The familiar rhythms of Test cricket reasserted themselves on day two in Perth after a wicket-laden opening day, as India’s openers built a commanding lead over a chastened Australian attack. After bowling out the hosts for 104 in the morning session, debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal and the elegant KL Rahul batted through to stumps, finishing unbeaten on 90 and 62 respectively to steer India to 0-172 at stumps – a lead of 218 runs with all ten wickets in hand.
Starc and Hazlewood Provide Brief Resistance
Resuming at a precarious 7-67, Australia’s tail showed some fight in the morning sunshine. Mitchell Starc, fresh off his 4-33 on day one, combined with Josh Hazlewood in a stubborn 25-run partnership that took the total past 100. However, any hopes of a miraculous fightback were extinguished by stand-in India skipper Jasprit Bumrah, who cleaned up the final two wickets to finish with 5-33 and give his side a handy 46-run first innings lead.
We knew if we got a good start today, we could really drive home the advantage. The wicket is still doing a bit so getting through those first couple hours unscathed was crucial.
KL Rahul on the importance of seeing off the new ball
Jaiswal Justifies Selection with Mature Knock
With the Australian quicks licking their lips, all eyes were on 21-year-old Jaiswal as he strode to the crease on debut. After a watchful start, the left-hander grew in confidence, unfurling an array of classy drives and cuts to keep the scoreboard ticking over. At the other end, vice-captain Rahul proved a perfect foil, defending stoutly and putting away anything loose.
- Jaiswal raced from 50 to 90 in the final session with a flurry of boundaries
- The pair’s unbroken 172-run stand is India’s highest opening partnership in Australia
- At stumps, India’s run rate for the innings was an impressive 3.8 per over
Australia’s Bowlers Toil Away
While there were no easy runs on offer, the Australian attack will be disappointed not to have made a breakthrough. Captain Pat Cummins rotated his quicks and introduced spinner Nathan Lyon early, but to no avail. According to a source close to the team, the bowlers will need to regroup overnight and come out with fresh plans and intensity on day three to keep their side in the game.
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Cummins | 14 | 40 | 0 |
| Starc | 13 | 36 | 0 |
| Hazlewood | 14 | 30 | 0 |
| Lyon | 19 | 60 | 0 |
Momentum Firmly with India
After a gripping first two days, India have their nose firmly in front in this clash between cricket’s top two ranked sides. With runs already on the board and their main strike bowler in red-hot form, stand-in skipper Bumrah will feel confident of putting the game beyond Australia’s reach with a strong showing on day three.
However, this Australian side is nothing if not resilient. If their bowlers can make some early inroads and expose an Indian middle order light on experience in these conditions, the complexion of the match could change rapidly. After two absorbing days, this compelling Test is delicately poised with both sides eyeing a crucial lead in this hotly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Day three looms as potentially decisive – will it be the day the game, and perhaps the series, slips away from Australia?
