India fight back with late wickets ‘Lyon will enjoy bowling with the bounce in Perth’
PERTH TEST Ishant, Vihari take two each to reduce Aussies to 277-6 after a century opening stand
PERTH: Australia’s top order batsmen squandered a number of promising starts to cede an early advantage on the first day of the second Test against India in Perth on Friday.
A century opening partnership after captain Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat appeared to lay the foundation for a sizeable total on a challenging pitch at Test cricket’s newest venue, but openers Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch were among a number of top order players who couldn’t build the big individual score Australia craved.
At stumps on a scorching day, the home side were 277 for six, with Tim Paine on 16 and Pat Cummins on 11, a crowd of 20,746 braving the heat to be part of history on the first day of Test cricket at the new Optus Stadium.
Although Australia might have been lamenting a missed opportunity, India, which dropped two catches, ended the day with concerns of their own.
Paceman Ishant Sharma briefly left the field late in the day with what appeared to be a side issue, and their batsmen would have been a bit alarmed by some of the variable bounce on the opening day.
It was a solid day for the Australians, but could have been much better had any of its four batsmen who made over 40 gone on to post a substantial innings.
Second-gamer Harris led the way with 70, Finch made 50, Travis Head hit 58 before throwing his wicket away and local favourite Shaun Marsh made 45.
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNGS
M Harris c Rahane b Vihari A Finch lbw Bumrah U Khawaja c Pant b Umesh S Marsh c Rahane b Vihari P Handscomb c Kohli b Ishant T Head c Shami b Ishant T Paine batting 70 50 5 45 7 58 16
Australia started very well, with Harris and the under-pressure opener Finch, needing to justify his position at the top of the order, putting on 112 for the first wicket.
Finch lived dangerously at times and narrowly survived successive lbw appeals early in his innings, one of which cost India a DRS review, to notch his second Test half-century.
Despite the pitch having a distinctly green tinge that appealed to the four-pronged Indian pace attack, the pair backed their captain’s call at the toss until Finch’s luck ran out and he was trapped in front by paceman Jasprit Bumrah (1-41).
Finch’s dismissal brought struggling left-hander Usman Khawaja to the wicket and he made just five, sparring at a short ball from Umesh Yadav and getting a thick edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Harris was dropped at second slip from the bowling of Mohammed Shami on 60, he but added just 10 more before falling to the part-time spin of the recalled Hanuma Vihari (2-53).
Vihari got a ball to rise sharply off the pitch and it followed Harris as he recoiled, fending it to Ajinkya Rahane at first slip.
Harris had been there for 141 balls, but his dismissal meant Australia had lost three wickets for just 22 runs and surrendered their early advantage.
Australia slumped to 148 for four when Peter Handscomb (7) again fell against a short ball outside off stump, Virat Kohli pulling down a scintillating onehanded catch in slips from the bowling of Sharma (2-35). PERTH: Australia opener Aaron Finch expects the second Test to turn into a battle of attrition with off-spinner Nathan Lyon playing an important role due to the bounce on a Perth pitch seen tailor-made for fast bowlers.
“It’s going to be one of those games that’ll be a real grind for both sides. The position we’re in we would have taken at the start of the day, no doubt, especially winning the toss and batting,” Finch said after the end of play.
“I think Nathan Lyon will enjoy bowling with the amount of bounce on this track, no doubt he will be excited to bowl here,” he said.
› When the ball starts seaming off good parts of the wicket and quite dramatically at times, I think that’s when you need to tighten up. AARON FINCH, On the Perth pitch
BATTING UNCERTAINTY
Finch said batsmen can become indecisive sometimes playing on this wicket. “When the ball starts seaming off good parts of the wicket and quite dramatically at times, that’s when you know you need to tighten up,” he said.
“But you have to also be in a position to cash in on some balls that you can hit, otherwise you get stuck in two minds and end up letting the wicket get you out.
“So you have to be really proactive and take that out of play as much as you can,” he added, on how he and Harris batted on this wicket.”
India struck back with three wickets each in the second and third sessions, but Australia seemed to enjoy slight advantage after being 277-6 at stumps.
Asked about making the Indian bowlers work hard, Finch said, “Our plan was to bat on this wicket regardless of what happened in Adelaide, the heat and getting miles into their legs.
“That was our plan to bat first anyway and take that challenges head on. No doubt it might play a factor later in this game, or third or fourth Test, but it was always our plan to bat (after winning the toss).”
Talking about his partner young Harris, who scored his maiden Test half-century at his home ground, Finch said, “I think what everyone’s seen from him so far, not a lot fazes him. He’s a pretty chilled out character who just goes with the flow and that’s the way he’s always been.
“He’s a great guy, but I think the tightness of his technique - he covers his off stump, looks to hit down the ground and for such a short guy that can be quite unique at times.
“He’s definitely got all the shots, but I think the way he adapts his game and his game plan depending on the wicket, depending on the attack, I think that’ll hold him in great stead.”