The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at The Gabba, Brisbane, witnessed a spectacular display of batting on Day 2 as Steve Smith and Travis Head’s centuries overshadowed Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul, propelling Australia to 405/7 at stumps. Alex Carey (45*) and Mitchell Starc (7*) remained unbeaten as Australia asserted their dominance.
Australia resumed the final session at 234/3, with Steve Smith (65*) and Travis Head (103*) continuing their onslaught. The pair’s partnership flourished, as they racked up a 241-run stand, their second double-century partnership against India, having previously achieved the feat during the ICC World Test Championship final.
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Smith played the anchor role, reaching his 33rd Test century with a single off Akash Deep. This was his first three-figure score in 25 innings, breaking his previous longest drought of 22 innings. His milestone knock, however, ended shortly after when Bumrah dismissed him for 101.
Head, on the other hand, dominated with a blistering 152 off 160 balls, including 18 boundaries. His ability to rotate strike and capitalize on loose deliveries stood out as he completed his ninth Test century and third against India. Head’s valiant innings came to an end when Bumrah struck again, dismissing him with a sharp delivery caught behind by Rishabh Pant.
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as India’s standout performer, finishing with figures of 5/72. His spell included the dismissals of both centurions and the early wickets of Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney, which reduced Australia to 39/2 in the morning session. Bumrah’s lethal bowling kept India in contention despite Australia’s strong batting display.
After Smith and Head’s departure, Alex Carey and skipper Pat Cummins frustrated the Indian bowlers with a 58-run stand. Cummins fell to Mohammed Siraj for 20, but Carey remained resolute, steering Australia past the 400-run mark. Starc provided support to ensure no further wickets fell by the end of the day.
India’s bowlers started strongly in the first session, with Akash Deep complementing Bumrah in applying pressure. Bumrah dismissed both openers, Khawaja (21) and McSweeney (9), while Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed Marnus Labuschagne (12), caught at slip by Virat Kohli. The early breakthroughs gave India hope, but Smith and Head stabilized Australia with a mix of caution and aggression.
The second session belonged entirely to Australia, as Head accelerated and Smith anchored the innings on a pitch that increasingly favored batting. Head’s use of bounce and clever strike rotation allowed him to dominate the Indian attack, while Smith’s composed play frustrated the bowlers.
India struggled to maintain consistency in the second session as Smith and Head dictated terms. The inexperience of bowlers like Nitish Kumar Reddy showed, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj couldn’t extract much help from the pitch.
Also See: IND vs AUS Upcoming Matches / Series | IND vs AUS Series Schedule
Brief Scores: Australia: 405/7 (Travis Head 152, Steve Smith 101, Jasprit Bumrah 5/72).
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