David Warner’s career is hanging in the balance after another relative failure with the bat after the Aussie veteran was unable to return to the field.
Australia has had a solid start to the second Test against India but will be rueing missed opportunities again as collapses played a huge part on day one.
With three spinners and just captain Pat Cummins as the sole seamer, Australia took a new look side into the second Test.
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But the old gremlins once again showed themselves.
Usman Khawaja and David Warner tallied 50 before Warner nicked off to a peach of a ball from Mohammed Shami.
But Warner had battled hard for his 15 off 44 balls, copping shorts balls to his arm and to his head.
Unfortunately for the underfire veteran, he was unable to return to the field once Australia was finally bowled out, citing dizziness from the peppering he received early.
“The medical staff will have to assess tomorrow, he is a little bit weary at the moment,” Usman Khawaja said after play.
“He got a knock to the arm and then the head, I think the head made him a little bit weary at the moment and couldn’t come out to field.
“The staff will have to figure out what happens from here.”
Although he reportedly hasn’t had a concussion test, he would be replaced by Matthew Renshaw if he couldn’t continue in the match.
It’s horrible timing for Warner, who needs a substantial innings in the second dig to stave of calls for his head after a remarkably lean run.
After Warner’s dismissal, Marnus Labuschagne then joined Khawaja as the side got to 91 before the second wicket fell.
It was here the rot began as Australia went from 1/91 to 4/108 as Steve Smith and Travis Head fell cheaply.
Peter Handscomb and Khawaja rebuilt the innings to 4/167 before Khawaja and Carey both fell for one run.
Handscomb and Pat Cummins tallied 59 in a partnership but Todd Murphy was out without troubling the scorers on 227.
While Australia batted past the 250 mark, it was far from convincing, except for Khawaja who scored 81 and Handscomb who was 72 not out.
Although a vast improvement from Nagpur where Australia was bowled out for an all-time low score in India, Aussie commentator Matthew Hayden said there should have been closer to 350 on the board.
“I think they’ll be a little disappointed that those partnerships again were not in that big range,” Hayden said.
“Win the toss, bat, you want to go big. You want to go once really.
“They left 80 runs out there in my book. But that’s the reality of it. They’ve got the conditions they need, they’ve picked three spinners, they’ve also got the spin of (Travis) Head.”
The fans were divided on the score, particularly after the commentators tipped the pitch to “explode” on day three.
ABC’s Sam Tomlin wrote: “I’ll take 263 and run with it after the previous effort. Well played Handscomb in particular.”
Hindustan Times’ sports editor Sanjeev Singh added: “Australia 263 all out, not a bad total on this wicket”.
CNN-News18’s Sahil Malhotra tweeted: “This was the BEST DAY to bat. Australia have managed 260+ but should have scored MORE”.
The Aussies made a few changes with Matt Kuhneman the big one on Test debut as Australia brought one seamer in Pat Cummins as well as three spinners in Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy and Nathan Lyon making up the attack.
Australia had nine overs to bowl before stumps with Cummins and Kuhnemann taking the new ball.
It was the first time an Aussie spinner had opened the bowling on Test debut since Nathan Hauritz in the Mumbai Test in November 2004.
At stumps, India were 0/21 although Rohit Sharma had to overturn an incorrect on-field decision when he didn’t get a tickle on a ball from Nathan Lyon which was caught at silly mid wicket.
Sharma will continue on 13, while KL Rahul is on four.
9.44pm – Australia all out, until they aren’t
Peter Handscomb looked to have been caught off Ravindra Jadeja in the 78th over which should have wrapped up the innings — but the Indian spinner was called for a no ball.
The score was 256 and while Australia have only one wicket left — it could still hurt the Indians after Jadeja committed cricket’s cardinal sin — a spinner bowling a front foot no ball.
However it only cost India seven runs as Mohammad Shami finished the innings, going straight through Matt Kuhneman, taking his fourth wicket for the innings.
Handscomb finished 72 not out in a brilliant innings as Australia tallied 263.
8.39pm – Handscomb brings up 50
Brilliant performance from Peter Handscomb, becoming the second Aussie in the innings to pass fifty.
The No. 6 has battled hard, bringing up the milestone in 110 balls as he guided Australia past 200.
7.45pm – Australia settle nerves at tea
Tea has been taken at the Feroz Shah Kotla, with Australia 198/6.
The Australians have been significantly more positive compared to the first Test with a view to taking advantage of the best batting conditions on day one.
Usman Khawaja stood up with his best ever score in India, with a magical diving catch from KL Rahul his undoing for 81.
Peter Handscomb, brought back into the Test fold for his ability against spin, remains unbeaten on 36 not out alongside captain Pat Cummins.
It has been an intriguing day’s play so far, with neither side stamping their authority on the match.
7.10pm – Rahul screamer removes Khawaja
It was always going to take something special to remove Usman Khawaja, and something special it was.
Getting all of his now-trademark reverse sweep, KL Rahul had to put on a cape and fly to his right, hanging onto a one-handed blinder to give Ravindra Jadeja his 250th Test wicket.
Khawaja can scarcely believe his eyes.
Mark Waugh said: “That is game changing”.
Jadeja becomes the second-fastest player in history to a 250 wicket, 2500 run double, taking seven Tests longer than the great Sir Ian Botham.
Alex Carey departed shortly afterwards for a fourth-ball duck, taking Australia to 168-6 as Pat Cummins comes to the crease, a rescue mission needed.
6.30pm – Australia’s Asian specialists go to work
Two of Australia’s best players of spin have steadied the ship once again in Delhi, with Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja slowly setting a foundation for the team again and shrewdly working the ball behind square on occasion, the partnership nearing 50.
Khawaja works ever-closer to what would be a maiden Test century in India for the 36-year-old.
He averages 55.42 in Asia, with three of his 13 Test centuries coming in the subcontinent.
Bollywood actor Anshuman Jha said Khawaja was “taking the bull by the horns.”
6.00pm – Familiar scenes as top order begin to crumble
Travis Head is the first wicket to fall after lunch, refusing to back down from his attacking style and getting caught slashing to second slip off Mohammed Shami.
Throwing hands at the ball is Head’s style, and works in Australia on the truer pitches of the antipodes, but it’s not as successful in India.
Peter Handscomb is the incoming batter and himself throws hands first ball with his feet nowhere, almost chopping on.
5.00pm – Familiar scenes as top order begin to crumble
Australia are reeling at 91-3 after Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in quick succession.
Usman Khawaja is the man standing tall for the Aussies, becoming the first man to reach a half-century this series for the tourists – his 50 has come off 71 deliveries with extensive use of the sweep, perhaps a tip taken from the sweep-happy Alex Carey’s success last Test.
We go to lunch with the score 94/3.
4.15pm – Warner out after Australia consolidate
David Warner has gotten out for a third time in a row to a right-armer around the wicket, Mohammed Shami cramping him for room and getting the ball to jag away, presenting a straightforward catch for KS Bharat.
Warner never looked comfortable at the crease, copping a series of body blows as well as a knock to the head in his 44-ball 15.
Warner’s struggles facing right-armers around the wicket are well-documented, with the 36-year-old admitting he had nightmares about Stuart Broad after the Englishman dismissed him seven times in ten innings during the 2019 Ashes.
Marnus Labuschagne comes to the crease with the score at 50/1.
Usman Khawaja is settled on 29 not out.
3.30pm – Australia make steady start
Australia have made a steady start to the second Test, sitting at 0-19.
David Warner is not off the mark after 19 deliveries, with Usman Khawaja doing most of the heavy lifting behind square.
Not too many chances in the first half-hour of play, with KS Bharat dropping a difficult chance off Khawaja down the leg side early.
David Warner also successfully overturned an LBW decision on review, although he has not looked convincing against the right-arm Shami around the wicket.
3.00pm – Second Test gets underway in Delhi
Australia have begun the first innings at the Feroz Shah Kotla, with Mohammed Shami taking the new ball and immediately coming around the wicket to David Warner and shaping the ball steeply in.
Both of Warner’s dismissals this series have been to right-armers around the wicket, with Shami sending his off stump cartwheeling after just five balls in Nagpur.
With his sixth delivery, Warner was rapped on the back pad, Shami getting one to duck in, given out and overturned after an immediate review – replays showed Warner edged the ball onto his back pad.
2.30pm – Australia win the toss and bat
Australia have won the toss and will bat in Delhi, with Matthew Kuhnemann and Travis Head coming into the XI for Matthew Renshaw and Scott Boland, as reported.
India make one change to their XI, with Suryakumar Yadav dropped after his debut Test for Kolkata Knight Riders batter Shreyas Iyer.
Australian XI: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey (wk) Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins (c), Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy
Indian XI: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
2.00pm – Matthew Kuhnemann makes Test debut
Matthew Kuhnemann has been presented with Baggy Green number 466 from state teammate Marnus Labuschagne.
Kuhnemann has 35 first class wickets at an average of 34.80 from 13 matches, only making his Sheffield Shield debut with Queensland in 2021.
ABC’s Quentin Hull has described it as an ‘extraordinary story’, with Kuhnemann only picked as a cover for Mitchell Swepson, who leaves for the expected birth of his first child.
Cameron Green is set to stay on the sidelines for Australia with a finger injury still giving the 23-year-old some pain, with Travis Head set for a recall.
The South Australian was spotted rolling his arm over, suggesting his part-time off-spin might be called upon.
Head was arguably the batter of the summer for the Aussies, averaging 87.50 in the summer to date and racking up 525 runs, but was dropped for the first Test in Nagpur after struggling in Sri Lanka last year.
Head will play his first Test match in India.
1.45pm – Delhi smog chokes Australians
The infamous Delhi smog is well and truly present, although locals have claimed that it will clear by the time play gets underway.
Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and consistently ranks at the bottom of air quality ratings.
Sri Lankan players were forced to wear masks during a 2017 Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla, with the match stopping temporarily after coach Nic Pothas said his players were “coming off the field and vomiting”.
1.30pm – Aussies set to pick another debutant
The Australians are set to drop another selection bombshell after their humiliating defeat within three days in the first Test in Nagpur, with left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, flown over as cover for his Queensland teammate Mitchell Swepson, set to be selected for his debut.
Swepson was not in the selection frame while on tour in India as the sole legspinner, having struggled last year in Pakistan, and Kuhnemann was not expected to play, but with Australia’s comprehensive defeat in the first Test may prompt some bold selections.
While Ashton Agar was selected for the tour and in the final Test of the home summer in Sydney on the basis of his left-arm spin, the West Australian has reportedly struggled in practice over in India and sits last in the pecking order of the four tweakers taken on tour.
Kuhnemann, 26, has 35 first class wickets at an average of 34.80 from 13 matches.
Australia is desperate to pick a left arm spinner, and Allan Border has warned even Todd Murphy’s spot is under pressure.
