India vs Australia : India beat Australia by 6 wickets in the second test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. The dominant win was fueled by Jadeja’s brilliant bowling performance in the second innings, where he took 7 wickets for 42 runs in 12.1 overs. In response, India managed to chase down the target of 115 runs in 26.4 overs on the third day of the match. Captain Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara were batting on 12 and 1 respectively at lunch on day three.
Here are some key takeaways from India vs Australia 2nd test match:
- India’s spin bowling attack – India’s spin bowling attack took the game away from Australia. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were brilliant in the second innings. Jadeja’s performance was extraordinary as he spun the ball and exploited the conditions perfectly. Ashwin played a supporting role and helped Jadeja in bowling out the Australian team in the second innings.
- Partnership between Jadeja and Virat, and then Axar-Ash was brilliant – Captain Rohit Sharma stated that the partnership between Jadeja and Virat Kohli and then Axar Patel and Ashwin was the game-changing moment of the match. The two partnerships helped India to take a lead in the first innings and chase down the target in the second innings. Both partnerships showed the importance of staying calm and focused while batting.
- India’s batting performance – India’s batting performance was a mixed bag. While the openers failed to give India a good start, the middle order played well. Cheteshwar Pujara showed his class with his unbeaten knock of 22 runs off 70 balls in the second innings, which helped India to chase down the target. Rohit Sharma played a captain’s knock of 26 runs off 77 balls in the first innings, which helped India to take a lead of 131 runs.
- Australia’s batting performance – Australia’s batting performance was disappointing in both innings. They failed to read the Indian spinners and lost wickets at regular intervals. Travis Head was the only Australian batsman who managed to score some runs and top-scored with 43 off 46 balls in the second innings.
- India’s successive Tests at a venue without a defeat – India has played 13 successive Tests at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, without a defeat. The last time India lost a Test match at this venue was in 1987. This is a remarkable achievement and shows the strength of the Indian team at home.
India’s win in the second test against Australia was a clinical performance. India’s spin bowling attack and partnerships between the middle order batsmen helped them to take a lead in the first innings and chase down the target in the second innings. Australia’s batting performance was disappointing, and they need to regroup and come back stronger in the next two tests. India has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series and is well on the way to retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.