After bundling up India for 250, the Australians had a fumbling start but they managed to amass 57 runs at a loss of 2 wickets by the end of the first session on the second day of the 1st Test at the Adelaide Oval. At the time of the lunch break, Usman Khawaja was batting at 21 while Shaun Marsh remained unbeaten on 1.


In reply to India’s 250, the hosts got an early shock right in the first over. Ishant Sharma left no stone unturned in bamboozling opener Aaron Finch. It was just the third ball of the Australian innings when a full-length delivery from Ishant took a nick of Finch’s bat and ended up rattling the wickets behind.


Australia lost their first wicket without putting any runs on the board while Ishant drew the first blood from one of his magnificent deliveries.






Usman Khawaja then joined the debutant Marcus Harris at the crease and the duo made the Indian bowlers toil a bit for the wicket. They batted for almost an hour and a half with utter patience and stitched a 45-run partnership for the second wicket before Harris fell prey to one of Ashwin’s drifter, at the stroke of the lunch.


A simple catch from Murali Vijay sent the young debutant packing after he scored 26 runs off 57 balls.


Earlier, the Indian innings resumed at 250 for 9. However, they failed to add any further run to their overnight score. Pacer Josh Hazlewood got the last man Mohammed Shami (6) caught behind on the very first ball to deny the visitors any addition to the overnight score.


For the hosts, Hazlewood shone with three wickets, while fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins took two scalps each. The spinner Nathan Lyon also bagged a couple of wickets.


Earlier on Thursday, India were reduced to 19/3 before centurion Cheteshwar Pujara's gritty 16th Test ton (123) anchored the innings to 250/9 at stumps. Pujara, however, fell to a brilliant run out on the last ball of the opening day.


Brief Scores:


India 1st Innings: 250 all out in 88 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 123; Josh Hazlewood 3/52)


Australia 1st Innings: 57 for 2 from 27 overs (Marcus Harris 26, Usman Khawaja batting 21; Ishant Sharma 1/9, Ravichandran Ashwin 1/15)