Baggy Greens feeling bullish against India
Australia are backing themselves to square the series against India when the fifth day of the second Test resumes this morning.
The hosts need five more wickets to level the four-match contest 1-1 in Perth, with the tourists needing another 175 runs — a tall order on a pitch that is showing more signs of wear and tear with every hour.
Set 287 to win on an unpredictable pitch, India were reduced to 112 for five at stumps on the fourth day, to give the Baggy Greens a lot of hope that they can win their first match since beating South Africa in March.
Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood, right, said the home team were excited by the chance of an overdue victory on the fifth day.
“It has been a bit of a long time between wins,” he said.
“We’re pretty excited to come back tomorrow. There is still a bit of work to be done, there is obviously enough there in the wicket and we just have to hit the right areas.”
It is fair to say that the day ended far better for the Aussies than it started. The hosts were bowled out for 243 after they lost their last six wickets for just 51 runs. Mohammed Shami claimed a careerbest six for 56 to give Virat Kohli’s side not just all the momentum but a lot of hope as well that they could get the required runs for the 2-0 series lead.
But India started the runschase as badly as Australia had finished their second innings.
Opener KL Rahul did not survive long, falling to the fourth ball of the innings from Mitchell Starc for a duck.
Rahul attempted to pull the bat away and only succeeded in getting an inside edge onto his stumps.
Cheteshwar Pujara then feathered a short delivery from Josh Hazlewood on four, as India slumped to 13 for two.
Across the two teams, eight wickets fell for 68 runs between lunch a and tea, as batting a appeared to become very difficult due to variable bounce.
Australian No. 8 Pat Cummins was the chief victim of the pitch gremlins after lunch, when he was clean bowled for one by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery that kept very low off the wicket.
Things got worse when the Aussies took the prized wicket of Kohli, Nathan Lyon having him caught at slip by Usman Khawaja for 17.
It was the seventh
Utime the off-spinner has taken the India skipper’s wicket — two more than any other bowler.
Kohli was unable to repeat the heroics of his first innings century, the ball catching the outside edge as he probed forward defensively.
His departure was the cause of great delight for Australia captain Tim Paine, after the pair had exchanged words at the conclusion of the third day.
The Australian wicketkeeper, looking for his first win as skipper since taking over from the disgraced Steve Smith, celebrated the dismissal with a cheeky comment to batsman Murali Vijay.
“Murali, I know he’s your captain, but you can’t seriously like him as a bloke,” Paine said, in comments picked up by microphone.
Just two overs later Vijay was also on his way back to the pavilion, bowled off an inside edge by Lyon, who took two for 30. At stumps Hanuma Vihari was 24 not out and Rishabh Pant was on nine.