At the end of day two of the Perth Test (Optus Stadium) between the hosts Australia and the visitors India, Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane put the visitors in the good fighting position.

The hosts started the day on their overnight score 277/6 and the overnight unbeaten batsmen skipper Tim Paine and Pat Cummins added 33 more runs before losing that partnership. It was an important 59-run partnership for the seventh wicket before Cummins (19) was bowled by the Indian pacer Umesh Yadav.

The skipper Paine lost his wicket in the very next over after scoring 38 off 89 balls (5 fours). Another Indian pacer Ishant Sharma wrapped up the tail quickly as Australia was bowled out on 326 runs. Sharma bagged last two wickets on the last two balls of that innings (Mitchell Starc 6 and Josh Hazlewood 0) which means he will be on a hat-trick on his first delivery during Australia’s second innings.

Among the Indian bowlers, Ishant Sharma (4/41) picked up four wickets while Jasprit Bumrah (2/53), Umesh Yadav (2/78) and Hanuma Vihari (2/53) got two wickets each in that innings.

In reply, India had a poor start after losing their openers KL Rahul (2) and Murali Vijay (0) at the very early stage. Cheteshwar Pujara and the skipper Virat Kohli came to rescue the visitors as they had a patience 74-run partnership for the third wicket.

After getting well settled down, Pujara was caught behind on 24 runs off 103 balls. Since then, the skipper Kohli and the Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane took the control in that innings till the end of the day. Both completed their respective half-centuries and they are carrying the innings very well as they have a 90-run unbroken partnership for the fourth wicket.

While India finished the day on 172/3, Kohli is batting on 82 off 181 balls (9 fours) and Rahane is batting on 51 off 103 balls (6 fours and only six). At the end of the day, the visitors are trailing by 154 runs.

Among the Aussie bowlers, the left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc (2/42) clinched two wickets while the right-arm pacer Josh Hazlewood (1/50) claimed the other wicket of the day.