AUS v IND 2020-21: India ends day 2 on 96/2 with Gill making 50; Smith’s 131 takes Australia to 338

Ravindra Jadeja picked 4/62, and ran out Steve Smith.

The Indian team ended day 2 with some kind of advantage on their side in the ongoing third Test match against Australia in Sydney’s SCG. Australia was bowled out for 338 runs in their first innings.

It was a brilliant display of batting by Steve Smith, who continued from 31* to make 131 runs with 16 fours to his name. He was the last batsman to be dismissed, via run out thanks to a direct hit by Ravindra Jadeja.

Jadeja was the bowler for India, with figures of 4/62, which included the wicket of dangerous Marnus Labuschagne for 91 runs. The remainder of batsmen didn’t pose many challenges to Indian pacers, but Mitchell Starc hit 24 runs to add to the Australian final total.

Apart from Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah (2/66) and Navdeep Saini (2/65) were the other main wicket-takers.

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In reply, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill played positive cricket and added 70 runs for the first wicket. This was the first fifty partnership by an Indian opening pair after a long time outside India.

Rohit fell for 26 runs to Hazlewood, but Shubman Gill continued on to make his maiden half-century in Tests, before falling next ball to Cummins, caught by Cameron Green.

India ended day 2 on 96/2, after Pujara (9* in 53 balls) and captain Rahane (5* in 40 balls) kept Lyon and co at bay in the last session of the day.

The visitors still trail by 242 runs with 8 wickets in hand.

BRIEF SCORES:

AUS 338 (S SMITH 131, M LABUSCHAGNE 91; R JADEJA 4/62) AND IND 96/2 (S GILL 50, R SHARMA 26; P Cummins 1/19)
Stumps, Day 2- India trails by 242 runs with 8 wickets in hand