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Brisbane Test: Australia on top; Sundar, Thakur drive India forward
Last updated on Jan 17, 2021, 10:28 am
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Hosts Australia continued to mow down India's middle-order in the second session on Day 3 of the ongoing Brisbane Test.
Team India lost the likes of Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant, who looked set for a substantial partnership.
However, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur displayed their batting abilities against the Australian bowling attack.
Here is the session report.
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Session 2
How did the session pan out?
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Team India started the second session on 161/4, with Agarwal and Pant arriving in the middle.
However, Agarwal (38) departed on the second ball of second session, as he nicked one off Josh Hazelwood to slips.
After a few overs, the latter dismissed Pant (23), with Cameron Green taking a brilliant catch.
Eventually, Sundar and Thakur remained unbeaten as India finished on 253/6.
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Agarwal, Pant
The duo couldn't last long
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Agarwal, who was picked for the fourth Test due to multiple injuries in the Indian camp, fared well in the middle-order.
Coming in to bat at number five, he appeared to be in decent touch.
However, his dismissal put Australia right on front.
Meanwhile, Pant continued with his counter-attacking innings from ball one.
Later on, he departed for 23 off 29 balls (2 fours).
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Partnership
A 67-run partnership by Sundar and Thakur
![A 67-run partnership by Sundar and Thakur]( "A 67-run partnership by Sundar and Thakur")
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Both Thakur and Sundar used their experience from white-ball cricket, and shared a pivotal stand in the second session.
While Thakur (33*) was the aggressor out of the two, Sundar (38*) played meticulously.
In the 73rd over, the latter played a couple resounding strokes off Mitchell Starc, which gave a testimony of his batting.
The duo shared a 67-run stand to steady India's innings.
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Do you know?
A record stand for the duo
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Interestingly, the likes of Thakur and Sundar shared the highest (67*) and the longest (balls faced) partnership for the seventh or lower wicket for India since January 2020 (33 partnerships in all).
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Bowlers
Hazlewood remains the pick of Australia's bowlers
![Hazlewood remains the pick of Australia's bowlers]( "Hazlewood remains the pick of Australia's bowlers")
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Fast bowler Hazlewood remained the pick of Australia's bowlers in the second session.
He dismissed both Agarwal and Pant to turn the tide, having impressed with bowling figures of 3/43.
Meanwhile, Starc and Pat Cummins proved rather expensive, and couldn't produce any breakthrough.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon too didn't perturb the Indian batsmen much even though he deceived them several times.
