Rishabh Pant’s blazing half-century and another Australian batting collapse has combined to give India the upper hand to win the fifth Test at the SCG and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Momentum swung back to India on day two of a Test being played in fast-forward with the Aussies bowled out for 181 to trail by four on the first innings before Pant’s swashbuckling knock cancelled out Scott Boland’s triple strike on India’s top order. Pant smacked 61 from 33 deliveries, including six fours and four sixes, as India motored to 6-141 from just 32 overs in the second innings to lead by 145 with four wickets in hand heading into day three.
Making the tourists’ effort in the field more remarkable was the fact that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was absent after leaving the field one over into his spell early in the second session and did not return after leaving the ground to get treatment for back spasms. More Cricket Indian officials are yet to announce a prognosis for their skipper and their chances of defending a fourth-innings target will hinge greatly on whether he is able to bowl. Fellow seamer Prasidh Krishna told the media after stumps that he was unsure if Bumrah would be able to soldier in through the pain.
With the ball seaming all over the place, anything more than 200 will be a huge chase for the Australians, particularly after their batters failed to fire in the first dig, apart from debutant all-rounder Beau Webster, who stood tall literally and figurati.
