Australia set to level series after Head heroics

Michael Lynch: Australia was driven by Travis Head's 140 and a second innings Indian collapse as the hosts made merry on a night of mayhem in Adelaide

South Australian star Travis Head left a packed Adelaide Oval crowd in raptures as he top scored with a magnificent 140 as Australia put India to the sword in a day of dominance in the second Test.

Head, the powerful middle order batsman, was the lynchpin of the Australian innings as the hosts set themselves up for victory following a final session collapse by the Indian top order. Australia is now poised to level the series at one win apiece, erasing the memories of their drubbing in the first Test in Perth.

Australia, sparked by Head's powerful hitting, made a total of 337, a 157 run lead over India's disappointing first innings total of just 180.

When India began their second innings with light fading in the final session of this day/night match they knew they had to dig in and be patient, but none of the top order really got set as wickets flew in a flurry.

By stumps India were 5-128, trailing by 29 runs. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on 28 and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy , with 15, seemingly the last realistic hope that the tourists might go on to make some sort of total that would force the Australians to chase, unlikely as that seems.

Head was the hero with his belligerent hitting - and equally belligerent response to Mohammed Siraj who gave him an animated sending off. But he was well supported by Marnus Labuschange, who came the wicket alongside Nathan McSweeney as Australia resumed it's innings having lost Usman Kawajah the previous evening.

Labuschange got back into the scoring groove as he weighed in with a score of 64.

The batsman has had his share of critics in recent times but, partnered by the free scoring Head, Labuschange was able to help consolidate Australia's position after and the early departure of Steve Smith on Saturday afternoon.

Smith went for just two runs from 11 balls, when he was caught behind by wicketkeepr Rishabh Pant off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah , playing down the leg side to the first ball of the 41st over.

Earlier Bumrah had removed Australia's other opener, Nathan McSweeney after the South Australian, in partnership with Labuschange, seemed set to go on and make a decent score.

Pant also took the catch behind, and McSweeney was gone having faced 109 balls and struck six fours during his innings of 39 runs.

Bumrah had taken the first three wickets, underlining his position as India's leading strike bowler, and would eventually finish with 4-61.

Undeterred by the loss of two partners, Labuschange continued to accumulate and played with more freedom as he went past 50.

But he was ultimately undone by an excellent catch in the gully by Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal off the bowling of Nitish Kumar. Jaiswal was devasted to be out for a first ball duck to Mitch Starc with the first ball of the match on Friday and although this wasn't compensation it at least helped redress the ledger a little.

While that gave India some relief the tourists still had to contend with Head, who seemed to be scoring for fun. A four by him off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj took Australia past India's first innings total of 180, and Head quickly went on to make his 50 before the main break as Australia went to dinner at 4-191.

The South Australian batsman resumed where he had left off after the interval and took the long handle to the opposition attack, smashing his way to a century with a single off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin as the Adelaide oval crowd rose to salute one of their own.

He reached the milestone off 111 balls, smiting three sixes and ten fours as he took command of the game to propel Australia to a substantial first innings lead.

Mitch Marsh partnered him for only a short period before he fell to Ashwin.

Wicket keeper Alex Carey, another South Australian, came to the crease to support Head when he was only on 62 and he accompanied his colleague all the way to the 100 and beyond before he was dismissed for 15.

Once again it was to a catch behind the stumps by Pant, this time off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj, who had toiled for 21 overs before getting his reward. Still, two South Australians making merry at the country's most picturesque cricket ground in front of a huge crowd of their state supporters is a memory the pair will cherish.

All good things come to an end, and Head finally fell for 140 - but not without controversy after he missed a delivery from Siraj, who gave him plenty of verbal encouragment to walk away.

Head was happy to reciprocate before departing to a great reception, waving his bat gesturing to the crowd and his family, including new born son Harrison.

''I said, ‘well bowled,’ but he thought otherwise when he pointed me towards the sheds. He got a little bite back from me,” Head explained post game. There was no doubt who had had the better of that exchange

Australia was well into the tail by now, but it was happy to wag as much as it could as Mitchell Starc and Patrick Cummings hit out in a bid to push the Australian lead to well over 150.

Cummins advanced down the pitch to Bumrah and edged a sneaky four but was out next ball to the Indian paceman, who took his fourth wicket of the innings.

Starc then chipped to mid off to Siraj's first ball after the break having made 18 and when Scott Boland joined Nathan Lyon at the crease Australia's lead was 152. It had increased by only five more when Siraj took his fourth wicket, clean bowling Boland for a duck with Australia all out for 337.

Captain Pat Cummins made the breakthrough Australia would have been hoping to get, his lifting delivery to KL Rahul spooned by the batsman into Carey's grateful gloves, leaving India one down with only 12 runs on the board.

And things did not get any better from there as a succession of star names crashed and burned as day turned to twilight and then night, leaving Australia well on top and set to post victory on the third day.