Ravindra Jadeja picked four wickets as Steve Smith (153*) and Glenn Maxwell (104) helped Australia reach 401 for seven at lunch on Day 2 of the third Test.
Ravindra Jadeja played the saviour act for India with three quick wickets as Australia reached 401/7 in 118 overs at lunch on the second day of the third Test in Ranchi on Friday. Australia captain Steve Smith continued to lead from the front with an unbeaten 153. Keeping him company was Steve O’Keefe on 1 as Australia added 102 runs to their overnight score of 299/4. (Day 1 blog)
India captain Virat Kohli stayed inside the dressing room receiving medical attention on Friday. His shoulder injury was deemed external and there shouldn’t be any problem about him batting at No.4 but India looked like missing his leadership. Ajinkya Rahane was taking the calls after consulting senior players but India looked like going through the motions for a considerable part of the morning session and waiting for Australia to make a mistake rather than making it happen. (Day 1 scorecard)
The first wicket to fall in the morning session was that of Glenn Maxwell who made the most of a benign pitch to score his maiden Test century. Maxwell raised his century with a typical risk slash played between two slips before pumping his fists and getting a congratulatory embrace from Smith who had once criticised Maxwell for his comments on Matthew Wade.
Maxwell, however, didn’t last long as he was dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja courtesy a sharp catch by Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps. With the pitch flattened out and the ball almost new, Smith faced no problem scoring freely from the other end.
Smith’s technique of moving across the stumps and trying to whip the ball off his legs continued to work for him as he went after Ishant Sharma to fetch two boundaries in the over after Maxwell was dismissed. Then Wade danced down the pitch to place Jadeja between midwicket and mid-on for a fine boundary.
The running was brisk and India seemed rudderless at times with misfields and lack of innovation. The bowling changes were haphazard as well. Rahane waited till the 21st over of the day to introduce R Ashwin. By then Wade had already raced to 18 off 29 balls and had even started to sweep with confidence.
To Wade’s credit, he started picking Ashwin quickly and scored boundaries off him in consecutive overs before again sweeping Jadeja for a boundary in the 114th over. But Jadeja finally had his revenge in the 26th over of the day. Wade came to his front foot playing for the spin but the ball just took off straight after pitching, taking a healthy edge to Saha.
Wade’s stay was brief but his 50-ball 37 ensured Australia suffered no hiccups in closing on to the mentally-boosting mark of 400. Jadeja scalped the wicket of Pat Cummins in the same over but with Smith still unbeaten, Australia could back themselves to add at least 50 runs from here.