Australia Seizes Control After India’s Promising Start in Adelaide Test
India’s promising start in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval unraveled dramatically as KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill fell in quick succession. The trio’s dismissals within just 16 balls allowed Australia to wrest control of the pink-ball Test, with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland leading the charge.
Early Wickets and a Strong Partnership
The day began with a bang as Mitchell Starc delivered a near-perfect opening ball to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck. Jaiswal, expecting an away-swinger, was caught off-guard by a full and straight delivery, leaving India at 0/1.
Despite the early setback, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stabilized the innings with a 69-run stand for the second wicket. Both batters capitalized on loose deliveries, combining for 11 boundaries. Gill, returning from a thumb injury, looked in fine form, scoring 31 off 51 balls, while Rahul played a measured knock, reaching 37 off 64 deliveries.
A Sudden Collapse
The partnership, however, came to an abrupt end in the 19th over when Starc struck again. Rahul, attempting to fend off a rising delivery, edged to gully, where Nathan McSweeney took a sharp catch. Starc then dismissed Kohli for 7, exploiting the extra bounce once more. Kohli’s forward press left him unable to adjust to the rising ball, and he was caught in the slips by Steve Smith.
Adding to India’s woes, Boland trapped Gill lbw in the following over. Gill misjudged a full, straight delivery while walking across his stumps, leaving India reeling at 82/4 at the lunch break.
Australia Takes Charge
Starc’s fiery spell ended with figures of 3/31 in eight overs, while Boland’s disciplined bowling earned him the key wicket of Gill. The Australian pacers, supported by tight fielding, reduced India from a strong position at 69/1 to a precarious 82/4 in a matter of minutes.
Team Changes and Match Context
India, coming off a dominant 295-run win in Perth, made three changes to their lineup. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Gill returned, with the former sacrificing his opening spot for Rahul. Australia, on the other hand, replaced the injured Josh Hazlewood with Scott Boland, who delivered an impactful performance.
At the break, India’s hopes rested on skipper Rohit Sharma (1) and Rishabh Pant (4), but the momentum firmly belonged to Australia after a session of dramatic turnarounds.
