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The second day of the India tour of Australia's MCG Test saw a captivating display of both resilience and dominance. Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a series of underwhelming performances, showcased his talent with a fighting 82, defying the Australian bowlers with proactive footwork and comfortable negotiation of both pace and spin. His innings, a testament to his potential, was marked by calculated aggression against Mitchell Marsh, setting the stage for a potential century. Virat Kohli, after meticulous preparation simulating the Australian quicks' strategy in the nets, demonstrated commendable patience, resisting the temptation to chase deliveries outside off-stump. He successfully employed his well-rehearsed defensive tactics against the persistent threat of the Australian pacers, allowing him to steadily build his innings with calculated flicks and pulls after choosing to let many tempting but risky balls go by. The impressive Kohli-Jaiswal partnership threatened to tilt the balance of the match towards India. However, a crucial period of indecisiveness towards the end of the day's play dramatically shifted the momentum back to the Australians. Jaiswal, after a forceful drive, was unfortunately run out due to a lack of communication with Kohli, who remained rooted at his crease. This run out was immediately followed by Kohli’s dismissal, edging a ball from Scott Boland – a type of delivery he had successfully ignored for most of the session – to the slip cordon. This marked a collapse and ended the hopes of an Indian comeback.
The Australian dominance, however, wasn’t solely built on late Indian wickets. It was significantly underpinned by Steve Smith's exceptional performance. Smith, after a brief struggle against Jasprit Bumrah, unleashed a masterful display of batsmanship. He not only overcame this challenging phase but also effortlessly accumulated runs against Akash Deep, capitalizing on the young bowler's inexperience, as he conceded 30 runs in just five overs. Smith's innings served as a masterclass in navigating pressure, skillfully avoiding dismissal despite several near misses. He ultimately reached his 34th Test century and his fifth at the MCG, continuing his dominance against India and showcasing his profound understanding of batting strategy. Even after reaching his century, he didn’t relent, shifting gears to actively attack both Jadeja and Sundar. This was followed up by similarly strong play from Mitchell Starc, who added impetus towards the end of the Australian innings. His performance in the closing stages included a well-struck six off Jasprit Bumrah. This powerful exhibition of stroke-play solidified the significant first-innings lead established by the Australian top order on the opening day. The lunch break provided brief respite for the struggling Indian team, but their hopes for a comeback were dashed when they lost early wickets in the second session. Firstly, Jadeja removed Starc, and then Deep, through some stroke of luck – the ball ricocheting off Smith's leg and dislodging a bail – dismissed the Australian centurion. This decisive blow, along with Bumrah's efforts to wrap up the innings, further cemented the advantage in Australia’s favour. The Australian’s strong bowling showing wasn’t just limited to their key players; Mohamed Siraj also had a challenging day as he conceded a significant amount of runs (122 runs in 23 overs).
The Indian innings began with an immediate setback, as Rohit Sharma fell early, caught attempting a pull shot that was not quite short enough. KL Rahul and Jaiswal displayed a positive start, but Pat Cummins quickly intervened with a remarkable delivery that straightened off a length and squashed Rahul’s hopes of a successful partnership. The subsequent Kohli-Jaiswal partnership, initially brimming with promise, represented the key difference between a potentially competitive response from India and the underwhelming reality that transpired. The loss of the key Indian duo to run out and an edge respectively, and the quick follow up dismissal of the nightwatchman, highlighted the fragility of the Indian batting line-up under sustained pressure and resulted in three wickets for just six runs. The decisive moment came when the partnership was abruptly broken against the run of play, turning the tide completely in Australia's favour. Ultimately, India finished the second day at 164 for 5, still trailing Australia by a significant 310 runs, leaving Australia firmly in control of the Test match. The impressive bowling performances of Pat Cummins (2-57) and Scott Boland (2-24) were pivotal in restricting India’s progress, highlighting the effectiveness of their strategy and the formidable nature of the Australian bowling attack. The Australian team's impressive batting and bowling performances, coupled with some crucial moments of tactical brilliance and lapses from the Indian team, underscore the significant challenge facing the visitors as they look towards reclaiming control in the coming days.
Source: Australia maintain full control despite Jaiswal's 82