Bumrah’s Brilliant Spell Puts Australia on the Backfoot in Brisbane Test (Day 2, Lunch)

Brisbane, December 15 (ANI): Jasprit Bumrah’s relentless pace continued to trouble the Australian batters on Day 2 of the third Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at The Gabba in Brisbane. Despite resistance from Steven Smith and Travis Head, Bumrah’s incisive spell kept India in the hunt for more wickets as Australia reached 104/3 at lunch.

After rain had washed out the opening day, the skies cleared and bright sunshine greeted the players at The Gabba, promising an exciting day of cricket. Australia resumed their innings at 28/0 from 13.2 overs, with Akash Deep and Bumrah sharing the new ball. The battle between bat and ball became a spectacle as Bumrah and Akash produced an outstanding spell of pace bowling.

Akash set the tone by applying pressure from one end, while Bumrah expertly executed his skills from the other. Usman Khawaja, despite his vast experience, appeared unsettled facing Bumrah, who continued to extract pace and bounce from the surface. The pressure mounted, and eventually, Bumrah got the breakthrough, dismissing Khawaja for 21 after forcing him to edge the ball to Virat Kohli at second slip.

With Australia reduced to 39/2, Smith and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the ship. The two Australian batters batted cautiously, leaving deliveries outside the off-stump and attacking the ones closer to the leg stump. As their partnership began to build, the Indian fielders became visibly frustrated, searching for a breakthrough.

Mohammed Siraj attempted a tactical move by trying to change the bails on the stumps, in a bid to disrupt Labuschagne’s concentration. Labuschagne quickly replaced the bails, but his stay at the crease was short-lived. Nitish Kumar Reddy, bowling with impressive accuracy, lured Labuschagne into playing an aerial drive, which resulted in another thick outside edge that was caught by Kohli, dismissing Labuschagne for 12.

With Australia at 76/3, Bumrah and Akash kept the pressure on the Australian batsmen. Akash continued to bowl with precision, particularly challenging Travis Head, who responded with a smile at times, acknowledging the quality of the deliveries. Despite the sustained pressure, Head and Smith managed to see out the remaining part of the session without further casualties.

Brief Score:
Australia 104/3 (Steven Smith 25*, Travis Head 20*; Jasprit Bumrah 2/26) vs India.