Test. Rohit plays out a maiden as India is yet to get off the mark.

Warner joins Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green, both of whom were declared unfit to play and missed out first and second Tests after failing to recover from injuries in time.

Matt Renshaw will replace Warner in the playing 11 as a concussion substitute, according to reports.

Warner got hit on the head on day one as he tried to pull a delivery from Siraj. As a result of that hit, Warner couldn’t come out to field when it was India’s turn to bat in the evening.

Australia’s David Warner has been ruled out of second Test against India due to concussion in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Saturday.