BGT | 'Head'ache turns into migraine

The home boy produced perhaps his second most important century, after his epic 163 against India in the 2023 World Test Championship final at the Oval, that helped Australia consolidate their position in the second Test of the BGT series.

Adelaide: Travis 'Head'ache might have just developed into a chronic migraine for India. The left-handed pocket dynamo all but took away the second Test from India's sight with a luminescent hundred that shone brighter than the Adelaide Oval lights.

The home boy produced perhaps his second most important century, after his epic 163 against India in the 2023 World Test Championship final at the Oval, that helped Australia consolidate their position in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series here at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, with another near sell-out crowd enjoying the hosts' domination.

At stumps on the second day of the day/night Test, Australia enjoyed a 29-run lead after reducing India to 128/5 in their second innings.

Overnight 86/1, Australia rode Head's eighth Test century (140 off 141 balls, 17x4, 4x6) to reply with 337 all out for a handsome 157-run lead. India had been bowled out for 180 in their first innings.

India appeared more purposeful while batting under lights, but kept losing wickets after getting set with three Aussie main pacers giving little away. They bowled ideal lines to maximise pink-ball's effect and hit better lengths than the Indian quicks.

While Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) and Shubman Gill (28) failed to build on their starts, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli disappointed again.

Skipper Rohit Sharma's middle-order adventure came a cropper on both occasions, with his opposite number Pat Cummins ending his iffy but eventful stay when he was given out lbw, reviewed it quickly but the ball was declared no-ball before the TV umpire could check replays.

Though it's not ideal, Rishabh Pant's (28 n.o., 5x4) T20 methods and Nitish Reddy's (15, 3x4) aggressive streak may have extended the match into the third day.       

Earlier, India did threaten to restrict Australia to a much smaller total than they eventually managed after leaving the hosts in a spot at 103/3 but overnight batter Marnus Labuschagne (64, 126b, 9x4) and Head quelled any such designs by visitors with a 65-run stand. In the process, Labuschagne, earned himself a little breather after being pilloried for his diffidence in Perth.

Then onwards the world was Head's oyster. Through the next three partnerships, Head conjured up an innings brimming with class and command. Such was his dominance through the three partnerships that out of a total of 142 runs scored across those stands, he alone blasted 108 off just 91 balls. He was particularly severe against R Ashwin, never allowing the off-spinner to settle into any sort of rhythm.    

The 30-year-old spared no one and none remotely troubled him. It didn't help India's cause that Harshit Rana was completely flat, Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) looked half the bowler he was in Perth and Mohammed Siraj (4/98) allowed his frustration to get the better of him. Siraj looked dangerous in patches, and did get rewards but they came far between.

His send-off of Head after bowling the southpaw didn't make for a pretty picture. Not when the batter has completely dismantled your attack.

They were better to start off, but lost their ways as Head held sway. With the new ball, too, they kept leaking runs at one end even as Bumrah held one end tight.   

The Ashwin gamble didn't pay off either, his only wicket (Mitchell Marsh) walking out when he hadn't even nicked the ball. While that is Australia's headache to worry about, Australia indeed left India scratching their heads.

SCORE BOARD

INDIA (I Innings)

180 all out AUSTRALIA (I Innings; O/n: 86/1): Khawaja c Rohit b Bumrah 13(35b 2x4) McSweeney c Pant b Bumrah 39 (109b 6x4) Labuschagne c Jaiswal b Nitish 64(126b 9x4) (67b 3x4) Smith c Pant b Bumrah 2 (11b) Head b Siraj 140 (141b 17x4 4x6) Marsh c Pant b Ashwin 9 (26b 1x4) Carey c Pant b Siraj 15 (32b) Cummins b Bumrah 12 (22b 2x4) Starc c Rana b Siraj 18 (15b 3x4) Lyon (not out) 4 (6b) Boland b Siraj 0 (9b) Extras (B-13 LB-1 NB-7) 21 Total (all out 87.3 overs) 337

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Khawaja) 2-91 (McSweeney) 3-103 (Smith) 4-168 (Labuschagne) 5-208 (Marsh) 6-282 (Carey) 7-310 (Head) 8-332 (Cummins) 9-332 (Starc).

Bowling: Bumrah 23-5-61-4 (nb-5) Siraj 24.3-5-98-4 (nb-2) Rana 16-2-86-0 Nitish 6-2-25-1 R Ashwin 18-4-.

INDIA (II Innings)

Jaiswal c Carey b Boland 24 (31b 4x4) Rahul c Carey b Cummins 7 (10b 1x4) Gill b Starc 28 (30b 3x4) Kohli c Carey b Boland 11 (21b 1x4) Pant (batting) 28 (25b 5x4) Rohit b Cummins 6 (15b 1x4) Nitish (batting) 15 (14b 3x4) Extras (B-5 LB-2 NB-2) 9 Total (for 5 wkts 24 overs) 128

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Rahul) 2-42 (Jaiswal) 3-66 (Kohli) 4-86 (Gill) 5-105 (Rohit). Bowling: Starc 9-0-49-1 (nb-2) Cummins 8-0-33-2 Boland 7-0-39-2.