After a 17-wicket Day 1, Australia’s bowlers were made to do the hard yards without anything to show for it on as KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal hit fifties to put India on top in the Perth Test. The openers took the first-innings lead of 46 – earned through a Jasprit Bumrah fifer – and stretched it past 200 by the end of day’s play.

The day began with Jasprit Bumrah quickly ending Australia’s hopes of a big comeback by dismissing the in-form Alex Carey off the first ball he bowled. Carey came in with runs under his belt in first class cricket, but nicked one to Rishabh Pant in the second over of the day. India bowled with a spring in their step as Harshit Rana operated from the other end, bantering Mitchell Starc and making Nathan Lyon smell leather with short deliveries.

Lyon gloved one such bouncer to KL Rahul at third slip to leave Australia nine down for 79. Then began a stubborn final-wicket stand worth 25 runs across 18 overs – the best of the Aussie innings – between Starc and Josh Hazlewood that allowed the hosts to go past 100. Rana returned to end the innings on 104 with the wicket of Starc, giving India a vital 46-run lead.

The Australian quicks got the ball to seam a lot lesser in the second innings, paving the way for an excellent opening stand between Rahul and Jaiswal that saw them score patient fifties and gain control of the proceedings. The duo started out watchfully – Rahul continued to play inside the line of the ball and with soft hands, and Jaiswal curbed his urge to look for quick runs, before making hay in bright sunshine and on a flattened out surface. They took their chances against Cummins, cutting and pulling him for fours. Jaiswal even comfortably pulled off an uppercut off a short ball from the Australian captain. Short burst of a spell from Nathan Lyon was also dealt with ease, as they took India to the next break without any damage.

They kept that up in the final session too, even as the ball began to take uneven bounce. Rahul became just the second batter after Virender Sehwag to be involved in three 100-plus opening stands in SENA countries since 2000. There were a couple of instances Australia came close to breaking through – Starc got Jaiswal to nick one towards Usman Khawaja at first slip. The ball got low on him and he failed to get his palms underneath as the red cherry dropped just in front of him. He suggested it fell short but Starc was peeved nonetheless.

On the very next ball, Rahul survived a run out chance as he dashed off for a quick single after Jaiswal pushed a Lyon delivery towards point. The left-hander however sent Rahul back after he’d covered two-thirds the distance, and had to hare back. Fortunately for him, Steve Smith couldn’t throw the stumps down directly. Jaiswal got to his fifty first – ninth in the format – off 120 deliveries – and Rahul reached his milestone in 124. Jaiswal also hit Starc for a flicked six, and then indulged in some exchange of words with the fast bowler. He hit another six – off Lyon over the long-on fence to break the record for most sixes in Tests in a calendar year (34).

That India went past their first innings total without losing a wicket and that Australia ended both their bowling sessions with the medium-pace of Marnus Labuschagne summed up the sea change in the conditions and the upper hand that the visitors gained.

Brief Scores: [Stumps Day 2]
India 150 & 172/0 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 90*, KL Rahul 62*) lead Australia 104 (Mitchell Starc 26; Jasprit Bumrah 5-30, Harshit Rana 3-48) by 218 runs