IND vs AUS: 1st Test, Day 2 – Talking Points
After restricting Australia to 177 runs and finishing the first day on 77/1, Indian batters Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin started off the proceedings on the second day at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. The Indian skipper was at his best, as even after losing multiple batters on the other end, he kept the game going for India, thereby bringing up a brilliant century.
Rohit dominated India’s innings with the bat, but it was Ravindra Jadeja who came under the limelight after the skipper’s dismissal. The all-rounder, who picked up a magnificent five-wicket haul on the first day, continued his good form and notched up a half-century for the hosts while five batters fell prey to Australian debutant Todd Murphy.
After the early dismissals of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Srikar Bharat, Jadeja and Axar Patel joined hands and built the innings wonderfully. The duo notched up their respective half-centuries and shared an unbeaten 81-run stand for the eighth wicket. The duo sailed through the final session of the day which led to India finishing the day on 321/7 with a lead of 144 runs.
Here are some of the talking points from the game:
Rohit Sharma’s maiden century as Test skipper
The Indian skipper, who was criticized earlier for his form, shut all his critics and brought up a magnificent century. Scoring the ton, he became just the fourth men’s player to notch up a century across all formats as a captain. The other three players to have achieved the feat earlier are Tilakaratne Dilshan, Faf du Plessis, and Babar Azam. Playing a Test match after a gap of almost 11 months, Rohit led the team’s charge from the front.
Todd Murphy’s brilliance on debut
While the Indian batters had been preparing to face senior Australian spinner Nathan Lyon, Murphy played his part brilliantly on debut and picked up a five-wicket haul, bagging the crucial wickets of KL Rahul, Ashwin, Pujara, Kohli, and Bharat. He handed his side the key breakthrough on the first day as well as the second day and became just the seventh spinner to pick up a fifer on his Test debut in India. He finished the second day at 5/82 in 36 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round brilliance
After shining with the ball on the first day, Jadeja showcased his brilliance as an all-rounder and put up a show with the bat. Returning to international cricket after a gap of almost five months, Jadeja picked up a five-wicket haul on the first day and continued his good form on the second day as well by notching up an unbeaten half-century. He kept his place intact on the field, put up a 61-run partnership with Rohit, and an 81-run stand with Axar Patel while finishing the day’s play at 66*(170).
