CLIMATE CHANGE
Incessant rain wipes out entire third session of Day 2 with India 62/2 in reply to Australia’s 369
Rohit Sharma’s indiscreet shot selection pegged India back after the rookie bowling attack restricted Australia to 369 on a rain-curtailed second day of the fourth Test here on Saturday.
With heavy thundershowers preventing any play in the post tea session, India ended the day at 62 for two.
Rohit was elegant as ever in his 44 off 74 balls before Nathan Lyon, in his 100th Test, enticed him to come down the track. But, the half-chip-half-loft was safely pouched by Mitchell Starc in the deep. India also lost Shubman Gill (7), who edged one off Pat Cummins to Steve Smith.
Cheteshwar Pujara (8 batting) and Ajinkya Rahane (2 batting) added only two runs in the 6.1 overs before the break. There were six boundaries from Rohit but he did not fiddle at deliveries in and around the off-stump channel even as Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowled a testing spell under overcast conditions.
The shot of the session was an ondrive off Cummins, which came after a streaky boundary through the slips in the same over. Another delightful stroke was an off-drive off Cameron Green as 49 runs were added for the second wicket.
There wasn’t much swing on offer, but the pace off the track has increased compared to the first day. It only helped that the Australia pace attack is a more well-built one with average speed being at least 6-7 kmph more than its India counterpart. Pujara was playing his usual game but it didn’t look too arduous till Rohit kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end.
It wouldn’t be an over statement to say that among all top order batsman across both sides, Rohit looked the most comfortable and till his dismissal never looked like being troubled by the four-pronged attack.
In the first session, India’s bowling line-up did put up a lion-hearted effort, getting the last five wickets for 95 runs. Shardul Thakur (3 for 94) along with debutants Washington Sundar (3 for 89) and Thangarasu Natarajan (3 for 78) got the breakthroughs while Mohammed Siraj (1 for 77) got one on the opening day.
For an attack as thin on experience as India, the effort in adverse times can only be commended. India lost five main bowlers through the three Test matches and was forced to hand Test debuts to Natarajan and Washington.
Nathan Lyon (24 off 22 balls) and Mitchell Starc (20 off 35) counter-attacked the inexperienced India unit with a brisk 39-run partnership to take Australia past the 350-run mark. Going by statistics, Australia has never lost a Test match at the Gabba after scoring 350 in the first innings.