Travis Head continued his magnificent run of scores in Adelaide by belting a third straight century at his home ground before receiving a send-off from India’s Mohammed Siraj that could light the fuse for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar series.
India’s early ascendancy in the five-Test battle slipped away on a fast-moving Saturday as the tourists ended day two at 5-128 in their second innings, still trailing Australia by 29 runs after Pat Cummins (2-33 from eight overs) and Scott Boland (2-39 from seven) ripped through a wobbly top order.
When Boland removed Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) from the first ball of his spell and then found the edge of Virat Kohli’s bat (11), Australia were on track to maintain their perfect pink ball record in Adelaide.
Starc rammed home that advantage with arguably the ball of the Test that swung into Gill (28) and smashed his middle stump out of the ground before Cummins produced a similar work of beauty to bowl Rohit Sharma for six.
On a day when Marnus Labuschagne hit his way back into form with a fighting 64 and India’s frustrated bowlers had their worst day of the series, Head brought up his eighth Test hundred and second against India.
His innings of 140 was replete with power and precision. The swashbuckling left-hander brought up triple figures from 111 balls in front of his wife, newborn baby and a crowd that took delight in watching him punish India’s bowlers.
Get off: Mohammed Siraj had stern words with Travis Head after the latter was dismissed.Credit: AP
At 3-103, Australia were in some danger of not going past India’s first innings score of 180. Head ensured that did not happen.
After scores of 175 and 119 against the West Indies over the past two summers, Head’s latest hundred in the city where he grew up has boosted his batting average at Adelaide Oval to 79.25, still a way behind Sir Donald Bradman’s 107.77.
When Head was bowled by Siraj to leave Australia at 7-310, the pair were involved in a heated exchange that sent the Adelaide Oval crowd wild.
Siraj, who’d just been hit for six, was boisterous in his celebration and stared down the pitch at Head, who said something back to India’s opening bowler. Siraj then gestured to the change rooms, which Head and the Adelaide crowd did not appreciate. Boos soon rang out around the ground.
Happy days: Travis Head acknowledges the crowd after his epic knock.Credit: AP
Sledging a hometown hero was not Siraj’s smartest idea, particularly given he had earlier dropped a difficult high catch that Head hit when he was on 76.
Former Australian Test captain Ricky Ponting said Siraj could be cited by the match referee after the ugly exchange.
“Siraj wasn’t happy to be clipped over deep backward square for six,” Ponting said on Channel Seven’s coverage. “Have a look at Travis Head’s reaction … it was almost like he [Siraj] lost it halfway down. He might have a bit to answer for there as well. That’s what you call the old-fashioned send-off.
“Umpires and referees don’t see kindly to stuff like that.”
Siraj was heckledas he ran in to bowl to Mitchell Starc on his next delivery after the Head wicket. Perhaps the loudest cheer of the day came when he was immediately clubbed for a boundary.
Head has been the in-form Australian batsman for some time but Labuschagne’s profitable return might be explained by an extra batting session under lights three days earlier against a pink ball away from television cameras.
He spent an extra 25 minutes at training on Wednesday night, when others had finished, getting used to the pink ball under lights.
The hard work paid off on Friday evening and the Saturday sunshine provided a welcome relief for Labuschagne and opener McSweeney.
Marnus Labuschagne after reaching 50 in Adelaide.Credit: AP
After passing 10 just once in his previous 10 innings, Labuschagne scored just his second Test half-century since January.
After scores of two and three in Perth, Labuschagne’s form has been under the microscope. His latest innings will keep the critics at bay.
McSweeney added just one run to his overnight total before he edged Bumrah behind to Rishabh Pant for 39.
Labuschagne, after already hitting nine boundaries, tried to take that figure to double digits but was beautifully caught in the gully by Yashasvi Jaiswal, 36 runs short of what would have been just his second hundred in 42 innings.
With Steve Smith out for two, edging Bumrah down the leg side, the pressure now leaves Labuschagne and shifts towards the team’s most experienced Test batsman.
Mitch Marsh perished for nine after walking off thinking he’d edged a ball behind off Ashwin when replays showed it missed the bat. Australia were bowled out for 337.
The tables have certainly turned and the battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is heating up.
