Travis Head gives Australia slender lead in second Test against India after Nathan Lyon’s heroics
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Travis Head seized his chance to impress as Australia took a slim lead on Day Two of the second Test of the series against India in Delhi at Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi.
Dropped for the opening Test of the series in Nagpur, which Australia lost by an innings and 132 runs, the 29-year-old was recalled for the second Test and promoted to the top of the order when David Warner was ruled out with concussion.
Warner was replaced by Matt Renshaw, who is expected to bat at No.5.
And Head wasted no time in making his case, scoring a brilliant 39 off 40 balls as Australia negotiated a tricky mini-session of 13 overs before stumps after India were bowled out for 262, falling just shy of matching the tourists’ 263.
The visitors lost Usman Khawaja cheaply, with the opener falling with just six runs to his name to Ravindra Jadeja, but Head and Marnus Labuschagne put together a useful 38-run partnership to give Australia a slender lead ahead of Day Three.
Travis Head was promoted to the top of the order in place of David Warner on Saturday
Head (left) and Marnus Labuschagne (right) put together a useful 38-run partnership after Usman Khawaja was dismissed for 6 by Ravindra Jadeja
The loss of Khawaja, Australia’s top-scorer in their first innings, is a blow but they went about quickly extending their one-run first-innings advantage in attacking fashion to shock India’s bowlers.
Head was controversially dropped for the opening Test defeat in Nagpur based on his poor record in Asia, but looked at home batting at the top of the order, playing aggressively like he does in Australian conditions.
Head will resume batting with Labuschange on Sunday as Australia attempt to further press their advantage in trying to level the Border-Gavaskar series at 1-1.
But the undisputed star of the day was Nathan Lyon, who delivered one of the finest performances of his 117-Test career to finish with 5-67.
Lyon looked out-of-sorts during the first Test in Nagpur, going for 1-126 and was comfortably outbowled by 22-year-old spinner Todd Murphy, who was on debut.
But the 36-year-old could not have responded any better in the Indian capital, bowling with accuracy on a bouncy, turning wicket.
‘Whatever we get we have to make sure it’s enough […] be really brave,’ Lyon said of Australia’s second innings.
‘We need to trust the guys’ methods when they have the support of the whole change room to go out there and play the way they want to play and the way they think they can combat the quality bowling India have.’
After taking 4-13 during a masterful spell in the morning session, Lyon picked up India wicketkeeper KS Bharat (six) to bring up his 22nd five-wicket Test haul.
For the second Test in a row, an Australian debutant took the prized wicket of Virat Kohli (44).
Queensland left-armer Matt Kuhnemann (2-72) broke through for his first Test scalp after the umpire gave Kohli out lbw.
Kohli reviewed the decision, but the third umpire stuck with the on-field decision, much to the displeasure of the 34-year-old and his army of fans.
Nathan Lyon (left) was the pick of the Aussie bowlers on Day Two, claiming five wickets
The veteran off-spinner ripped through India’s batting line-up to take four wickets before lunch
But India mounted a superb counterattack as Ravi Ashwin (left) and Axar Patel (right) made 37 and 74 respectively as the hosts conceded a one-run first innings lead to Australia
India slumped to 7-139 and appeared to be crashing to a dire position, but bowling allrounders Axar Patel (74) and Ravichandran Ashwin (37) rescued the hosts.
Patel and Ashwin put on a 114-run partnership – the third-highest eighth-wicket stand by an Indian pair against Australia – to frustrate the tourists.
It took some catching brilliance from Renshaw and Pat Cummins to remove Patel and Ashwin after the dangerous pair got the home crowd back into the game.
But by the end of the play, the Indian fans were as quiet as they have been all series as Head smashed their heroes to all parts of the ground.
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