IND v AUS 2023: Cricket fraternity lauds Ravindra Jadeja-Akshar Patel’s 81*-run stand as India ends day 2 with 144-run lead

Rohit Sharma hit his first Test ton as India captain and 9th overall.

Indian team gained an upper hand at the end of day 2 of the ongoing first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia which is being played in Nagpur thanks to Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel, along with Rohit Sharma.

Resuming on day 2 at 77/1, India saw a small partnership between Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin, before Todd Murphy hurt India in succession. Ashwin fell for 23 runs, while Cheteshwar Pujara (7) and Virat Kohli (12) also fell to Murphy’s magic.

Then Rohit Sharma completed his brilliant century scoring 120 runs with 2 sixes and 15 fours before he was bowled just after tea by Pat Cummins. He had added 61 runs for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, who was looking dangerous with the bat as well.

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Then Todd Murphy gave Australia a huge advantage as he removed KS Bharat to take a fifer on his Test debut and then in walked Akshar Patel.

Pat Cummins and co thought that they now had the ace in hand as they had dismissed the batters in the lineup, but then Akshar and Jadeja played the balls at their merit and conjured runs easily.

First Ravindra Jadeja completed an amazing half-century and then Akshar Patel also completed only his second Test fifty as well and by the time Australia realized this, the duo added 81* runs for the 8^th wicket.

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They had negated the small advantage Australia got and India ended day 2 on 321/7 with a lead of 144 which is enough to give some tension to the opposition.

Not only did the crowd present in Nagpur lauded the brilliant rear-guard action by Jadeja and Akshar, but members of the cricket fraternity also praised the duo on Twitter.

Here are the tweets: