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Australia vs India 2nd Test Day 2 live: Cummins slammed as India pull off great escape

Australia had India on the ropes but the game has flipped once again and Matthew Hayden has taken aim at Pat Cummins.

Matthew Sullivan and Andrew McMurtry
8 min read
February 19, 2023 - 8:43AM
Australia spark huge comeback on Day 2

Australia could have been miles ahead in the second Test but will be rueing missed opportunities as India battled back into the match.

Led by Nathan Lyon, who took a five-fa, Australia had India reeling at 7/139 and looked to lead into the second innings by more than 100 runs after scoring 263 in its first innings.

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But a 114-run stand between Axar Patel, who hit a wonderful 74, and a 37 from Ravichandran Ashwin ensured Australia had just a one-run lead into the second innings.

The stand was the second biggest eight-wicket partnership for India against Australia and left Aussie skipper Pat Cummins open for criticism.

Although Travis Head opened in the place of David Warner and was 39 not out off 40 balls, it saved the side’s blushes as Australia failed to force its advantage.

Travis Head is taking India on. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Travis Head is taking India on. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Head was not out alongside Marnus Labuschagne on 16 off 19 balls at stumps with the score 1/61 off 12 overs, a lead of 62 runs.

This India tour was always shaping as the biggest test of Cummins’ captaincy career so far.

After an innings defeat in the first match and letting India off the hook on day two of the second Test, former Aussie Test opener Matthew Hayden took aim at the quick.

As the Indian allrounders batted the home side towards the lead, Cummins brought on Matt Kuhnemann in the 74th over.

While Kuhnemann had bowled well and dismissed Virat Kohli, Hayden questioned Cummins’ tactics.

“I think he’s (Kuhnemann) had a really good start … but these are Pat Cummins’ overs right now,” Hayden said.

“Pat Cummins needs to come on and bowl two or three overs of explosive stuff.”

His co-commentators said perhaps he was waiting for the new ball but Hayden wasn’t buying it.

“But when there’s only one of you (fast bowlers) there is nowhere to hide,” Hayden said. “Not suggesting he is trying it, it’s obviously a strategy but I just haven’t seen enough of Cummins is my point I haven’t seen enough of the passion and energy of someone like Merv Hughes, who was great at bustling in at this stage. Created a little bit of drama if nothing else. Just gives you another option.”

Hayden was not alone taking aim at Cummins as social media began to tee off.

Cummins did bring himself on soon after and took the wicket of Ashwin with the new ball but by then the damage had been done.

“I think it’s actually gone beyond annoying,” commentator Matthew Hayden said of the eighth-wicket stand.

“To come back this far … (India) were staring down the barrel of 100 (run deficit) on a deteriorating wicket.”

Pat Cummins was called out by Matthew Hayden. Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP
Pat Cummins was called out by Matthew Hayden. Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP

“The ship was like the Titanic – it was heading for the iceberg,” Waugh later added.

“But they’ve moved to calmer waters.”

While Cummins’ captaincy was slammed by the commentators and on social media, he also took a stunning catch to dismiss Patel he could hardly believe he caught himself.

10.10pm – Khawaja gone

A positive start for the Aussies has ended with Usman Khawaja’s wicket, paddling a sweep straight to Shreyas Iyer at leg slip.

It was not what Australia wanted as they moved to 1/23 with the wicket.

9.40pm – Australia finally wrap up Indian innings

Australia have wrapped up the Indian innings but far from the hundred-plus lead it was expecting after India was 7/139, the Aussie hold a one-run lead on the first innings.

Axar Patel was the hero for India, hitting 74 before he was the second last wicket to fall, caught by a blinder from Pat Cummins.

But the 114-run stand with Ashwin took away Australia’s advantage completely.

“I think it’s actually gone beyond annoying,” commentator Matthew Hayden said of the eighth-wicket stand.

“To come back this far … (India) were staring down the barrel of 100 (run deficit) on a deteriorating wicket.”

“The ship was like the Titanic – it was heading for the iceberg,” Waugh later added.

“But they’ve moved to calmer waters.”

Travis Head will open the batting instead of David Warner, who suffered concussion in the first innings, as well as a fracture in his elbow.

9.22pm – Cummins strikes but damage has been done

Pat Cummins has finally taken a wicket, nabbing Ravi Ashwin for 37 two balls after taking the new ball.

India are still behind by 10 runs but after a 114-run stand to take India from 7/139, it was a game-changing partnership that puts India back in the box seat.

It was the second biggest eighth partnership for India against Australia, beaten only by a 129 run stand between Harbajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar in 2008 in Sydney.

9pm – ‘Can’t hide’: Aussies blow it

This India tour was always going to be the biggest test of Pat Cummins’ captaincy career so far but former Test opener Matthew Hayden took aim at the quick.

India went from looking like it would be over 100 runs behind before Axar Patel hit an unbeaten 50 in a brilliant partnership along with Ravi Ashwin.

As the Indian allrounders batted the home side towards the lead, Cummins brought on Matt Kuhnemann in the 74th over.

While Kuhnemann had bowled well and dismissed Virat Kohli, Hayden questioned Cummins’ tactics.

“I think he’s (Kuhnemann) had a really good start … but these are Pat Cummins’ overs right now,” Hayden said.

“Pat Cummins needs to come on and bowl two or three overs of explosive stuff.”

His co-commentators said perhaps he was waiting for the new ball but Hayden wasn’t buying it.

“But when there’s only one of you (fast bowlers) there is nowhere to hide. Not suggesting he is trying it, it’s obviously a strategy but I just haven’t seen enough of Cummins is my point I haven’t seen enough of the passion and energy of someone like Merv Hughes, who was great at bustling in at this stage. Created a little bit of drama if nothing else. Just gives you another option.”

Hayden was not alone taking aim at Cummins as social media began to tee off.

7.42pm – India fight back at tea

Australia had their foot on India’s neck but the home side’s tail has wagged again.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel have put on 40 in 67 balls to bring the deficit down at 84 runs.

Axar looks dangerous and has moved to 28 at the break while Ashwin is on 11.

6.59pm – Kohli call divides cricket Test flipped on its head

Australia have taken control of the second Test in Delhi after the spinners took control on day two.

But India will consider themselves unlucky, as former captain Virat Kohli was dismissed in the most brutal of fashions.

The Indian superstar played forward to Matt Kuhnemann and was trapped in front for a hard fought 44.

But when it was looked at forensically, it was deemed to have been pad first by the TV umpire and ball tracking had it a umpire’s decision.

Later in commentary, Mark Waugh said: “I think to the naked eye it looked like it was an inside edge, bat-first.”

Kohli himself was clearly in that camp as well as vision of him watching the replay had him pointing at a screen incredulously.

KS Bharat followed soon after for 6 and India were all of a sudden 7/139 and Nathan Lyon had his fifth of the innings.

5.02pm – ‘Running riot’: Aussies win rare session

Australia have claimed four wickets in the opening session on day two of the second Test with Nathan Lyon starring for the Aussies.

He has 4/25 in 11 overs and has been terrorising the Indian batters.

It’s been some absorbing cricket as every run appears to be a battle as India continue at 4/88, still 175 runs behind Australia.

4.26pm – Aussie burn third and final review

But Iyer didn’t last too long as Nathan Lyon took a fourth wicket as Handscomb took an absolute screamer.

Iyer leaned on a ball and it flew to short leg but after bouncing off his hand onto his leg, it bobbled out the other side and Handscomb was able to snag it.

It has India 4/66 with Virat Kohli and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja at the crease.

4.22pm – And there goes the last review

Now there are 65 overs before Australia get their reviews back.

Young spinner Todd Murphy looked to have Shreyas Iyer out caught at short leg but the catcher Peter Handscomb even shook his head.

But Pat Cummins went up anyway and it didn’t hit the inside edge.

Australia have now blown all three reviews inside the first 90 minutes of the day.

4.01pm – ‘Running riot’: GOAT lives up to his name

Nathan Lyon has covered up Australia’s early DRS blushes, taking three quick wickets as Australia turn the match on its head.

Lyon came on and with his first ball had KL Rahul LBW.

Soon after he looked to have had Cheteshwar Pujara LBW as well, only to be denied by the umpire and, after wasting two reviews in the first half-hour of the day, the Aussies didn’t send it upstairs. However, they would have got three lights.

But that didn’t discourage Lyon as he bowled Rohit Sharma and then trapped Pujara LBW as India lost 3/8 all because of the man known as the GOAT.

3.36pm – ‘This is nuts’: Desperate Aussies blow reviews

It’s a little over half an hour into the second day of the second Test but India are already making Australia nervous.

The home side have marched to 0/46 off 16 overs. While it’s far from a breakneck pace, the Aussies have showed they’re desperate to get a wicket.

Pat Cummins has already lost two of the three reviews on Saturday morning.

The first, a Matt Kuhnemann ball, crashed into the pads and an excited Alex Carey appeared to convince Cummins it was out.

However, the video showed it would have hit a fourth stump outside leg if it was there and Australia was one review down.

Then the skipper himself then thought he had caught an edge but it flicked front and back leg and was going over the stumps.

The worry is that lost reviews will cost you a wicket — and it did as Nathan Lyon, who claimed the wicket of KL Rahul, had Cheteshwar Pujara plumb.

However the umpire didn’t give it out and Australia decided against using the review.

1.45pm – Warner ruled out of Test with concussion

David Warner has been ruled out of the remainder of the second Test as his nightmare tour of India just keeps getting worse.

The opener battled hard for his 15 off 44 balls, copping shorts balls to his arm and to his head before eventually being dismissed by paceman Mohammed Shami.

Unfortunately for the underfire veteran, he was unable to return to the field once Australia was finally bowled out, citing dizziness from the peppering he received early.

“The medical staff will have to assess tomorrow, he is a little bit weary at the moment,” Usman Khawaja said after play.

“He got a knock to the arm and then the head, I think the head made him a little bit weary at the moment and couldn’t come out to field.

“The staff will have to figure out what happens from here.”

Australia's David Warner has been ruled out of the 2nd Test with concussion. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP)
Australia's David Warner has been ruled out of the 2nd Test with concussion. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP)

On Saturday, Australia confirmed Warner had been withdrawn from the Test with concussion and would play no further part in Delhi.

He will be replaced in the line-up by Matthew Renshaw, who had been dropped to make way for Travis Head after dual failures in the first Test.

It’s far from an ideal situation for Warner, whose career hangs in the balance after an unconvincing start to the tour.

The opener would have been hoping to continue his Test career at least until the Ashes and the World Test Championship final in the middle of the year, but time will well if or when he will don the Australian whites again.

Originally published as Australia vs India 2nd Test Day 2 live: Cummins slammed as India pull off great escape

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-vs-india-2nd-test-day-2-live-david-warner-ruled-out/news-story/84ef49e7ee29a7b6630764719792f223