Australia in the driving seat on day one of the Test as India bowled out for 180
Michael Lynch: Mitchell Starc was the hero of the day with six wickets - including one with the first ball of the match - as Australia cut the deficit to less than 100 by stumps
Australia finished the first day of the second test with their tails up and in the driving seat as they bowled India out cheaply for 180 before making 86 runs for the loss of only Usman Khawaja, ensuring they begin the second day's play just 94 runs in arrears. Mitchell Starc was the hero of the hour, finishing with six wickets.
After their shellacking in Perth, when they lost by a whopping 295 runs with plenty of time to spare, Australia desperately needed to make a statement at the beginning of the second test in front of a big crowd at the Adelaide Oval.
But not even Pat Cummins nor his battery of bowlers would surely have dreamed of taking the precious wicket of Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal with the very first delivery of the match: yet that is what the fates delivered them.
Starc, so effective with the pink ball in these day/night Test matches, thundered into the Indian star - who had made 161 in the second innings of his country's thumping win in WA - and fired in a ball that caught him plumb in front of his wicket as it swung back.
He didn't bother with a review and began the lonely walk back to the pavilion after the ultimate opener's humiliation, having been given out LBW for a golden duck.
Australia looked to capitalise on that early breakthrough and India looked to tread water and buy time to come to their senses, rather like a boxer leaning back on the ropes after a knockdown in the first 30 seconds of a title fight.
Jaiswal's opening partner KL Rahul dug in and sought to consolidate as first drop Shubman Gill began the recovery. Still, fortune did smile on them when the still scoreless Rahul looked to have been caught behind off Scott Boland's first delivery in the eighth over only for the wicket to be ruled out because of a no ball with the bowler overstepping.
Rahul got off the mark shortly after, and he and Gill, who was playing some nice shots, not only consolidated but began to build a total as the batsmen gained confidence pushing the score along. Still, they enjoyed another slice of luck when Usman Kawajah dropped a catch in the slips when Rahul had only scored a solitary run.
Just when the tourists were thinking they might be able to overcome their shocking start, Starc made the breakthrough Australia so keenly desired when Rahul directed a shot to Nathan McSweeney who dived to take the catch.
That wicket left the score at 2-69 and precipitated a wobble in the Indian top order.
Virat Kohli, another Perth centurion, lasted only a few overs and Starc again was the Australian hero when the Indian edged a chance to Steve Smith, who made no mistake in the slips. Kohli had made only seven runs.
Australia was now getting on top and Starc had his tail up, but it was Boland, robbed of an earlier wicket because of a no ball, who continued the damage when he trapped Gill in front of the off stump for another leg before decision.
India went to the long break four wickets down for 82 but it didn't take Australia long to increase the pressure in the second session when Boland got yet another leg before wicket call, this time dismissing Rohit Sharma for just three leaving India reeling at 5 for 85.
Soon enough they were 6 for 109 when Rishad Pant was caught at slip by Marnus Labuschange for 21 and Australia was now well into India's tail.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Nitish Kumar Reddy sought to steady the ship but the currents were unfavourable. Starc was blowing up a storm and removed Ashwin in the first over of his new spell, trapping him LBW with a wicket when he was on 22 and the India total 141.
The Sydneysider followed up three balls later when Harshit Rana was clean bowled for a duck, giving the left arm quick five wickets for the innings, and India looked as though they would struggle to get to 150.
The Australian destroyer from the first test, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, was next to the crease and he provided sufficient resistance for Reddy to take the strike, the latter bringing up the Indian 150 with a lusty six off Starc.
Reddy continued to play with gusto, hitting a reverse sweep and then another six off Boland as he looked to post a total that might at least give the Indian bowlers something to defend.
Bumrah was caught behind leaving Reddy to do what he could, but resistance was always likely to be minimal at this stage and he eventually skied one from Starc which Travis Head held comfortably, leaving India all out for 180 with Reddy top scoring on 42.
It was the collapse in the middle order, where they lost 3 for 28, which restricted them and left Australia in the driving seat.
The hosts began brightly enough as the sunset drew in with Bumrit powering down and advanced to 17 without loss when McSweeney got a life, neither wicketkeeper Pant nor Rohit able to take the catch from his edge.
Khawaja became the first Australian domino to fall when Bumrah struck in the 11th over, removing the veteran opener for 13 after he spooned a catch to Rohit.
McSweeney and Marnus Labuschange came together when the score was 24 and they steered the hosts to stumps with a deficit of less than 100 and nine wickets in hand, setting Australia up to take a first innings lead as they bid to level the series at one win each.
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