December 7, 2024

Australia Dominate India with Head’s Century and Boland-Cummins Fireworks

Travis Head delivered a scintillating performance with a whirlwind 140 off 141 balls, scored at a strike rate of 99.29, effectively dismantling India’s bowling attack and thrilling the Adelaide crowd on the second day of the pink-ball Test. His innings swelled Australia’s first-innings lead to 157 runs and left India facing a daunting final session under floodlights. The visitors struggled against the pink ball’s late movement, losing half their side for 128 by stumps, still trailing by 29 runs.

Head arrived at the crease to warm applause from his home crowd but walked into a precarious situation after Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Nathan McSweeney and Steven Smith in a span of 13 balls. McSweeney, resuming on 38, nicked a Bumrah special to Rishabh Pant, while Smith fell to a leg-side strangle for just 2. With Australia wobbling, Head took the counterattacking route, undeterred by initial misses, to put the pressure back on India’s bowlers.

Stay informed with the latest cricket news by clicking here.

Head’s Dominance Shines with Century and Emotional Celebration Against India

Head’s audacious approach paid dividends as he dominated square on the off-side and cleared the boundaries with ease. Notable moments included two towering sixes off R Ashwin, one a 110-metre hit over the sightscreen, showcasing his ability to target both short and long boundaries. His innings accelerated from a steady start, reaching fifty off 63 balls and converting it into a hundred in just 48 more deliveries. The celebration that followed, with a rocking-the-baby gesture, was a tribute to his newborn child, who, along with his wife, was present among the 51,642-strong crowd. He also shared an emotional moment with fellow South Australian Alex Carey after reaching the milestone.

Indian fans have grown weary of Head’s dominance, as he has consistently excelled against them. Since 2023, Head has amassed 1052 runs in 19 innings against India across formats at an average of 61.9, including three centuries. His standout performances in the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup final have made him a thorn in India’s side, cementing his reputation as a player who thrives in high-stakes matches.

Head’s Dominance, Labuschagne’s Resurgence, and Australia’s Strong Bowling Put India on the Backfoot

Travis Head’s Saturday heroics were bolstered by valuable partnerships, first with Marnus Labuschagne (65 runs) and then with Alex Carey (74 runs). Labuschagne, under pressure after a lean run of form with only 123 runs in his last 10 Test innings, began fluently. India’s seamers adjusted to challenge him more on the second afternoon, forcing him to play deliveries outside off. However, any errors in line or length were punished with crisp drives and flicks. Labuschagne reached his fifty off 114 balls and briefly accelerated, striking three fours in four balls off Harshit Rana. His attempt to late-cut Nitish Kumar Reddy, though, resulted in a catch at gully, ending his innings.

Head, meanwhile, was relentless, punishing Harshit Rana for 41 runs off 29 balls. Short, full, straight, or wide—everything was dispatched to the boundary with precision and power. Carey supported Head well before falling to Mohammed Siraj, whose disciplined bowling complemented Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj extracted extra bounce to force an edge from Carey, while Bumrah’s discomfort during his second new-ball spell limited his impact. R Ashwin, meanwhile, claimed Mitchell Marsh’s wicket under controversial circumstances, with Marsh walking despite replays showing no edge.

Head’s onslaught continued against the second new ball as he whipped Bumrah for consecutive boundaries and launched Siraj for a towering six over square leg. However, Siraj had the last laugh, bowling a perfect yorker to dismiss Head and celebrating passionately, much to the dismay of the Adelaide crowd. Siraj then cleaned up Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, while Bumrah, after recovering from a brief injury scare, removed Pat Cummins to bowl Australia out for 337. Cummins quickly turned the tables with the ball, dismissing KL Rahul with a sharp lifter and producing a peach to knock over Rohit Sharma just before stumps.

Rohit endured a shaky stay, surviving a no-ball dismissal from Mitchell Starc before being bowled by Cummins. Scott Boland was effective again, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal early and inducing an edge from Virat Kohli with a fourth-stump delivery. Starc, although quiet with the new ball, returned with the older one to trap Shubman Gill with a lethal inswinger. At 128 for 5, India’s top order crumbled under the pressure, leaving a fragile lower order to face the Australian onslaught.

Rishabh Pant provided a flicker of resistance with his fearless approach, smashing his first ball for four and countering Australia’s quicks with audacious strokes, including a reverse pull and a falling scoop. Unbeaten on 28 off 25 balls, Pant will need to channel his aggression alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy to pull India out of trouble. Facing a deficit and Australia’s rampant bowlers, India’s chances hinge on another Pant miracle and the lower order’s resilience to script an unlikely turnaround.

Read More: Nissanka’s 89 Narrows SL’s Deficit After Verreynne’s 105*