In the second Test of the series against Australia, Team India got off to a disappointing start with the bat as they lost their first four wickets with only 53 runs on the scoreboard. Despite resuming their innings at 21/0, KL Rahul’s struggle in the longest format of the game continued as he fell early in the first session. Nathan Lyon, Australia’s spinner, dismissed Rahul on 17, trapping him in front of the stumps. Subsequently, captain Rohit Sharma, who opened the innings with Rahul, also departed on 32.
Playing his 100th Test, Cheteshwar Pujara had a disappointing outing as he was dismissed without even opening his account. The right-handed batter faced only seven deliveries before Nathan Lyon trapped him leg-before. Shreyas Iyer also departed on four, leaving Virat Kohli to hold the fort. However, Ravindra Jadeja then joined Kohli, and the two players formed an essential partnership for the Indian side.
Jadeja and Kohli had a daunting task to rescue India from a precarious situation. However, amidst the intensity of the match, Jadeja shared a lighthearted moment with Steve Smith during the second session of the day. In the 40th over of the innings, Jadeja hit a drive towards cover and attempted to take a quick single. Unfortunately, Kohli refused the single, and Jadeja, who had already covered a considerable distance, swiftly turned around to return to the crease.
Despite reaching the crease safely, Jadeja collided with Steve Smith, who had taken a position to receive the ball in case wicketkeeper Alex Carey missed it. However, both players turned the unexpected collision into a light-hearted moment. They hugged and shook hands before parting ways, displaying a warm sportsman spirit.
Australia was earlier bundled out for 263 runs, with Usman Khawaja emerging as the top-scorer with 81 runs, followed by an important unbeaten knock of 72 by Peter Handscomb. For India, Mohammed Shami shone with the ball, picking up four wickets, while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets each.
