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India vs Australia 3rd Test, Day 2: India 96/2 in reply to Australia�s 338 at stumps, trail by 242 runs

January 8, 2021

India vs Australia 3rd Test Day 2: Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 9 and 5 respectively as India finished Day 2 on 96/2, trailing Australia�s first innings total of 338 by 242 runs.

Australia kept Rahane and Pujara awfully quiet ever since the two batsmen came together. Shubman Gill scored a fine half century but had to depart the next ball as he edged Pat Cummins to gully. He and Rohit Sharma added 70 runs for the first wicket before Josh Hazlewood broke the partnership. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja finished with 4/62 and affected the run out of Steve Smith as Australia were all out for 338 in their first innings.

Smith was the star with a 27th Test century but the day has so far belonged equally to India who grabbed 8 wickets inside two sessions. Jadeja picked up his 4th dismissing Nathan Lyon for a duck, shortly after Navdeep Saini had taken his second, sending back Mitchell Starc.

Smith brought up his hundred off 201 balls, the eighth against India. After Australia resumed their innings post lunch, Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up their captain Tim Paine with a cracker of a delivery followed by Jadeja yorking Pat Cummins. Before the break, Bumrah had Cameron Green out LBW for his first wicket of the match. Jadeja provided the first breakthrough as he dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for 91 to break the century stand between him and Smith and then Matthew Wade after the rain interval.
Smith and Labuschagne had given Australia a solid start before the first rain break.