Australia v India Second Test: Scott Boland and Pat Cummins land double blows to leave tourists on the brink of defeat
Tensions flared on another remarkable day in Adelaide – but it was Pat Cummins and co who landed the final blow to leave India on the brink of a crushing defeat.
A surprised and disappointed Travis Head has intimated that Mohammed Siraj’s send-off on Saturday was not the first time India had overstepped the line this series as relations between Australia and the tourists reprised the sour tastes of years past.
Indian quick Siraj was fiercely taunted by segments of the Adelaide Oval crowd after a run-in with hometown hero Head that will leave both men in the sights of the match referee.
The South Australian’s blistering 140 underscored another dominant day for Australia with the hosts on track to secure a series-levelling win on Sunday.
Virat Kohli’s status as Scott Boland’s bunny was confirmed as the Aussies ran through India’s top order under lights to leave the tourists on the brink of a crushing defeat. India was 5-128 at stumps on day two, still trailing by 29 runs.
SCROLL DOWN TO RECAP ALL THE ACTION AND COLOUR AS IT HAPPENED
But it was the wagging tongues of Siraj and Head that ignited what had hitherto appeared a friendly rivalry.
Head blasted his way to an Adelaide Test ton for the third time in as many summers before being bowled by a low Siraj full toss.
Unperturbed by the hammering Head had just given his side, Siraj gave the left-hander a send-off to which Head responded in kind as he headed back towards the pavilion.
With the incident shown on the venue’s big screen, Siraj was roundly booed and was the target of pointed feedback from aggrieved Aussie fans as he made his way off the ground at tea.
Head conceded he regretted his own role in the second session incident but insisted he also had the right to stand his ground.
“I actually jokingly said well bowled and then he pointed me to the sheds and I had my reaction as well. I don’t want to give it too much air time,” Head said.
“I was surprised at the reaction in terms of situation of the game and in the lead-up. There was no confrontation leading up to it. I felt like it was probably a little bit far at the time. That’s why I’m disappointed at the reaction that I gave back. But I’m also going to stand up for myself. That’s not how I’d like to play the game.”
Head hinted that he had taken exception to other acts from Indian players thus far in the series.
“There’s been conversations I’ve had. I’ll leave those conversations to the individuals around that. Like I said, I feel like the way I would like to play the game and I guess the respect shown from myself and I hope my teammates, I hold high expectations of my teammates as well and the way we conduct ourselves and the way we go about things. I can’t speak much for India but I’m going to call out certain situations,” Head said.
“I’ve had conversations with guys this series about that. I feel like you can play hard and play fair, but obviously, when you’re out, can’t do much about it. I’m disappointed with the reaction I had after that but certainly I’m going to stand up for myself.
“I think the relationship (between the teams) is really, really good. I think that’s why I’m disappointed. I feel like the game has moved, and the way I play the game is having a good time. I want to enjoy myself. I want to play hard, play fair, and I have a joke with the fielders in the field, always interacting, and it’s been on very simple terms and enjoyable.”
The pair are however likely to dodge suspensions for their tete-a-tete. Head was fined 15 per cent of his match fee after stump mic picked up an audible obscenity from him during the Gabba Ashes Test of 2021 but the demerit point he incurred has been wiped as it was more than two years ago. Siraj doesn’t have any priors under the ICC code of conduct. Send-offs and audible obscenities generally incur one demerit point, triggering a reprimand or fine.
Siraj has however likely secured his status as a target for Australian crowds throughout the rest of what now shapes as a cracking series.
Despite Steve Smith failing again and Mitch Marsh bizarrely throwing away his wicket, Australia still had the run of play on Saturday having gained the ascendancy on day one.
Boland’s fairytale Test career grew in legend when he struck with his first delivery on Saturday night, drawing an edge from Yashasvi Jaiswal to remove the Indian opener for 24.
The Victorian repeated the dose when Kohli nicked off for 11, sending Boland and the crowd into a frenzy. Having snared the superstar’s wicket in last year’s World Test Championship final as well, Boland now has the third-best bowling average against Kohlui of any player to have removed him twice in Test cricket.
Pat Cummins was back to his best too, bouncing out KL Rahul for seven before bowling opposing skipper Rohit Sharma with a ripsnorter that rammed into the top of off-stump.
Mitchell Starc meanwhile annihilated Shubman Gill’s middle stump as the Aussies pressed to continue their perfect record in pink-ball Tests at the venue.
Australia took a 157-run first innings lead after making 337.
Head brought up his hundred off just 111 balls, celebrating by cradling his bat to mark the recent birth of son Harrison.
In a typically swashbuckling innings, Head lived dangerously early and was dropped on 76 off Ravichandran Ashwin by Siraj running back with the flight at mid on.
It could have been even better for the Aussies had Marsh not trudged off for nine after thinking he’d nicked one to Rishabh Pant when the all-rounder had instead hit his pad off Ashwin’s bowling.
Umpire Richard Illingworth had been unmoved and rightly so with technology showing no spike on Snicko and space between bat and ball.
“Definitely didn’t hit it as per Snicko which was confirmed by our 400fps comet camera as well where you could see a gap as the ball went past the bat,” Warren Brennan – whose company BBG Sports operates Snicko – told this masthead.
Having resumed at 1-86, Australia lost Nathan McSweeney inside 15 minutes after the opener faintly edged Bumrah while seeking to defend having added just one run to his overnight 38.
The Aussies were at risk of another collapse when Smith was caught behind after failing to get enough purchase when trying to guide one down the leg side on two.
Head played with typical panache, counterattacking to great effect as he had done at this venue less than 11 months ago in a match-winning century against the West Indies.
After showing considerable steel under lights on Friday night, Marnus Labuschagne loosened the shackles on Saturday, plundering boundaries on both sides of the wicket from hapless Indian paceman Harshit Rana.
But just as one of the great back-against-the-wall centuries beckoned, Labuschagne (64) picked out Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully to hand Nitish Kumar Reddy his first wicket and provide the tourists a sniff.
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