Travis Head hit a brilliant eighth Test hundred as Australia took a commanding lead on the second day of the second day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval, boosting their hopes of leveling the five-match series against India .
The blistering captain smashed 140 off 141 to power Australia to 337 in their first innings, and a lead of 157, before the hosts' impressive batting reduced India to 128-5 at stumps – still 29 runs short the arrears.
Scott Boland (2-39) removed leading men Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) and Virat Kohli (11) – the two captains from India's 295-run win in the first Test in Perth – while Mitchell Mitchell Starc (1-49), fresh from career-best figures of 6-48 in the first innings, cleaned up Shubman Gill (28).
Starc could have had another, but for a no-ball denying the wicket of Rohit Sharma for a duck. It had little effect, however, as captain Pat Cummins (2-33), who had been bowled by KL Rahul (7) earlier, returned to see his other tally for six late in the evening with perhaps row member – inserting. line and just hops away enough to beat the outside edge of Rohit's quick defense and knock his off stump back.
Going into the third day, Australia will be keenly aware of the ever-dangerous Rishabh Pant. So crucial in India's series win Down Under four years ago, the great wicket-keeper played some terrific shots – including one particularly notable pullback over the slips for four – on his way to 28 not out off 25 balls.
India's Rishabh Pant played a four-wicket haul on the second night in Adelaide
India, meanwhile, rue the fall of Mohammed Siraj's head when he was on 76 which would have seen Australia six down and leading by just 50 at the time.
Instead, Head cruised through to a 111-ball hundred, smashing 17 fours and four sixes for his innings – the third of his eight Test tons to come on his home soil. the Adelaide.
The 30-year-old left-hander dominated a 74-run partnership with Alex Carey (15), while he added 65 earlier with Marnus Labuschagne (64), who enjoyed a return to form much needed with only his second half in his last 11 Test innings.
Starting the day's play on 20 not out, and Australia 86-1, India made an almost immediate breakthrough when Jasprit Bumrah (4-59) saw off Nathan McSweeney (39), caught behind, having added just one run to his night's score. .
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah made an early breakthrough on the second day in Adelaide
The brilliant Bumrah also dismissed Steve Smith (2) freely, albeit a bit embarrassingly down the leg, before Kenn and Labuschagne chipped in.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (1-25) broke the partnership with when he picked up Labuschagne caught at gully, Australia at that stage still 12 runs shy of India's first innings mark of 180, but Head then on the accelerator to not only get to a large extent. lead but that could make a winning contribution.
Mitchell Marsh (9) fell in rather awkward fashion, caught behind to Ravichandran Ashwin (1-53), not reviewing the decision despite replays showing no connection between bat and ball, and Siraj (4-98) said the main wicket of Head as he shook the machines at the back end before many advances made by Australia with the ball in the last session.
The teams will play the third Test starting on December 14 in Brisbane, followed by the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne from December 26 and the final match in Sydney from January 3.
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