Travis Head retained his title of being India’s biggest nemesis in the last couple of years, as the local boy came up with a whirlwind century to give Australia a handy 157-run lead, before the Aussie pace battery removed half of India’s side to leave the visitors trailing by 29 runs at the end of the second day’s play in the Pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy went back unscathed after entertaining the crowd in the final session with a few lusty hits, even as the rest of India’s top order failed to negotiate with the probing lengths of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to reach 128 for 5 at stumps.

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Cummins, the Australian skipper, gave his side an early advantage as the extra bounce got the better of KL Rahul, who nicked one to Alex Carey behind. Australia were further boosted, when first-change Scott Boland came up triumphs off his very first ball, sending the dangerous-looking Yashasvi Jaiswal back.

Just when things looked like settling down for India, Boland added another one to his bag when a delivery in length had Virat Kohli caught behind for 11.

Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc, who had terrorised India with a six-for in the first essay, joined the party when his devastating in-swinger went right through the gates of Shubman Gill, leaving India four down and in a position of worry. Starc almost had another one in the same over when he trapped India skipper Rohit Sharma right in front, only to find out that he had overstepped.

Rohit however, failed to take advantage of the life, and departed in the next over off his opposite number Cummins, whose perfectly-pitched delivery slanted in towards off and straightened away so very late to kiss the top of off stump. Rohit has thus managed 3 and 6 at No.6 on his return to the side.

Earlier, Head blew India’s attack away and thrilled his home crowd with a fiery 140 off 141 balls that swelled Australia’s first-innings lead to 157 and left India facing a challenging two-hour mini-session under the floodlights.

Head had walked out to generous applause from his fans and into a bit of trouble in the middle after Jasprit Bumrah (4-61) had taken out both Nathan McSweeney and Steven Smith in a space of 13 balls. While McSweeney nicked a Bumrah special behind to Rishabh Pant, after managing to add just one to his overnight tally of 38, Smith was caught down the leg side for 2.

Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschange, the other overnight batter with McSweeney, rallied around despite losing his partner soon after Australia resumed the day at 86 for 1, and ended his run drought with a half century.

Labuschagne scored a sedate 64 off 126 deliveries to set the tone, by adding 65 runs for the fourth wicket with Head before Reddy ended his stay in the middle. The departure of Labuschagne, and then Mitchell Marsh before the dinner break, left Head to shoulder the responsibility of Australia’s resurgence.

The southpaw played and missed four of his first nine balls but then torched the innings to pile up his first fifty off 63 balls and took only 48 more balls to convert it into an eighth Test hundred. He celebrated the landmark by rocking his bat like a baby in tribute to his family’s new arrival, with his wife among the crowd of over 51,642.

With Head going all out against India’s attack, especially the rookie quick Harshit Rana, India skipper Rohit turned to his experienced campaigner in Mohammed Siraj (4-98), and the right-arm pacer delivered by dismissing Alex Carey for 15 to break the growing partnership with Head on the other end.

With the second new ball, Siraj came back strong after conceding a four and a six to castle Head with a crushing yorker that saw the end of his blazing knock laced with 17 fours and four sixes. Bumrah went on to knock Cummins with a ripper that swung into the stumps, leaving Australia at 332 for 8 at tea.

The very first ball after tea saw Mitchell Starc mishit one straight to Rana at mid-off to give Siraj his third of the innings. Soon after, Siraj struck the stumps once again, this time with the wicket of Boland to bundle out the home side for 337.

Brief Scores: India 180 and 128 for 5 (Pant 28 not out, Cummins 2-33, Boland 2-39) trail Australia 337 (Head 140, Labuschagne 64, Bumrah 4-61, Siraj 4-98) by 29 runs.