India ended Day 2 of the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series at the Sydney Cricket Ground with a lead of 145 runs, having lost six wickets in their second innings. Australia’s bowlers, led by Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, applied consistent pressure throughout the day, making India’s task challenging.
Rishabh Pant was the standout performer for India, smashing a quickfire 61 off just 33 balls, which included six boundaries and four towering sixes. His aggressive approach gave India a boost amid tight bowling from Australia. Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed a steady 22 runs, while KL Rahul and Shubman Gill added 13 runs each before falling to Australia’s bowlers.
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Australia’s Scott Boland was the pick of the bowlers, taking four crucial wickets for 35 runs, including the key dismissals of Virat Kohli for 6 and Nitish Kumar Reddy for 4. Pat Cummins, Beau Webster, and Nathan Lyon chipped in with one wicket each to keep Australia in the contest. At stumps, India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar remained unbeaten with 8 and 6 runs, respectively.
Earlier, Australia posted a modest 181 in their first innings, with Beau Webster anchoring the innings with a solid 57. India’s Mohammed Siraj was the star with the ball, taking three wickets for 35 runs, while Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy took crucial wickets, including the dismissal of Australian captain Pat Cummins for 10.
There was a brief injury scare for India when Jasprit Bumrah left the field for scans, but he later returned, much to the relief of fans. His fitness will be key as India looks to extend their lead and maintain control of the match on Day 3.
