In the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Day 2 saw a complete turnaround from Day 1, offering a perfect example of how drastically conditions can change. On Day 1, Australia made life difficult for the Indian batsmen with excessive seam movement, resulting in 17 wickets falling and a low total of 217 runs scored. However, Day 2 was a different story altogether. The pitch became flat with minimal seam movement, allowing the Indian openers to showcase their patience and skill.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul displayed remarkable discipline and resilience, combining for an unbeaten 172-run stand, which put India in a dominant position at the end of Day 2 with 172/0. The Indian duo scored a total of 209 runs, with only three wickets falling compared to 17 on Day 1. Their partnership marked a historic milestone, as it was the first 100-run stand by an Indian opening pair in the last 20 years in Australia. The last time an Indian opening pair achieved a century stand was in 2004, when Virender Sehwag and Akash Chopra put on 123 runs in Sydney.

In fact, the partnership between Jaiswal and Rahul is now the first opening stand of over 150 runs by a visiting team in Australia since Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook scored 159 runs in 2010. It is also the highest opening partnership for a visiting team in Australia since Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth put up 191 runs in 1986. Jaiswal, with 90 runs off 193 balls, is only 10 runs away from reaching a well-deserved century, while KL Rahul, with 62 runs off 152 balls, also showed excellent composure.

Despite some resistance from the Australian bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and others found little assistance from the pitch as the sun beat down relentlessly. Hazlewood was particularly impressive, maintaining tight lines and lengths, but Rahul and Jaiswal showed remarkable patience, especially in the second session when they accumulated 84 runs from 26 overs. The third session saw a dry spell, with India only managing 22 runs in 17 overs in the first hour. However, the batters did not lose focus and, after a break, added 66 runs in 14 overs, keeping the scoreboard ticking while not giving away their wickets.

While the Indian batsmen were making strides, the Indian bowlers had already set the tone early in the day. On Day 1, India had reduced Australia to a precarious 67/7. On Day 2, India’s bowlers finished off the Australian innings, taking 37 more runs. Jasprit Bumrah was the standout performer with a five-wicket haul, getting Alex Carey caught behind. Harshit Rana then dismissed Nathan Lyon, but the final pair of Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood frustrated the Indians slightly, adding 25 runs to take Australia’s total to 104 before Rana claimed the final wicket.

At the end of Day 2, India had a commanding 218-run lead and were in a prime position to take control of the match. Jaiswal and Rahul’s partnership was key, but India’s bowling attack had already made their mark, with Bumrah leading the charge. As India heads into Day 3, they will look to continue building on this momentum and target a win in the first Test of the series. It is clear that while the opening stand was a highlight, India still has work to do to ensure they take a 1-0 lead in the series opener.

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