Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh (21) were on crease as the hosts ended the second day’s play at 143/4.
Steve Smith (Photo: AFP)
Captain Steve Smith’s unbeaten 59-run knock propelled Australia to a commanding lead of 298 runs at stumps on Day 2 of the first Test against India at the MCA Stadium, Pune on Friday.
Smith and Mitchell Marsh (21) were on crease as the hosts ended the day’s play at 143/4. They stabilised innings after early jolts led by Indian spinners.
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Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged three wickets in the shape of David Warner (10), Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb (19), while Jayant Yadav dismissed Matt Renshaw cheaply for 31 runs.
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The 20-year-old newbie Renshaw, who scored 68 runs, highest for the Australians in the first innings, put 52-run partnership with Smith for the fourth-wicket.
Earlier riding on spinner Steve O’Keefe’s six-wicket haul, Australia wrapped Indian batting line-up for a poor total of 105 runs. It was India’s worst Test collapse ever as they lost their last seven wickets for 11 runs. Previous worst was the same collapse for 18 runs in Christchurch in 1989-90.
Opener KL Rahul (64) was the only batsman with a causative score in the end. Seven Indian batsmen were dismissed for a single-digit score following a sudden collapse.
In those 41 overs of Indian innings, O’Keefe (6/35) ruled the most of the session, though pacer Mitchell Starc supported in bowling attack, dismissing top bets Cheteshwar Pujara (6) and Virat Kohli (0). Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon claimed one wicket each to join the party.
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