Key events
33rd over: Australia 79-8 (Starc 11, Lyon 5) Bumrah to Starc, nasty bouncer first ball that’s just over his front shoulder, Starc having to work to evade it. Then nearly getting a leading edge as Starc tries to clip across his pad to a ball angling away. Does make contact with the same shot next ball to midwicket. He’s rotating strike decently but how long can it last? Bumrah cuts Lyon in half. Surely a wicket comes shortly.
32nd over: Australia 77-8 (Starc 10, Lyon 4) Play Bon Jovi. They’re halfway there with Starc’s single to mid on. Lyon gets them into the second half with a gentle pull from Rana for another single. 76 plays 150, as Starc edges on the bounce into the cordon. Then a pull shot that nearly carries to square leg! Single there, and Rana snorts a lifting ball past Lyon’s edge. This is raw stuff. A bit more chatter between Starc and Rana, maybe getting pricklier.
31st over: Australia 74-8 (Starc 8, Lyon 3) Runs from Bumrah, Lyon manages to squirt it away for three. Starc says, no thanks, you have strike, and glances a single. Lyon defending awkwardly with an angled bat, but he’s still kept Bumrah out for longer than several of his batting colleagues. Tries a big drive but find cover. Australia still short of halfway on India’s score.
30th over: Australia 70-8 (Starc 7, Lyon 0) Rana the young bowler was picked to bowl fast, and he is at Starc, a few short balls including one that takes glove but lands safe. Starc is chipping him, though with a smile on his face. “I bowl faster than you, and I’ve got a long memory.” Starc pats Rana on the shoulder at the end of the over, all seems friendly.
29th over: Australia 70-8 (Starc 7, Lyon 0) Nearly gets a nick from Lyon, too, does Bumrah. And again. Pushing at one ball, fanning at the next. Finally gets bat on a defensive push from the fifth. Hit on the body to end the over.
WICKET! Carey c Pant b Bumrah 21, Australia 70-8
Of course it’s Bumrah! The Indian captain completes a five-wicket haul in the innings with his first ball of the second day. Around the wicket, back of a length, moving away off the seam with his brilliant wrist position. It’s not good batting though, Carey doesn’t need to play that, it’s too short to threaten the stumps and too wide on line, but he’s drawn into it, nervous about Bumrah, just wanting to block the ball out, and his defensive push nicks it through low to Pant.
28th over: Australia 70-7 (Carey 21, Starc 7) Harshit Rana to get us underway, with Australia trailing by 83 runs! Carey is happy to take an early single though, and Starc responds with one of his own. Carey again. Nudging and glancing, busy start.
Here’s my report on yesterday’s play.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hello from Perth. The sun is shining strongly. It should be a bit warmer today, though still forecast to stay under 30 degrees. But the heat will be on in the middle. Alex Carey, in form and with a history of saving Australian innings, will need to do a special version of that, with only Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood for company. If not, then India will take a surprising advantage after they were knocked over for 150 yesterday. It was a wild opening day, 17 wickets falling in a fast-bowling demonstration.
