Smith continues his horror run

Star batsman Steve Smith failed again as Australia seemed headed for defeat in the second cricket test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Smith, boasting one of the most impressive records in the history of the game, was bowled around his legs by Jasprit Bumrah for 8, following scores of 1, 1 not out and 0 earlier in the series.

That’s a scarcely believable 10 runs at an average of 3.33 for the normally prolific former Australian captain.

Midway through the final session, Australia were 99-6, still trailing by 32 runs.

Australia lost opener Joe Burns in the fourth over, after the nervous opener was caught behind off the bowling of Umesh Yadav.

Burns, who made a duck in the first innings, faces a battle to retain his place in the side for the third test.

Yadav limped off with an apparent leg injury midway through his fourth over, depleting India’s bowling attack.

Debutant Mohammed Sirjaj, who took over from Yadav, trapped Marnus Labuschagne in front of the stumps on 24.

A confident appeal for lbw was turned down and a video review found the ball may have just clipped the stumps, meaning the umpire’s original decision would stand.

Labuschagne fell on 28, however, when he was caught at slip off the bowling of spinner Ravi Ashwin. Matthew Wade, Travis Head and captain Tim Paine were the other Australian wickets to fall.

Earlier in the day, India were bowled out just before lunch for 326, losing their last three wickets for one run.

Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane was run out for 112. Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja (57) had steered India to a firstinnings advantage with their

121-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Rahane, 32, calmly soaked up the pressure applied by Australia’s bowlers in his patient,

223-ball knock, hitting 12 boundaries. – AP