And that will be the end of Day 2 of this first Test. Indian openers Jaiswal and Rahul have bossed the last two sessions.
Team India now lead Australia by 206 runs. India are 160/0 with Jaiswal on 87 and Rahul on 58.
KL Rahul brings up his 16th half-century in Tests. India are 128/0.
The partnership is 100-up, Jaiswal is 50-up and the lead is now 150-up. India are slowly and gradually batting Australia out of the game. There were a couple of chances created by Australia but to no avail as India still have all 10 wickets in hand.
Yashasvi Jaiswal after getting out cheaply in the first innings, has stormed back into the form he has shown in Tests in 2024 with a gritty half-century. Jaiswal has looked in no hurry and has shown the other side of his game, that he can put his head down and play according to what the situation demands. This has been a superlative knock.
The ball is basically doing nothing... Nothing! Who'd have imagined that on a track where batters were finding it hard to play even one ball, Australia haven't been able to get a single Indian wicket in the second innings in 40 overs? The wicket has flattened out rather nicely and Indian batters would want to bat Australia out of the game with both the openers. Australia's body language is looking really flat and they need some inspiration to come back into this match.
India are getting into the batting-Australia-out-of-the-game zone with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal being solid in the middle. The opening partnership is 84 and by the tea break, the lead is already 130 up. Australia desperately need wickets otherwise this could get really out of reach for the hosts rather quickly.
The lead is past 100 now and India are slowly taking firm control of the game, if it wasn't already there. This has been a superb fightback from India after being bowled out for 150 in the first innings. The 46-run lead in the first innings feels like gold dust at this point.
This has been a superb opening partnership for India after what happened in the first innings. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal have both negotiated the probing spells from the Australian bowlers and have held their own to help India close in on 100-run lead without losing any wicket in the second innings.
This has been a much-improved start from KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The intent has been on show. Both have respected good balls but have looked to rotate the strike consistently and haven't missed out on boundary opportunities.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, the Indian openers are in the middle and the first aim would be to get through the first spells of Starc and Josh Hazlewood, the pair which frustrated India for over an hour with the bat.
The batters in both innings found the softer, old ball to play easier than the new and the newish ball. Nitish Reddy did it, Rishabh Pant did it and now Mitchell Starc showed that if the batters apply themselves, there are runs to be scored and that they can spend time in the middle. However, it is crucial for the teams to get to that stage without losing too many wickets. Hence, it won't be a bad shout to promote the likes of Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy up in the order so that the pure batters get to face the older ball. But will India make that change?
Regardless of the frustrating one hour, India have been able to take a handy 46-run lead in Perth in the first innings. Australia have been bowled out for 104 but Mitchell Starc has to be commended for playing like a proper batter, almost better than anyone else in the game for Australia and was the last one to fall with his (former) KKR teammate Harshit Rana accounting for his dismissal.
The 23-run unbeaten stand is now the highest partnership for Australia and Mitchell Starc at 26 has now the most runs for the hosts in the innings. Australia are really frustrating India now with one wicket left and the deficit is below 50 now. Australia are past 100 now in their pursuit of India's 150.
13 runs have been added for the final wicket. It might not be a lot but when the first two wickets on the day came for just 12 runs, India were expected to bowl Australia out below 90 but Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have kept Indian pacers at bay and have started frustrating India.
Harshit Rana after all that banter with Mitchell Starc has sent Nathan Lyon packing. Lyon was late in picking the short ball from Rana, which kept rising and rising and hit his gloves before lobbing up for KL Rahul to take a simple catch. Australia have lost nine wickets.
Just two (former) Kolkata Knight Riders teammates having a go at each other, albeit in zest. Mitchell Starc said a few things to Harshit Rana after the latter bowled a bouncer. Starc reminded him saying that he is still faster than him before both had a laugh at it. Good to see! Rana is bowling well and should have a wicket sooner rather than later.
A short of a good length delivery from Jasprit Bumrah on his first ball of the day and the Indian captain got the bounce. The ball moved a touch and it was enough to take Alex Carey's edge and Bumrah has his fifer and India their eighth wicket. Australia lose their last recognised batter and are still 80 runs behind India's total.
Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc are out there in the middle and debutant Harshit Rana has the ball in the hand as India look to take these remaining three wickets quickly to get the maximum lead as possible.
There are a few cracks already forming on the pitch. Starc reckoned that there was a bit of extra sideways movement and nothing else. If the sideways movement continues and with cracks forming, it might be another difficult day for the batters. However, with the sun baking down and Australia taking a heavy roller, the pitch is expected to settle down. Should be another good contest between bat and ball.
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was adamant that there were no demons in the wicket despite 17 wickets falling on a day. "When there’s a lot of runs, it’s like, ‘Oh, the bowlers bowled badly. When there’s wickets, the wickets are tough’. (But) you are allowed to bowl good balls and maybe credit should go to both teams and bowlers," Starc said after the first day's play.
Captain and leader Jasprit Bumrah was sensational with the ball and his tactics to lead India into the position they find themselves in after the first day's play. Those two wickets in consecutive deliveries of Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith were probably the clincher before Bumrah came back to dismiss his Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins. Australia are still 83 runs behind and would want to get as close to India's total as possible.
How often does it happen that Day 2 gets the honours of being the moving or the decisive day in a Test match? 17 wickets on the opening day in Perth have made it happen and it's for Jasprit Bumrah and Co to utilise the advantage they gained despite being bowled out for 150 after choosing to bat first. Welcome to our live coverage of the second day of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth.
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