IND vs AUS 1st Test, Day 2 Report: Travis Head's fifty keeps hosts in the race

Head was batting unbeaten on 63, accompanied with Mitchell Starc. Australia are still 59 runs behind

Travis Head’s maiden half-century at home kept the hosts alive as they posted 191 runs at a loss of 7 wickets by the end of the second day of Adelaide Test. Head was batting unbeaten on 63, accompanied with Mitchell Starc (8*). Australia are still 59 runs behind.

The final session saw the fall of Peter Handscomb (34) who stitched a 33-run partnership with Travis Head for the fifth wicket. In the 58^th over of the Aussie innings, Bumrah bowled a back of a length delivery which took the outside edge of Handscomb’s willow and landed safely in the gloves of Rishabh Pant.

Australian skipper Tim Paine was the next man in but couldn’t contribute much to the total. In the last bowl of the 63^rd over, a fuller delivery from Ishant Sharma successfully ended Paine's painstaking existence and sent him back at a score of 5 off 20 balls.

Travis head, who was batting with full patience, paired up with pat Cummins and frustrated the Indian bowlers a bit. He brought up his 2^nd international Test fifty off 103 balls which was also his first on the Australian soil.

A half-century for Travis Head at his home ground!#AUSvIND | @Domaincomau pic.twitter.com/YdSWCCechD

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2018

India took the second new ball in the 81^st over and Bumrah utilised the opportunity to tear apart the 50-run partnership between Handscomb and Cummins.

Bumrah swung in from a length and the ball pinned Cummins just above the knee roll following a big appeal and umpire raised his finger. Cummins reviewed the decision, hoping a respite for himself but ended up wasting it. His 10-run stint came to an end and the hosts were reduced to 177/7.

A beauty from Bumrah and Cummins can't overturn it on review #AUSvIND@SpecsaversAU #SpecsaversCricket pic.twitter.com/q8Kt70lCai

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2018

Mitchell Starc joined Head at the crease and they both another 14 runs for the eight wicket till the time of stumps.

R Ashwin ended the day with 3 wickets in 33 overs while Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah scalped 2 wickets apiece. On the other hand, Mohammed Shami yet to bag a wicket.

Earlier, the 2nd session began with the departure of Shaun Marsh (2). In the last ball of the 28th over followed by Khawaja’s (26) dismissal in the 40^th over. Ashwin’s two strikes in the second session very well contained the Australians as they scored 117 runs at a loss of 4 wickets, by the end of the second session.

Earlier, in the morning, Australia lost two wickets in reply to India’s 250. Ishant removed Aaron Finch for a duck in the very first over whole Ashwin had the hold of debutant Marcus Harris (26) at the stroke of lunch.

India's first innings lasted just one delivery on Friday with Mohammed Shami being dismissed the first ball of the day bowled by Josh Hazlewood.

The visitors were 250 for 9 at close on Thursday after opting to bat.