There goes India’s hope... : The Tribune India

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There goes India’s hope...

PERTH: Australia were on course for a series-levelling win in the second Test after another below-par batting performance from India undid the good work done by their bowlers on Day 4 here today.

There goes India’s hope...

Virat Kohli walks off after being dismissed by Nathan Lyon, who picked up two key wickets to damage India’s chase of 287. REUTERS



Perth, December 17

Australia were on course for a series-levelling win in the second Test after another below-par batting performance from India undid the good work done by their bowlers on Day 4 here today.  

Chasing 287 on a testing surface, India were 112/5 at stumps, skipper Virat Kohli’s dismissal for 17 dealing a massive blow to the team’s hopes.  The last specialist pair of Hanuma Vihari (24) and Rishabh Pant (9) was in the middle when stumps were drawn. The two face a near-impossible task of batting out the morning session tomorrow if India are to have even a remote shot at scoring the 175 more runs they need.

India’s poor batting effort came after a sensational performance from pacer Mohammad Shami, who took a career-best 6/56 in Australia’s second innings to bring India back into the contest. Shami removed Usman Khawaja (72) and Tim Paine (37) to trigger a batting collapse that reduced them to 198/8, though they managed to reach 243.

Torrid time

At tea, India were reeling at 15/2, having lost KL Rahul (0) and Cheteshwar Pujara (4). Rahul played another indecisive stroke and was bowled by Starc on the fourth ball of the innings. The bigger blow came when Hazlewood had Pujara caught behind off a faint edge.

Following resumption of play, it got worse as India lost wickets in a bunch. Murali Vijay (20) and Virat Kohli (17) added 35 runs for the third wicket before the horror began. Kohli was the first to go, with Nathan Lyon inducing him forward and the batsman edging the ball to slip.

Two overs later, Lyon (2/30) got an off break to jump off the rough and Vijay was bowled as he went for a drive, and India were reduced to 55/4. Ajinkya Rahane (30) played his shots and took on the bowling, hitting two fours and a six. He added 43 runs for the fifth wicket with Vihari and India started hoping of putting up a fight. However, Rahane fell when he hit a drive straight to point off Josh Hazlewood (2/24), plunging India to 98/5.

Special Shami

A fiery spell from Shami had brought India back into the game. With this effort, Shami surpassed Anil Kumble’s record of most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in away Tests during a calendar year. Shami has taken 42 away wickets in 2018.

Shami took 4/26 after lunch as his express pace and short-pitched bowling bamboozled the Australian lower-order.

Skipper Paine was the first go, fending off a sharply-rising ball, gloving it to Kohli at second slip. Aaron Finch, who retired hurt yesterday after being hit on his right-hand index finger, resumed his innings today but lasted only one ball. — PTI


India should have played a spinner: Shami

Perth: Mohammed Shami believes India missed a trick in not playing a full-time spinner on a pitch where Australia tweaker Nathan Lyon has already bagged seven wickets. “The team management makes these decisions. We can’t do anything about it. We had one spinner who didn’t bowl badly. (But) If you ask me, I feel there should have been a spinner, but these things depend on your management,” said Shami. “After a long time we have an Indian pace attack where all the bowlers are fast and are bowling good lines and lengths,” he added about India’s four-man pace attack.


Shaw out for whole series, Agarwal gets call

Mumbai, December 17

Prithvi Shaw has been ruled out of the remaining two Test matches against Australia due to an ankle injury, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Monday. The 19-year-old opener injured his ankle while fielding during a tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Sydney last month and has missed the first two matches of the series. Fellow opener Mayank Agarwal, who is yet to make his Test debut, was named as Shaw’s replacement. The selectors also called up all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has recovered from a back injury sustained in the Asia Cup earlier this year. — Agencies

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