India pacer Harshit Rana was left frustrated after the Adelaide Oval witnessed multiple blackouts on Day 1 of the 2nd Test against Australia. The incident happened not once, but twice, during the 18th over of Australia’s innings, which was bowled by Harshit. The first instance happened after the second ball, before the lights went off again after the 4th over. Harshit was seen flailing his hands in frustration when the floodlights went off for the second time. A video of the same has gone viral on social media.
The lights went out twice in quick succession at Adelaide Oval, but play has resumed. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/u6Jtd39Utc
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
Meanwhile, the commentators joked that Australia spinner Nathan Lyon had turned off the floodlights as he didn’t want to bat under the lights as a nightwatchman.
Australia dominated the proceedings on Day 1 after bowling India out for 180, following Rohit Sharma‘s decision to bat first. Mitchell Starc, who gave Australia a dream start by removing Yashasvi Jaiswal with the first ball of the match, took 6-48, his best career figures in a Test innings.
Scott Boland and Pat Cummins both grabbed two each. Six wickets went down in the second session, including Rohit for three and the flamboyant Rishabh Pant for 21.
Pant should have gone for five, but Nathan McSweeney spilled a sharp chance in the gully after the dangerous Boland, in the side for the injured Josh Hazlewood, drew an edge.
But the 35-year-old seamer got his reward four balls later, beating Rohit’s bat to trap him lbw.
A big innings was needed from Pant, but he was unable to deliver with a vicious climbing ball from Cummins bouncing off the shoulder of his bat and into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne.
Starc was brought back for another spell and was hostile once again, taking care of Ravichandran Ashwin (22) and Harshit Rana (0) in the space of four balls.
With India in trouble, Nitish Kumar Reddy decided to take charge, clobbering two big sixes in one Boland over to reach his highest Test score of 42 before he and Jasprit Bumrah fell to Starc and Cummins respectively.
(With AFP Inputs)
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