Match Blog: Virat, Rahane Out; Rahul Scores 50; India Post Hundred

This situation is like a deja vu for KL Rahul. All the Indian batsmen were struggling to put bat on ball in the Pune Test but Rahul managed to find a way to bat on the wicket in the first innings.

Today, the wicket is much better to bat on, but still the Indian top-order has struggled and Rahul has batted confidently.

But with Rahul at 61, attempted to play a sweep shot knowing that Australia’s best fielder David Warner is standing at leg slip.

Fortunately for Rahul, Warner failed to hold on to tough chance! On an any other day Rahul could have been back in the hut as Warner is one of those players who doesn’t know how to drop catches!

India: 107/3 after 44 overs.

Nathan Lyon has got the big fish in the Indian team! Lyon pitched the ball on the off-stump line and Virat Kohli expected the ball to turn outside the line of the stumps and didn’t offer a shot.

But, unfortunately, the ball crashes into his pads and he is trapped plum in front of the wickets.

Kohli reviews the decision, but to no avail. He goes for 12, India in a little trouble at 89/3 after 34 overs.

KL Rahul brings up his second fifty of the series in 105 balls. The Karnataka batsman has played a very positively so far. He has pounced on the loose deliveries and respected the good balls.

The 24-year-old has to go on to get a big score for his team!

India: 82/2 after 32 overs.

Nathan Lyon has struck at the stroke of lunch for Australia! Pujara, who looked unsure about the line of the ball, tucked the delivery onto his pads and the ball looped up for a simple catch for Handscomb at short leg.

Pujara was playing another gritty innings, but unfortunately falls for 17 runs this time. The players walk off the field as India take lunch at 72/2.

KL Rahul has looked in terrific touch right from the word go. Mitchell Starc got rid off Abhinav Mukund in the third over of the day, but that didn’t disturb Rahul’s plans.

He continued to bat positively and has scored 48 runs (8 boundaries) off 93 balls so far.

Oh could be a costly drop, this one? Kl Rahul just checked his shot while presenting a catch to Peter Handscomb. As Rahul pushed the ball in the air, Handscomb leaped to his left and put it down.

It’s a difficult chance, but the fielder is there to grab these chances. Rahul survives on 30 runs.

India: 38/1 after 16 overs.

Homeboy KL Rahul has looked in terrific touch so far. He has assessed the pitch quickly and has been on point for all his shots this morning.

Rahul already has four boundaries to his name and has raced to 25 runs in no time.

India: 29/1 after 14 overs.

It’s a belter of a pitch at Bengaluru, but speedster Mitchell Starc still manages to get an early wicket for his team. Abhinav Mukund, who came into the team instead of the injured Murali Vijay, gets beaten for pace and gets out LBW for a duck.

However, KL Rahul has looked positive right from the first over of the Test. He cracked Starc for two boundaries in the first over and is looking good at the moment.

After getting out due to a poor shot in the first innings at Pune, he has to redeem himself in this match.

Well, India have got off to a good start in the second Test as far as the toss is concerned. Steve Smith called the wrong side of the coin and Virat Kohli had no hesitation to opt to bat first.

India have made two changes. As expected, Karun Nair replaces Jayant Yadav and Abhinav Mukund comes into the team instead of Murali Vijay, who has sustained a shoulder injury.

The Australian team is playing an unchanged eleven.

Good morning!

Welcome to the coverage of the second Test between India and Australia from Bengaluru. After a heavy defeat in the first Test at Pune, the home side will be raring to go in this match.

The Indian side, who lost by 333 runs, were out-batted, out-bowled and outplayed on the field as well. Coming into the second Test, Virat Kohli’s team may have a few changes.

Since, they failed to score over 110 runs in both the innings of the first Test, the Indian team management may replace Jayant Yadav with an extra batsman – Karun Nair. The Karnataka batsman hasn’t played a Test after scoring 303* in his last match against England in December.

The Australians on the other hand will be hoping that their star off-spinner in the first match, Steve O'Keefe, will continue to deliver for the Baggy Greens.

Here’s what India’s head coach Anil Kumble had to say in the pre-match press conference.

Take a look at some of our preview pieces as India get ready to take on Australia:

Aakash Chopra: Forget What Happened in Pune
In Stats: India’s Unbeaten Record and Rain Forecast in Bengaluru
Forget Pitches, Good Players Play Well on All Surfaces: Nishant