On Day 2 of the opening Test of the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Perth’s pitch has transformed dramatically, giving India a strong upper hand in the game. The Indian openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal have enjoyed dictating to the Australian bowlers as the Indians reached a steady total of 172 without losing any wickets by the end of play. A partnership of 172 runs between Rahul 62* and Jaiswal 90* justified their belief in the strength of their batsmen, increasing India’s lead to 218 runs.
The pitch, which initially tested the batsmen for patience on day one, eased out towards the end. It allowed the Indian openers to settle in and even counter the Australian pace attack with full confidence. Rahul and Jaiswal showed the toughness of character and excellent shot selection to capitalize on loose deliveries and build a good partnership to protect India’s position. Jaiswal’s aggressive approach, coupled with Rahul’s composed and steady innings, left Australia struggling to make a breakthrough.
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It was difficult for Australia’s bowlers to break the partnership as the day progressed. The openers from India focused very well and remained composed, adapting to the changing pitch conditions without much fuss. Such a strong start by Rahul and Jaiswal has resulted in India setting up for a huge first innings total and gives them every bit of potential to put Australia under immense pressure when they come out to bat again.
Now India will look to build on this commanding lead in order to make it as difficult as possible for Australia to try and mount a comeback. Thus, a strong start gives the team an upper hand in the series’ opening match, as a large lead on a scorching Australian pitch is challenging to chase.