Head only one to stand tall

CRICKET: Australia missed a golden chance to hammer home their ascendancy despite hometown hero Travis Head’s best efforts at Adelaide Oval, where his side reached 7-191 at stumps on day two of the first Test against India.

The hosts’ star-studded pace attack exceeded expectations by restricting India to 250, completing the innings when Josh Hazlewood struck with yesterday’s first ball.

The question was always going to be whether Australia could scrape together a winning score.

It’s too early to answer but Head, unbeaten on 61 in his first home Test, still has a lot of work to do given his team will bat last, while India hold a 59run lead.

Head, the first South Australian batsman to play a Test in Adelaide since Darren Lehmann, batted bravely and his 50-run partnership with Pat Cummins was Australia’s mostproductive stand.

Aaron Finch, out for a thirdball duck in his first home Test, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh were swept aside as their side slipped to 4-87.

There was no chaotic collapse but also no batsman capable of scoring freely on a day when India delivered 31 maidens and Australia stroked just 17 boundaries.

Ravichandran Ashwin, whose Test bowling average in Australia was an unflattering 54.71 before this game, accounted for left-handers Harris, Khawaja and Marsh to have figures of 3-50.