India vs Australia second Test: Travis Head’s hundred, bowlers put Australia on top against India

Travis Head's aggressive century propels Australia towards victory in the second Test against India at Adelaide Oval.

The faithful, who congregated at the Adelaide Oval, relished the local hero’s exploits. Travis Head, back in his city, and against a familiar rival, turned on his aggressive mode. The southpaw’s blistering hundred held Australia in good stead as the second Test swung the host’s way in Adelaide on Saturday (December 7, 2024).

If Head’s 137 derailed India in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup final at Ahmedabad, the latest 140 at his home ground, could help Australia spring back in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, in which Pat Cummins and his men trail at 0-1. At close on the second day, after Australia scored 337 in its first innings and gained a 157-run lead, India wobbled at 128 for five in the second innings and trails by 29 runs.

K.L. Rahul tried to pull one down the leg-side off Cummins and feathered the ball straight to Alex Carey. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill found the odd four but the former succumbed to Scott Boland’s nagging accuracy with Carey’s gloves again coming into play.

The same pacer-keeper combine got the better of Virat Kohli and when Mitchell Starc scattered Gill’s stumps, it was left to Rishabh Pant’s chutzpah to lend some cheer to the Indian fans. Pant often toppled over while scooping Boland over third-man and fine-leg while skipper Rohit Sharma after surviving a Starc questionnaire, lost his citadel to Cummins.

Earlier in an afternoon of bright skies and persistent breeze, Australia resumed at the overnight 86 for one. Opener Nathan McSweeney retreated in the day’s third over as Jasprit Bumrah bowled tighter lines and found his desserts. If McSweeney nibbled at one close to the off-stump, Steve Smith wafted at a ball down the leg-side and in both instances, Pant’s gloves were waiting.

Bumrah’s morning spell of 4-1-10-2 offered hope but the roar that greeted Head on his arrival, seemed to be a premonition of a dreary outing for the visitors. With Marnus Labuschagne being the eager beaver, and Head the marauder, Harshit Rana felt the scalding heat of the Aussie willows. The seamer lost his radar and the two batters cashed in.

R. Ashwin stepped in and Head, ever keen to mark his territory, hoisted a six. And Labuschagne motored towards his 50. The 65-run fourth-wicket partnership ended when Labuschagne slashed at Nitish Kumar and found a leaping Jaiswal. Australia 168 for four and perhaps nursing a good appetite ahead of the break.