India reeling at 128-5 in second innings vs. Australia after Head’s century on Day 2 of 2nd test

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Travis Head struck a magnificent 140 off 141 balls as Australia finished Day 2 of the second test against India in dominant style Saturday in the day-night test at the Adelaide Oval.

Head’s eighth test century — including 17 fours and four sixes — helped Australia score 337 runs in its first innings and take a 157-run lead over India’s 180 runs.

In the second innings, India was down to 128-5 in 24 overs at stumps and staring at a potentially colossal defeat on Day 3.

Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 28 runs, as Pat Cummins (2-33) and Scott Boland (2-39) took a couple of wickets each. India trails by another 29 runs with five wickets remaining.

Earlier in the day, Australia took advantage of good batting conditions to gain the upper hand.

It was placed at 191-4 at lunch with both Head and Marnus Labuschagne scoring half-centuries.

Nathan McSweeney was out caught behind for 39 and Head-Labuschagne added 65 runs for the fourth wicket. In between, Steve Smith was also caught behind for two off Jasprit Bumrah.

Labuschagne fell prior to lunch, out for 64 runs off 126 balls — his second half-century in the past 11 innings.

After lunch though, Head dominated the Indian bowling on his home ground. He smacked Ravichandran Ashwin for three sixes, and hit another one off Mohammed Siraj.

Head had reached 50 off 63 balls before lunch and afterward only accelerated toward his hundred, reaching the milestone off 111 balls.

Wickets did fall at the other end — Mitchell Marsh was caught behind off Ashwin, while Bumrah (4-61) and Siraj finished with four wickets each.

Head was out after Australia crossed the 300 mark, out bowled off Siraj. He walked off to a grand reception from his home crowd while the hosts’ innings finished shortly after the tea break.

It left India to contend with the evening session under lights and its batting lineup failed to rise to the occasion.

Lokesh Rahul was the first to go — caught behind pulling off Cummins for seven.

Yashasvi Jaiswal got off to a start and hit four fours in his 24 off 31 balls. But he was caught behind off Boland in the ninth over.

Virat Kohli struggled against Boland’s disciplined line and was caught behind too — out for 11 off 21 balls as India was down to 66-3 in 14.3 overs.

There was more to come — Mitchell Starc bowled Shubman Gill for a second time in this test. He scored 28 off 30 balls with three fours.

Cummins then bowled Rohit Sharma (6) before stumps. The Indian skipper has tallied only one 50-plus score in his last 12 innings.

Pant and Nitish Reddy (15 not out) saw away the remaining time, even as Australia seemed poised to level the series.

India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after winning the first test by 295 runs in Perth.

The teams will play a third test beginning Dec. 14 in Brisbane followed by matches in Melbourne starting Dec. 26 and in Sydney from Jan. 3.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket