India vs Australia 1st Test, Day 2 Highlights: Smith, Clarke Torment Visitors on Rain-Hit Day, Post 517/7 at Stumps
In 10 outings at Adelaide since 1948, India have managed just one win (in 2003). Catch all the highlights here.
'Injured' Michael Clarke returned to post an emotional century and forge a solid stand with Steve Smith as Indian bowlers continued to toil. There were more frustrations as rain kept interrupting play at regular intervals as only 31 overs were bowled on Day 2. India were lacklustre with the ball, enabling Clarke and Smith to get to triple figure scores and take the total past 500 runs. Catch all the highlights here: (Scorecard | Highlights) Day 3 Live Updates)
13.10 (IST): Stumps! The umpires have brought an end to the day due to bad light! Australia end in command once again, with 517/7 on board at the close of play on the rain-hit Day 2. Smith carried on from where he left of on Tuesday and Clarke, fighting a troubled back, looked determined to get to his century. He fell towards the end of the day on 128 and walked off to an ovation from the ground.
12.57 (IST): Bad light halts play! Players have walked off the field again, this time due to fading light conditions.
12.54 (IST): OUT! Michael Clarke is gone! Karn continues to spin the ball from outside the leg stump and Clarke goes down on one knee and tries to pull the ball but hits it straight to Cheteshwar Pujara at square leg. He departs for 128. Aus 517/7
12.47 (IST): 500 up for Australia and it seems like rain may soon return again. Light is also starting to fade. Would the thought of declaration crossed Clarke's mind yet?
12.25 (IST): Smith continues his aggressive ways! He gets to his 150 as Australia inch closer to 500-run mark.
12.18 (IST): Play resumes! Karn Sharma starts the proceedings from round the stumps. Australia 474/6.
© AFP
11.01 (IST): It's raining again! Covers are back as players walk off again. Australia 473/6
10.52 (IST): Stumping chance missed! A lifeline for Smith as Wriddhiman Saha fails to collect the ball cleanly and force a stumping. Aus 458/6
10.48 (IST): FOURS! Steve Smith is going after it now! He first executes a cross-batted slog over mid on and then follows it up with a heave towards deep midwicket fence. Is declaration around the corner? Aus 450/6
10.37 (IST): Century for Clarke! What a way to round of an emotional period for the Aussie skipper. Highly muted celebrations. This is his 28th ton in Tests, 7th in Adelaide and 7th vs India.
10.29 (IST): Play resumes! Murali Vijay completes his unfinished over without conceding a run. Clarke is two short of his 28th Test ton. Aus 423/6
10.20 (IST): Finally some good news! Play to commence at 3.30 pm local time, which is 10 minutes from now.
09.10 (IST): Here's Smith's poignant celebration after getting to his ton.
Watch @stevesmith49 paying tribute to Phil Hughes as he completes his 5th Test TON #RIPPhilHughes #63notout #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/PMIpxCHLQT
- Cricingif (@cricingif) December 10, 2014
08.45 (IST): Smith gets his ton, Clarke moves on to 98 and the rains return. Players go off again. This could be a recurring feature today.
© AFP
08.28 (IST): Second session begins and straightaway Steve Smith gets to his 5th Test ton. He walks up to the spot in the ground which has "408" painted on it and raises his bat to that before looking skywards.
08.04 (IST): Time for second session? Not yet! Indian players walk out and are forced to walk back in as rain returns.
07.26 (IST): In the break, Sourav Ganguly expresses his surprise at the fact that Indian bowlers bowl much better on flat Indian wickets than on conducive tracks in Australia and England. Matthew Hayden suggests the Indian quicks are not able to cope up with the negligible margin of error.
07.15 (IST): Just when the covers were coming off, the rain has returned.
07.10 (IST): Covers are coming off but the rest of the first session is lost. Players are currently taking lunch.
06.54 (IST): Here's how Australia have scored their runs.
© NDTV
06.40 (IST): Oh dear! It's raining in Adelaide! Covers are coming on as Steve Smith - two runs short of his fifth Test ton - and Michael Clarke - on 85 - are walking off. Kohli won't mind the break. Aus 405/6
06.30 (IST): 400 up for Australia! Smith and Clarke have given Australia a solid start to Day 2. Aus 401/6
06.25 (IST): Varun Aaron bowls full and drifts down the leg side. Smith flicks and moves into the 90s. Australia 395/6.
06.19 (IST): Here's more evidence to the fact that Clarke is clearly battling a bad back injury.
He's clearly battling injury, but this is a courageous effort from the skipper (81*): http://t.co/YZV8ah2JEA #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/ocuqJrksGH
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 10, 2014
06.18 (IST): Aaron bowls one at 144 kmph, gives Kohli a reason to smile for the first time in the day. Kohli will hope Aaron tries and maintains his line and length today.
06.14 (IST): India's inaccurate bowling is making life easier by the minute for Clarke. Kohli brings Varun Aaron into the attack. Aus 390/6
06.07 (IST): Kohli makes his first bowling change. Karn Sharma comes into the attack. Aus 382/6
06.06 (IST): Conditions in Adelaide are still slightly overcast. Indian bowlers are however, not making the most of it. Smith and Clarke have had an easy start to life on Day 2. Aus 382/6.
06.02 (IST): Clarke seems to be in pain with every shot. The stump mic seems to have picked up a sigh as well.
06.00 (IST): Full ball drifting onto the pads, short and wide outside off-stump - it's all too easy for Clarke at the moment. Bring Aaron early and asking him to bang it in short to the Aussie skipper could be an option for Kohli.
05.56 (IST): Clarke's movements are understandably looking a bit off. There is almost no footwork and he seems reluctant to put any sort of pressure on his back. Indians however, are hardly testing the 'half-fit' Aussie skipper. For now, he is standing and hitting Shami and Ishant for fours.
05.51 (IST): Not the start Virat Kohli would have expected! Both Shami and Ishant have bowled a handful of loose deliveries in the first three overs of the day, allowing Smith and Clarke to get a couple of boundaries. India desperately need an early wicket.
© AFP
ÂÂ
05.44 (IST): Poor start for Ishant Sharma! He offers a poor half-tracker first up and Steve Smith cuts it to the point boundary. Aus 358/6.
05.40 (IST): Great news for the hosts! Michael Clarke walks out to bat with Smith on Day 2.
05.30 (IST): Light showers early on in Adelaide has led to a minor delay in the start of second day's play. Australia will resume on 354/6 with an unbeaten Steve Smith in the middle.
05.26 (IST): News from Adelaide is that Australia skipper Michael Clarke HAS batted in the nets and could fancy walking out to bat again. The ball on which Brad Haddin was dismissed was the final delivery of Day 1 and it could be interesting to see if Clarke walks out first up with Steve Smith.
© AP
Australia, who won the toss, lost some late wickets and reached the close at 354 for six with Steve Smith leading the way on an unbeaten 72. Brad Haddin was out for a duck in the day's final over. While Australian batsmen batted beautifully against Indian pacers and spinners, there was also concern when skipper Michael Clarke retired hurt on 60 with a back problem.
Warner was at his pugnacious best smashing 19 boundaries during his knock of 145 off 163 balls before being holed out in the deep off debutant Test leg-spinner Karn Sharma, who became the first Indian in 24 years to earn his Test cap outside the subcontinent. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was impressed with the way Karn kept his head up despite being hunted by the Aussie batsmen.
Gavaskar believes India can save this game only if they restrict Australia to 420 or less in their first innings. Onus will be on Indian bowlers on Day 2. Ishant Sharma, who was the best bowler of the day (1/56), will have to shoulder the responsibility. Varun Aaron (2/95) and Mohammed Shami (2/83) rounded off frustrating starts with late wickets. But Aaron was seen limping just before stumps.
© AP
First day of the opening Test was the day of tributes to Hughes. Players and fans paid moving tribute to the life of Hughes on Tuesday by doing what they said he would have wanted: going out and playing cricket.
Virat Kohli, captaining India with regular skipper MS Dhoni out with a wrist injury, offered his own personal tribute to Hughes. "I knew Phillip, he was one of the guys I spoke to more than most. He asked for my bat in a home game in Jaipur and I wish I'd given it to him."