‘Shaadi ke baad akele yahi perform karte hue’ – Axar Patel’s heroic knock takes India within striking distance of Australia’s total in 2nd Test

India and Australia locked horns in the second Test of the four-match Test series in Delhi on Friday. For India, the openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul started off the Indian innings with a positive intent. They both together built up a partnership of 46 runs before Rahul was dismissed after scoring just 17 runs from 41 balls which included a six.

India falls one run short in reply to Australia’s total of 263 runs. Star India all-rounder, Axar Patel was the highest run-getter in the innings as he scored a crucial knock of 74 runs off 115 balls with nine boundaries and three massive sixes. Former India skipper Virat Kohli also scored 44 runs off 84 balls with four boundaries.

For Australia, the star with the ball for the day was their veteran off-spinner, Nathan Lyon who bagged a fifer and conceded 67 runs with five maiden overs in his spell of 29 overs. The spinning duo of Matthew Kuhenemann and Todd Murphy took two wickets each and they finished with the figures of 21.3-4-72-2 and 18-2-53-2 respectively.

Kangaroos skipper Pat Cummins also grabbed one wicket and conceded 41 runs in his spell of 13 overs. He bowled two maiden overs as well in his spell. He took the wicket of veteran off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who was dismissed after scoring 37 runs off 71 balls with five boundaries.

Australia ends Day 2 on high

Australia while batting in the second innings, played 12 overs in the last session of the day two, where they scored 61 runs with the loss of opener Usmamn Khawaja’s wicket. The left-hand batter was able to score only 6 runs off 13 balls with one boundary. His drought of runs in this series continues.

Currently, the left-hand batter Travis Head and world number one batter Marnus Labuschange is on crease. Head is batting on 39 runs off 40 balls with five fours and a six while Labuschange is batting on 16 runs off 19 balls with three fours.

On day three, where on one side Australia batters will try to score a big score whereas on the other side India will try to bundle them out as soon as possible.

Here’s how fans reacted on Axar Patel’s innings: