India bowlers shine as they restrict Australia to 181 at stroke of Tea on Day 2

Sydney [Australia], January 4 (ANI): Indian seamers Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj along with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy helped India take the upper hand at the stroke of Tea on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. 

At Tea on Day 2 of the Sydney Test, the Baggy Greens were bundled out for 181  conceding a 4-run lead to the visitors. 

The second session resumed from 101/5, with debutant Beau Webster (28*) and Alex Carey (4*) unbeaten at the crease. The batters put on 31 runs before Carey was dismissed in the 38th over of the innings after scoring 21 runs with the help of four boundaries. 

Pat Cummins came next to bat along with Webster.  They put on just 25 runs before the latter was dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy in the 45th over of the innings. 

After that, in the 47th over, Nitish Kumar Reddy struck again as he dismissed the left-hand batter Mitchell Starc who made just 1 run. 

At 166, Australia lost the ninth wicket of  Webster who played a brilliant innings of 57 runs off 105 balls which was laced with five boundaries. 

The last wicket of the Australian innings fell at 181 as Scott Boland was cleaned up by Siraj in the 51st over of their innings. 

For India, three wickets were snapped by Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna while two wickets each were grabbed by Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy in their respective spells. 

Earlier, the hosts resumed Day Two at 9/1, with opener Sam Konstas unbeaten on seven. Right-handed batter Marnus Labuschagne joined him at the crease. However, the Indian bowlers applied relentless pressure from the start, maintaining an accurate line and length.

Bumrah claimed the first wicket of the day, dismissing Labuschagne in the fourth over for just two runs. With this dismissal, Bumrah surpassed legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi’s record for the most wickets in an overseas Test series by an Indian bowler.

Steven Smith then joined Konstas at the crease. In the 12th over, Siraj delivered a game-changing spell, taking two wickets in a single over.

He first dismissed Konstas for 23 on the second ball and then removed Travis Head, the highest scorer of the series, for just 4 on the fifth ball, pushing Australia onto the back foot.

Debutant Webster then partnered with Smith to stabilize the innings. The duo guided Australia past the 50-run mark in the 15th over and completed a 50-run partnership in the 26th over. However, in the 28th over, Smith fell to Prasidh Krishna for 33, marking the fifth wicket for the hosts.

After Smith's dismissal, wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey joined Webster at the crease. At the break, the pair had managed to build a modest partnership of five runs.

Brief Scores: India: 185 all out (Rishabh Pant 40, Ravindra Jadeja 26, Scott Boland 4/31) vs Australia: 181 all out (Beau Webster 57, Steven Smith 33, Prasidh Krishna 3/42). (ANI)