Australia's Travis Head
Credit: Reuters photo
Brisbane: Travis Head continued from where he had left off in Adelaide for his second hundred of the series in as many innings while Steve Smith, who had gone 24 innings without a century, ended his drought en route to a classic Test innings as Australia posted 405/7 at close on the second day of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series here at the well-attended Gabba on Sunday.
Through the fire of Head (152, 160 balls, 18x4) and ice of Smith (101, 190b, 12x4), who together lifted Australia out of a mini crisis with a 200-plus run stand, the hosts threatened to take the game away from India before Jasprit Bumrah (5/72) brought some sanity to the proceedings in the final session.
Even as the right-arm quick claimed his second five-wicket haul of the series, there was nothing much to write home about when it comes to the rest of the Indian attack. Mohammed Siraj and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja were particularly disappointing, neither getting breakthroughs at the right time, nor stemming the flow of runs.
Australia, overnight 28/0 after consistent rain curtailed opening day to 13.2 overs, suffered two quick blows as Bumrah removed both the openers -- Usman Khawaja (21) and Nathan McSweeney (9). With the two Queensland batters gone, the third one -- Marnus Labuschagne -- stood his ground along with Smith.
While the duo were able to block out the Indian pacers, runs weren't quite flying off their bats. With pressure building on both right-handers, something was going to give away and Labuschagne gave in as Australia slipped to 75 for three.
Then followed a match-defining 241-run (302 balls) partnership for the fourth wicket that took the wind out of Indian sails. The left-right duo saw through the two-and-half hour first session without much damage as Australia broke for lunch at 104/3 in 43 overs. It was in the second session that Australia pulled away from India with Head and Smith laying into Indian bowlers without discrimination.
While 76 runs had come off 29.4 overs in the opening session, Australia plundered 130 in the next 27 overs in the post-lunch session where India lost the plot. With Smith and Head looking solid, India could have at least tried containing runs but ended up conceding a four or two almost every over on an average.
India again missed a trick against Head, hardly testing him with shot-balls on the body. They once again relied on full balls on the off and expected the pitch to do the job. The southpaw repeatedly cut them, making it his most productive stroke on the day. Siraj did bowl some bouncers but they came too late in the day and weren't half as menacing.
As Head kept the scoreboard flying, Smith had all the time in the world to get his eye in. With the pressure of scoring off him, Smith built his innings brick by brick before pulling out big shots as Australia doubled down on India.
The new ball didn't work either for the first few overs. If anything, the two set batters only capitalised on the hardness of the ball, reeling off a few boundaries. Against the run of play, Bumrah elicited an edge off Smith, whose attempt to drive hard ended in a catch to Rohit Sharma, who had grassed Head at second slip on 112.
As always, one gives away to two. He then accounted for Marsh before completing a well-deserved fifer by ending Head's breezy stay in a spell of 6-1-21-3.
Post this Bumrah-induced mini-collapse, India could manage only one wicket while conceding 78 runs.
While the Indian batters have their task cut out on Monday, they first need to take care of a dangerous-looking Alex Carey (45 n.o.).