SCG Test: India bundled out for 244 in first innings
Team India suffered an untimely batting collapse in the second session on Day 3 of the ongoing SCG Test against Australia. The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant departed in quick succession as the fast bowlers brought the hosts back. Yet another torrid phase has left the visitors reeling in the Test. Despite Ravindra Jadeja's quick cameo, India were bundled out for 244.
How did the session pan out?
India resumed from the score of 180/4 after lunch, with Pujara and Pant in the middle. The former reached his fifty, however, his partner Pant was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood soon after. In the very next over, Cummins got rid of Pujara, who registered his slowest half-century in his Test career. Although Jadeja added a few runs, the Indian innings folded eventually.
Slowest Test fifty for Pujara
After skipper Ajinkya Rahane departed early in the morning, Pujara remained resilient in the second session. He brought up a patient half-century, that came off 174 balls. This has become his slowest Test fifty in terms of balls. He went past his previous record, when he notched up one against South Africa off 173 balls (Johannesburg in 2018).
A couple of run-outs in the second session
Two Indian batsmen, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah, got run-out in the second session. Notably, Marnus Labuschagne was at the helm on both the occasions. Earlier, Hanuma Vihari was also dismissed in similar manner.
The Australian pacers were on the money
The Australian pacers were all over the place in the second session, thereby disrupting the rhythm of Indian innings. All the three front-line fast bowlers Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc plundered wickets as India continued to stumble. Notably, Cummins' ball to Pujara drew a lot of praise. He remained the pick of Australia's bowlers with figures of 4/29.
Has Pujara become the bunny of Cummins?
Cummins has now dismissed Pujara four times from five innings in the ongoing series. Meanwhile, the latter has managed to score only 19 runs off 129 balls against him. As many as 119 balls have been recorded as dots.
Pant undergoes scans, Saha comes in as concussion substitute
Pant was struck on his elbow by Cummins while batting in the 85th over. However, he continued to bat after the blow that he sustained. The BCCI later reported that Pant has been taken for scans, the results of which will arrive soon. Eventually, Wriddhiman Saha was named Pant's concussion substitute. The former will keep wickets for India in the second innings.
