Australia Claims First Session Advantage in Adelaide Pink-Ball Test
Day 1 of the second Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval witnessed a chaotic and dramatic sequence involving KL Rahul. In a bizarre chain of events, Rahul walked off after edging a delivery to the wicketkeeper, returned to bat due to a no-ball call, survived a dropped catch, and eventually found his rhythm before falling to Mitchell Starc.

Rahul’s Eventful Over
Rahul, yet to open his account, edged Scott Boland’s first delivery to Alex Carey, prompting wild celebrations from Australia. Surprisingly, Rahul began walking off without waiting for the umpire’s decision, even though the UltraEdge replay suggested no contact with the bat. To complicate matters, umpire Richard Illingworth raised his arm, signaling a no-ball, and Rahul was called back to the crease.
As Rahul exited momentarily, Virat Kohli prepared to walk out but quickly realized it wasn’t his turn yet and returned to the dressing room. Moments later, Rahul was offered another lifeline when Usman Khawaja dropped a catch at third slip, leaving Australia frustrated.
India’s Resilience Before Collapse
Despite the early hiccup, Rahul and Shubman Gill steadied India’s innings, taking the score past 50 after Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a first-ball duck to Mitchell Starc. Playing his first pink-ball Test, Jaiswal was trapped leg-before on Starc’s opening delivery. Although he briefly considered a review, Rahul advised against it, sending the youngster back to the pavilion without scoring.
Rahul and Gill showcased patience and skill, countering Australia’s potent pace attack. Rahul, in particular, shrugged off his nervy start, racing to 37 off 64 balls with six boundaries. Gill complemented him with a brisk knock, as the duo added 69 runs for the second wicket.
However, Starc broke the partnership by dismissing Rahul, who edged to Marnus Labuschagne in the slips. India, at 77/2, appeared to have a solid platform, but things unraveled quickly.
Australia Strikes Back
In a stunning finish to the first session, Starc claimed another crucial wicket by removing Virat Kohli, leaving India at 77/3. Scott Boland then trapped Gill lbw for 31, reducing the visitors to 82/4 by lunch.
A Session to Remember
What started as a promising recovery for India turned into a session dominated by Australia. Starc’s fiery spell and Boland’s disciplined bowling ensured that Australia held the upper hand after an action-packed opening session. With Rahul and Gill dismissed, India will now rely on their middle order to rebuild and post a competitive total.