Australia have enjoyed their best day of the Border-Gavaskar series but the drama-packed second Test against India remains in the balance after a rollercoaster three sessions.
The tourists have a lead of 62 after going to stumps at 1-61, losing Usman Khawja (six) when forced to bat for a tricky 13 overs under lights at Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi.
The loss of Khawaja, Australia’s top-scorer in their first innings, is a blow but they went about quickly extending their one-run first-innings advantage in attacking fashion to shock India’s bowlers.
The recalled Travis Head (39no) opened with Khawaja, filling in for veteran David Warner who was subbed out of the match before play on Saturday with concussion.
Warner was replaced by Matt Renshaw, who is expected to bat at No.5.
Head was controversially dropped for the opening Test defeat in Nagpur based on his poor record in Asia, but looked at home batting at the top of the order, playing aggressively like he does in Australian conditions.
Head will resume batting with star No.3 Marnus Labuschange on Sunday as Australia attempt to further press their advantage in trying to level the series at 1-1.
But the undisputed star of the day was Nathan Lyon, who delivered one of the finest performances of his 117-Test career to finish with 5-67.
Lyon looked out-of-sorts during the first Test in Nagpur, going for 1-126 and was comfortably outbowled by 22-year-old spinner Todd Murphy, who was on debut.
But the 36-year-old could not have responded any better in the Indian capital, bowling with accuracy on a bouncy, turning wicket.
“Whatever we get we have to make sure it’s enough… be really brave,” Lyon said of Australia’s second innings.
“We need to trust the guys’ methods when they have the support of the whole change room to go out there and play the way they want to play and the way they think they can combat the quality bowling India have.”
After taking 4-13 during a masterful spell in the morning session, Lyon picked up India wicketkeeper KS Bharat (six) to bring up his 22nd five-wicket Test haul.
For the second Test in a row, an Australian debutant took the prized wicket of Virat Kohli (44).
Queensland left-armer Matt Kuhnemann (2-72) broke through for his first Test scalp after the umpire gave Kohli out lbw.
Kohli reviewed the decision, but the third umpire stuck with the on-field decision, much to the displeasure of the 34-year-old and his army of fans.
India slumped to 7-139 and appeared to be crashing to a dire position, but bowling allrounders Axar Patel (74) and Ravichandran Ashwin (37) rescued the hosts.
Patel and Ashwin put on a 114-run partnership – the third-highest eighth-wicket stand by an Indian pair against Australia – to frustrate the tourists.
It took some catching brilliance from Renshaw and Pat Cummins to remove Patel and Ashwin after the dangerous pair got the home crowd back into the game.
But by the end of the play, the Indian fans were as quiet as they have been all series as Head smashed their heroes to all parts of the ground.
© AAP 2023
