India v Australia, 4th Test, Day 2 – 5 Talking Points

After the heroics of the debutant chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav, India were in the advantage going into the second day of the final Test against Australia in the scenic stadium of Dharamsala. The visitors went for an all-pacers attack in the beginning and some fiery bowling was rewarded with the wicket of Murali Vijay in the first hour.

KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara combined well for the second wicket and added 87 runs. Both got to their individual half-centuries but departed soon after. Nathan Lyon did the damage with four key wickets in the last session which meant that the game hung in balance with Indian still trailing by 52 runs with 4 wickets in hand.

Here are the 5 major talking points from the second day’s play:

1. Rahul missed a big score once more

The Indian opener has been in a sensational form and got to his 4th half-century this series. After surviving the initial burst from the fast bowlers, he came into his own and played some graceful shots. He went back in the 41st over for 60 when he couldn’t control a short ball from Cummins and gave an easy catch to the covers fielder.

But despite his good run, it is quite evident that he loses control after getting to his fifty and plays a few loose shots and throws his wickets away. His scores in the series so far have been 64, 10, 90, 51 and 60. He had a chance to make it a big hundred each time and it’s fair to say that he missed out on at least a couple of centuries. He has proved that he is a superb batsman but that’s one area where he needs to improve.

2. Pujara’s meditation ended after the tea break

The ever dependable Cheteshwar Pujara was at work once more and looked in his usual touch. Ball after ball, he concentrated and played yet another classy innings. He went past another fifty this series and was looking good for a big score once more.

But the tea break seemed to hamper his application and he lost his wicket in the very first over after walking back on the field. He didn’t get fully forward to a delivery outside off from Nathan Lyon and ended up getting an inside edge to the short leg fielder as his fine innings of 57 was cut short.

3. Lyon pegged India back

Australian fast bowlers were bowlers were inducing great support from the pitch and peppered the Indian batsmen with plenty of short balls. After the tea break, it would have been tempting for Steven Smith to go with the pacers once more but surprisingly he went with Lyon.

The off-spinner repaid his faith when he picked up four wickets in the last session. Pujara, Nair, Rahane and Ashwin fell to him and he brought Australia back in the game. The finger spinners found it tough going on the surface thus far and it was only the wrist spinner Kuldeep who did the damage. But Lyon proved to be effective even with the sore spinning finger.

4. Triple century and nothing for Nair

Karun Nair had made a grand announcement of his arrival in the Indian team when he scored a triple hundred against England in the last Test series. He became only the second Indian to do so after Virender Sehwag. India kept him in the playing XI whenever they went in with 6 batsmen.

But post that remarkable inning, it has been a dry run for Nair as he hasn’t managed even a half-century. He has had scores of 26, 0, 23 and 5 in the series so far. He won’t be able to hold his spot for too long on the back of the triple hundred as plenty of talented batsmen are waiting in the wings to pounce on any opportunity.

5. Renshaw’s buttery fingers

The Australians managed to pick up 6 good wickets but they didn’t have a good time catching behind the stumps. First, it was KL Rahul at the start of the day who flashed at a fuller length 146kmph delivery from Pat Cummins that flew to Matt Renshaw at first slip. He did not have much reaction time as the ball rushed to the third man boundary.

Next, it was Wriddhiman Saha who late in the day nicked one to Renshaw off the same bowler. It was an easier catch as compared to the previous one as it went straight into the hands but popped out allowing the batsman to live another day. Rahul went on to score a half-century and Saha is unbeaten at the end of day’s play and it remains to be seen how much he makes them pay for the lapse.