Akash Deep in action during 3rd Test match against Australia© AFP
A rare action took place on Day 2 of the India vs Australia third Test match at The Gabba, Brisbane. In the 95th over of Australia’s batting on Sunday, the pair of Pat Cummins and Alex Carey ran four runs in one go. It happened when Cummins drove Nitish Reddy’s third ball of the over beautifully through extra cover. Akash Deep chased the ball and managed to stop it. However, before the ball could be thrown back, the duo of Cummins and Carey ran four.
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With clear weather at the Gabba, Travis Head and Steve Smith smashed contrasting centuries to help Australia dominate proceedings against a listless India as the hosts’ reached 405/7 in 101 overs at stumps on day two of the third Test on Sunday.
The duo also shared a stand of 241 runs off 303 balls for the fourth wicket, after joining forces at 75/3. Along with Alex Carey’s unbeaten 45, Head and Smith ensured Australia had a day to remember by being in the drivers’ seat of the match.
While Smith made 101, including hitting 12 boundaries, to hit a hundred for the first time since the second Ashes Test in June last year, Head smashed 152, laced with 18 boundaries, to make it back-to-back tons in Tests against India.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah toiled hard to pick his 12th five-wicket haul and be the standout performer with 5-72 in 25 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mohammed Siraj picked a wicket each, while Akash Deep, despite troubling Smith and Head initially, didn’t get a scalp.
But overall, it was a day to forget for India who were taken to cleaners easily, with no plan to counter the threat from Head, the lack of bowling depth and absence of proactive field settings coming under the scanner yet again.
(With IANS inputs)
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