On the opposite side of the first day, it was in Perth. Only 3 wickets fell all day! All again from Australia. Ajira started the day with 67 runs for 7 wickets and stopped at 37 runs on the scoreboard in the first innings. India, however, were in no danger as they started their second innings after lunch. Yashwi Jaiswal and Lokesh Rahul turned the match.
The duo's unbroken 172-run opening partnership in 57 overs saw India cross Day 2 of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series with a 218-run lead. Jai Jaiswal (90) will start the third day tomorrow with hopes of a century. Rahul (62) will also be in that hope. The visitors stopped at 150 in the first innings.
Such was the scene on day one for Perth—217/17 in 76.4 overs. And on the second day—209/3 in 82.2 overs. Pacers have also taken the remaining 3 wickets of Ajid today. Harshit Rana got 2 of them. With the rest, Jasprit Bumrah took 5 wickets in an innings for the 11th time in his Test career. The pacers of both teams got all the 20 wickets in the two days.
In the last two sessions yesterday, the Auji Pacers could not show the first day's groove. However, Jaiswal and Rahul foiled all their efforts. The two have now planted the seeds of victory in the minds of the Indians by taking a big lead. In between, Jaiswal tried to excite Mitchell Starc en route to a patient 193-ball innings. Auji did not stop joking with the fielders. Has made the feat of six hits in a year in Tests.
Former New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum hit 33 sixes in 2014. Jaiswal's number of sixes this year stood at 34. His partnership with Rahul in Australia is also the second highest for an Indian opening. They now have a chance to break the 191-run partnership of Sunil Gavaskar-Krishnamachari Srikkanth in Sydney in 1986. Both scored centuries in that match. If Rahul-Jaiswal can break that pair, India's hope of winning with a big lead will be even brighter.
