Jaiswal, Rahul shine in a Perth Test of contrasting performances

The allure of Test cricket lies in its ever-evolving conditions, presenting unique challenges to teams each day. While the bowlers dominated on the first day, it was the batters who shone on the second, showcasing the unpredictable nature of the pitch on Saturday.

With the sun beating down on it, all the moisture went out of the wicket and it became much better for batting. Australia hung around for a long time in the morning session to add 37/3 in 24.2 overs to start Day 2 off. They were eventually bowled out for 104. It is their second lowest in home Tests against India, after the 83 all out in Melbourne in 1981.

And then India took things up a notch with Yashasvi Jaiswal (90*) and KL Rahul (62*) stitching together an unbroken 172-run partnership to give the visitors an overall lead of 218 runs at close of play. This puts India in the driver’s seat and it would take something quite drastic to unseat them.

Earlier, a stubborn last-wicket partnership between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood saw them bat for 110 balls to score 25 runs. It got the Aussies closer but not close enough.

If anything, it helped India because they got to bat in the best session, post lunch. But it also shone a light on why that Jasprit Bumrah spell on Day 1 was so vital. The Indian skipper added to that by removing the dangerous Alex Carey with his first ball of the day.

He finished with 5/30 — recording his ninth five-wicket haul outside Asia. It brings him level with Kapil Dev for the Indian record. It was Bumrah’s second five-for in Australia. He also has two each in England and the West Indies, and three five-wicket hauls in South Africa where he made his Test debut in 2018.

It was clear that the pitch had changed but against the new ball, India’s openers still needed to be at their best and they were. Both batters were ready to play the patient game and apply themselves to the job at hand.

Jaiswal, in particular, made the mental switch quickly. In the first innings, he got out trying to play a shot on the up. Now, he buckled down.

He got to his 50 off 123 balls — choosing caution rather than a sense of adventure and he was helped by his partner, Rahul. The duo put on a batting masterclass that the rest of the Indian line-up should definitely try to reproduce.

India played a patient game and even though there were plenty of plays and misses, the batters didn’t deviate from their set plans. They kept things simple and reaped the rewards later.

“I think the wicket’s changed considerably, I think that’s the first point,” said Australia coach Andrew McDonald. “If you look at the seam and swing, it was down comparative to yesterday. Yesterday was difficult work, (but) I thought KL and Jaiswal played extremely well also. You need to ride your luck a little bit, our guys got the balls in the right areas, and there was some plays and misses as well, so anything can happen if you get some edges on that, it could be a totally different day, but I think the conditions have changed, I’ll state that.”

India made the most of that change with a partnership that many in Australia will never forget. It pushed the hosts into a corner and they will now have to depend on the second new ball — which is 23 overs away — to try and get back in the game.

The game isn’t over and matches can change course very quickly. But for now, India are in control and Australia are chasing the game. Another couple of good sessions might put India on the path of achieving another famous win Down Under. For now, they’ll be keen to just bat on for as long as possible.