By Nick Mulvenney
SYDNEY (Reuters) – India’s pace attack, spearheaded by skipper Jasprit Bumrah, put Australia firmly on the back foot by taking four wickets in the first session of day two of the fifth test to leave the hosts on 101 for five at lunch on Saturday.
Bumrah, captaining India in place of the dropped Rohit Sharma, had removed Australian opener Usman Khawaja with the final ball on Friday and picked up where he left off on a surface still offering plenty for seam bowlers.
He had Marnus Labuschagne caught behind for two off the faintest of touches before Mohammed Siraj got the Indian fans in the packed crowd to their feet with two wickets in one over from the other end.
Teenager Sam Konstas had produced another of the ramp shots off Bumrah that distinguished his maiden test innings in Melbourne last week on his way to 23, only to flash a fizzing Siraj delivery to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully.
Travis Head followed for four runs three balls later with a thick edge that KL Rahul took comfortably at second slip, and Australia were rocking at 39-4.
Steve Smith and Webster steadied the ship with a partnership of 57 for the fifth wicket, but the former was removed with both lunch and his 10,000th test run in sight.
Prasidh Krishna, in the team for the injured Akash Deep, got Smith on his back foot defending, and the ball flew to the slips where Rahul again took the catch.
Smith’s hard-earned 33 left him five runs short of the 10,000-run mark.
Australia lead the series 2-1 and will clinch a spot in the World Test Championship with a win at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while India will retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy if they can triumph in the finale.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by William Mallard)
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