Brisbane: India frittered away the opportunity to make a big first innings total as they suffered a late-order batting collapse before Umesh Yadav scalped three wickets on his comeback to leave the second cricket Test against Australia evenly-poised, here on Thursday.
Resuming at the overnight score of 311 for four, India lost their last six wickets for just 97 runs to be bowled out for 408 in 109.4 overs with debutant Josh Hazlewood being the wrecker-in-chief with figures of 5 for 68.
Australia recovered from some early jitters to reach 221 for four in 52 overs in their first innings before the second day’s play was called called off early due to bad light.
The hosts were still trailing India by 187 runs with three days of play still left in the match.
Captain Steve Smith was comfortably batting on 65 off 88 balls with the help of six boundaries and two sixes, while giving him company at the other end was Mitchell Marsh (7).
Opener Chris Rogers also returned to some kind of form for Australia with strokeful 55 off 79 balls. He hit 10 fours during his knock.
David Warner (29), Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh (32) all got starts but the trio failed to convert the starts into big scores.
Playing his first Test match since 2012, Yadav turned out to be the most impressive Indian bowler, picking up three wickets for 48 runs, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/66) took the other Australian wicket to fall on the day.
Earlier, play started on time this morning despite seven overs not being bowled on day one, with Ajinkya Rahane (81) and Rohit Sharma (32) looking good to build on their 50-run partnership.
Except Mitchell Marsh (1/14), Australia had all their other bowlers back in the field and looked to improve their performance from the third and final session last evening.
And they succeeded, particularly Hazlewood as he bowled a nagging off-stump line and moved the second new ball enough to trouble the Indian batsmen.
The Indian batters especially found it difficult to tackle Hazzlewood’s outswingers as he picked up all three wickets this morning using that delivery.
First Hazzlewood accounted for Rahane, in only the third over of the day, with a beauty of an outswinger. Rahane was struck at the crease and only managed to edge it to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who registered his fifth catch of sixth dismissal of the innings.
Rahane’s dismissal brought skipper Dhoni (33 runs, 53 balls, 4 fours) at the crease but despite Rohit being set at the other end, runs dried up.
Watson (1-39) then removed Rohit in the 92nd over. The talented Mumbai batsman went for a drive to a wide delivery only to loft it in the air and young Australia captain Smith held a beautiful catch at the second slip, diving low to his right.
It brought Ashwin (35 runs, 41 balls, 6 fours) at the crease and together with Dhoni and the duo added 57 runs for the seventh wicket in quick time.
Dhoni and Ashwin’s 50-run partnership came off just 54 balls in the 101st just after India reached the 350-mark had in the 96th over.
The duo was looking good for a lot more, but Hazlewood had other plans when he returned to the attack in the 103rd over.
Ashwin had looked good so far, playing with his usual comfort and solidity, but he received a good outgoing delivery from the debutant bowler and only ended up edging it behind to Watson at first slip. (PTI)
