Australia vs India: Visitors brush off loss of Jasprit Bumrah but Scott Boland takes charge on day two of fifth Test | Cricket News happymamay

India overcame the absence of captain Jasprit Bumrah to bowl out Australia for 181 and reach 141-6 for a total lead of 145 on the extraordinary second day of the finely balanced fifth Test on Saturday.

On a day of high drama at the sunny Sydney Cricket Ground, Bumrah took the first wicket to set India on course but left with the team doctor soon after lunch with a back spasm.

Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped into the big bowling void left by their captain to defeat Australia and take India to a slender first innings lead of four runs at tea.

However, there was still plenty of action at the wicket, and paceman Scott Boland took 4-42 in the final session to add to his tally of four wickets on Friday, as Australia snatched the top off the Indian batting and dug deep into the middle order.

Rishabh Pant shook off the shackles and produced some extraordinary shots in a stunning 28-ball half-century to stem the rot, but he also departed for 61 in the final hour, as Australia skipper Pat Cummins took his 14th wicket of the day.

There was still time for Boland to claim his fourth victim in Nitish Kumar Reddy, leaving Ravindra Jadeja, not out on eight, and Washington Sundar, unbeaten in six matches, at the end of the match.

The 47,257 spectators soaking up the Sydney sunshine certainly got their money’s worth as the momentum shifted back and forth, as it has throughout the series, which Australia led 2-1.

Debutant all-rounder Beau Webster, whose 57 was Australia’s highest score, was welcomed to the rafters for his half-century and again when he removed Shubman Gill for 13 later in the day to claim his first Test wicket.

Virat Kohli, who had been standing in as India’s captain after Bumrah’s departure, was booed to the crease for what was likely to be his final innings in Australia, and cheered back to the boundary rope after Boland stopped him in the slips for six shy.

Boland quickly became a cult hero in Australia and perhaps the loudest roar came when he bowled a peach of a delivery to take out the off-stump of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and end a promising innings on 22.

Indian fans had a lot to cheer about too, starting with Bumrah’s dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne in the morning session to take his series tally to 32 wickets at an average of 13.06.

Krishna was also waving Indian flags when Steve Smith was caught in the slips for 33 to break up a 57-wicket fifth-wicket partnership with Webster and leave the former Australia captain five short of 10,000 Test runs.

India, who dropped skipper Rohit Sharma for the match, need a win in Sydney to complete the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah’s back spasm could rule him out of the remaining fifth Test

India could be without Bumrah for the remainder of the fifth Test against Australia after he left the Sydney Cricket Ground for scans for a back problem on day two on Saturday.

The fast bowler, who was the most influential player in the five-match series, left the ground with the Indian team doctor about an hour after the lunch break.

“He had a back spasm,” his teammate Prasidh Krishna told reporters after the match.

“He went for tests and the medical team is monitoring him, so we will know when the medical team will return to us.

“Whoever leads us as a team, I think we are well prepared as a bowling unit. The plan was very clear even when Bumrah was not there.”

Krishna took 3-42 as India dismissed Australia for 181 on Saturday, but they were leading by just 145 runs at the end of play with four wickets in hand, and three if Bumrah was unable to bat.

His absence will be even more noticeable if Australia are aiming for a relatively small win target, given the skipper has taken 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 so far in the series.

“If he is not there, India will have to come up with a new plan,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said.

“He’s the leading wicket-taker in the series, so you can say he’ll be a bit useful for us. He can bowl on any surface, anywhere. He’s a threat at any time. We knew that going into the series, he’s a tough bowler.” “An incredibly talented footballer.”