The fifth wicket partnership between Pujara and Rahane was worth 118 runs and that was the key for India. Purely on the basis of his second innings spell, he was a contender for the man of the match.
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The second Test of the ongoing India vs Australia series was something else as four days of relentless action ended with India levelling the series 1-1 via a thrilling 75 run victory which had viewers hooked.
Josh Hazlewood (6/67) and Mitchell Starc (2/74) were the wrecker-in-chiefs in the first session of the fourth day’s play at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, cutting short India’s second innings at 274 in 97.1 overs. “The partnership between Pujara and Rahane was a really good one”. They were drubbed in the first Test at Pune where they were dismissed in both innings for paltry totals, and in Bangalore, for the third time in a row in the series, got dismissed for under 200.
Ishant Sharma strike early and got rid off opener Matt Renshaw (5).
Handscomb was now left to try and rally the tail but he couldn’t shield O’Keefe (2) from Ravindra Jadeja who found a crack in the pitch that caused the ball to die and just about roll into the base of the stumps. Renshaw edged one such delivery that hit the crack and moved away late and Saha obliged behind the stumps.
His hat-trick ball was unsuccessful but the wickets kept tumbling for Australia, as Hazlewood got in on the act in the very next over.
“Especially David Warner. Whenever he walks into bat, Ash is always happy”.
It was a Test for the Indian batsmen in the second innings to show character and discipline on a damaging pitch.
Shaun Marsh came out, but he was dismissed for 10, also LBW, after not offering a shot to Yadav. Had they been as economical as Ishant and Umesh, they would have conceded 175 runs, approximately. Unwilling to risk Australia’s final review, Marsh walked off: replays showed the ball was missing by a long way. Marsh perished for nine. However, their captain was trapped by a beauty from Umesh for 28. A bad misjudgment from the batsman saw him shoulder arms to a Nathan Lyon delivery that didn’t spin as much as Kohli thought it would and hit the Indian captain on the pads in front of the wicket.
“It was a great Test match, it certainly ebbed and flowed throughout”, said Smith.
India finally completed a hard-earned win when Lyon was fooled by the flight and a simple return catch was all Ashwin needed to latch onto.
From there, India were clearly in the box seat, and the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade shortly before tea only made it more so.
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Soon after India registered the comprehensive win, Ashwin posted the photo with a message that read, “This mans 6 runs set us up today!Bowled his heart out too.Well done Ishy”.
