India fight but Australia on top
India showed plenty of fight with the ball in hand on day two of the second Test against Australia but the visitors moved to 237/6 by the close to lead by 48.
The heroes for the tourists were left-handers Matthew Renshaw and Shaun Marsh who both struck patient fifties to help Australia stay on top.
Australia’s heavyweight batsmen David Warner (33) and Steve Smith (8) were back in the hut before lunch on the second day.
Warner fell victim to huge turn as he was caught in two minds after initially shaping to leave he chased one with his hands but couldn’t lay willow on it before it clattered into the stumps.
Smith was patient for his eight and drew India into burning one of their reviews as Virat Kohli’s terrible DRS record reared it’s head again although to be fair it was a borderline call.
Ravindra Jadeja would eventually end the skippers vigil getting him to edge onto his pad before Wriddhiman Saha completed a diving catch.
Australia reached 87/2 by the break with Renshaw on 40 not out and the elder Marsh on 2 not out.
India enjoyed a decent afternoon session as they bagged three wickets between lunch and tea, the first wicket should have been that of Marsh who gloved one from Umesh Yadav to Saha but it was given not out and India opted not to review with only the keeper excited.
Finally it would be Renshaw who went after putting on 52 with Marsh of the S variety, he would be stumped off the bowling of Jadeja for another solid knock of 60 after the opener gave him the charge one too many times.
Peter Handscomb was guilty of throwing his wicket away after reaching 16 he attempted to clear midwicket against the turn and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed a clumsy catch with the ball popping out but luckily landing on his arm.
Shaun Marsh was then joined by his brother Mitchell who could last just 11 balls and was trapped leg before off the final ball of the session by Ishant Sharma for a duck.
Australia went to tea on 168 for 5 trailing by just 21 runs.
The visitors just one wicket in the final session as Shaun Marsh used a review to good effect and India burned another on the same batsman as he approached his fifty.
Marsh will be disappointed with his dismissal as a tired shot saw him fall to Umesh for 66.
Mitchell Starc and Matthew Wade would ride their luck until the close of play and move Australia to a 48 run lead with four wickets in hand.