Virat-Rahane keeps India in the 2nd test at unusual Perth Pitch

PERTH: NP NEWS 24 ONLINE – Indian cricket team was on back foot in the 2nd test match of the series of the 4 match test series as they let Australia score 300 plus runs in the first inning of the match where the pitch was tough for the batsman.

India’s mistake was that, playing with 4 main fast bowlers and a spinner before the ball was bowled.  But in the end India didn’t fall back as Captain Virat and Vice-Captain Rahane secured India from a batting collapse.

Australian tale rounded off
When India came to bowl in the morning session they needed 4 wickets to round off the innings. Indian quicks were on spot and the only batsman who was playing well was Captain Tim Paine but he was sent off by India’s best fast bowler of the innings, Jasprit Bumrah.

The peak of India’s fast bowling was when Ishant Sharma took 4 wickets in the innings followed by Bumrah and Umesh taking 2 each. Off spinner Hanuma Vihari also took 2 wickets, while Shami went wicketless.

Indian openers Misery
Indian openers themselves are not in good form, on top of that, Australian team’s strength is their quick bowling, and the unequal bounce at the pitch added a cherry to the cake. All these factors add up to make India’s scoreboard look like 8 for 2 wickets. Murli Vijay who was low on confidence performed just like that and got bowled out by the in-swinging delivery from Starc. While, KL Rahul was reduced by the perfect Yorker by Hazelwood.

Solid Captain and Vice-Captain
After that last match’s hero Pujara tried his best to keep India’s wicket column to 2 but after facing 100 plus balls he also nicked one down the leg side of Starc’s bowling.

Both the captain and vice-captain didn’t let the Australian bowlers get stele and played positively. There was a time when Virat was playing at a strike rate above hundred. They both played well till the end and managed to score 80 runs together taking India’s score past 172.

For his 82 Virat faced 181 deliveries in which he smashed 9 boundaries and on the other hand Rahane scored 52 on 103 delivery with the help of 6 boundaries and 1 sixes.

The match is evenly poised and of India could bat till tea tomorrow then India will defiantly get back into the match.