Finance
Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj each took three wickets as India took a four-run lead in the first innings after knocking Australia out for 181 on day two of the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
What would have pleased India even more is that they grabbed the final five wickets after captain Jasprit Bumrah, who picked 2-33 in ten overs, left the field to go to the hospital for scans on an unknown injury. Krishna, in his debut match of the series, stood up to break two vital partnerships, scoring 3-42.
While Siraj concluded with 3-51, Nitish Kumar Reddy demonstrated his versatility with the ball by picking 2-32 as all Indian pacers were among the wickets to take a narrow lead. For Australia, debutant Beau Webster was the top-scorer with an impressive 57.
With plenty of time left in the match, especially after early tea break taken on day two, the match will now be decided by a second innings shootout from both teams. After the second session began with Webster and Alex Carey taking five quick boundaries to get Australia past 100, Krishna broke the dangerous-looking partnership by getting a fuller ball to jag in, and sneaked through the gate to smash Carey’s top of off-stump.
There came a little troublesome phase for India – Bumrah leaving the ground for scans in a car and Webster becoming the second Australian batter after Sam Konstas to get a fifty in his debut Test innings in the series. But Nitish brought India back by getting a good length pitching delivery outside off stumps to have Pat Cummins edging it to first slip.
In his next over, Reddy had Mitchell Starc caught at second slip with his next delivery, putting Australia in danger of losing the lead. That became a foregone conclusion when Webster fended at a short ball outside off from Krishna and was caught in the gully for 57 from 105 balls, while Siraj got one to nip back and conclude Australia’s innings on 181, with five batters removed in single digits and only two scoring more than 23.
Previously, Bumrah struck early on day two when he got a length delivery to draw a slight outside edge off Marnus Labuschagne’s bat, which Rishabh Pant caught. India conducted the review, and Snicko discovered a spike, resulting in Labuschagne’s suspension for only two games.
With his 32nd wicket of the series, Bumrah eclipsed Bishen Singh Bedi’s 31 scalps to become India’s most wicket-taker in a Test series in Australia. Sam Konstas attempted to counter Bumrah by smashing two boundaries, including one off a reverse sweep.
But Konstas was out for 23 after getting an outside edge off Siraj and being trapped in the gully. Siraj squared up Travis Head, who was caught at second slip. Steve Smith and Webster attempted to restart Australia’s innings with a 57-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Smith swiveled and drove Prasidh for a six and four, respectively, aside from square-driving and straight-driving for additional boundaries, while Webster was appealing in glancing, pulling, and square-driving for his runs.
Smith, however, came five runs short of surpassing 10,000 Test runs when he nicked behind off a length ball from Prasidh to second slip, falling for 33 off 57 balls at lunchtime. Webster and Carey made sure Australia did not lose another wicket in a session won by India. Despite losing Bumrah after lunch, Prasidh, Siraj, and Reddy secured India’s lead with brilliant bowling and sharp catching in slips.
Brief scores: India 185 (Rishabh Pant 40; Scott Boland 4-31) lead Australia 181/10 in 50 overs (Beau Webster 57, Steve Smith 33; Prasidh Krishna 3-42, Mohammed Siraj 3-51) by 4 runs.
Source: IANS
