A brilliant all-round performance by Ravindra Jadeja, followed by a superb half century by Shubman Gill ensured India won Day Two honours of the ongoing third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
After bowling out Australia for 338, Gill and Rohit Sharma gave India a solid start as they not only played cautiously but scored runs at a decent rate during the course of their 70-run opening partnership.
Rohit, who was playing international cricket after a long time, looked in good touch during the course of his 77-ball knock. However, after scoring 24 runs with the help of three fours and a six, he got out caught & bowled by Josh Hazlewood.
That wicket didn’t deter Gill — playing only his second Test match — as the youngster kept scoring boundaries and impressed many with his shots and went on to score his maiden fifty.
However, just after reaching the milestone, he was caught at slips by Cameron Green off the bowling of Pat Cummins.
Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara then made sure the visitors didn’t lose any further wicket as they battled against the impressive bowling display by Australia.
India reached 96/2 at Stumps — having Rahane and Pujara unbeaten on 5 and 9 respectively — and still trail by 242 runs.
Earlier, prolific batsman Steve Smith scored a brilliant hundred as Australia scored 338 before getting bundled out in the post-Lunch session.
Apart from Smith who scored 131 before getting run out, Marnus Labuschagne made a significant contribution of 91 before falling short of his fifth Test ton. Debutant opener Will Pucovski had also scored 62 on the rain-hit first day of the match.
For India, Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 4/62 in his 18 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah and Navdeep Saini picked two wickets each while Mohammed Siraj scalped one. Ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, however, went wicket-less in the 24 overs he bowled and conceded 74 runs.
Brief scores: India 96/2 at Stumps on Day 2 (Shubman Gill 50, Rohit Sharma 26; Pat Cummins 1/19) Australia 338 all out (Steve Smith 131, Marnus Labuschagne 91; Ravindra Jajeja 4/62)
