1st Test, Day 2: Australia in control after India's shock 7/11 collapse

Pune, Feb 24: Australia dominated the 2nd day's play and took complete control of the first Test against India after left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe wreaked havoc to bundle the hosts for 105 on Friday (February 24) here at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium.

Australia-India series schedule; Photos; Day 1 Report;

Restricting the hosts to a paltry score and taking 155-run lead, Australia scored 144 for the loss of 4 wickets in second innings at the end of day's play. The visitors now have an overall lead of 298 runs, which is huge on a deteriorating pitch assisting spin.

Steve O'Keefe holds the ball up as he celebrates his 6 wickets with team-mates during the first Test

Australian skipper Steve Smith was unbeaten on 59 with Mitchell Marsh batting at the other end on 21. Smith, though, had his share of luck as Indian fielders put down some easy catches of the Australian dasher. Smith was reprieved thrice.

Rare Indian batting collapse

A brilliant six-for by O'Keefe pushed the Indians to the wall. Batting in response to Australia's tricky 260, India lost last 7 wickets in a matter of just 11 runs which could be termed as their worst batting collapse in the recent past.

(India's worst batting collapse in Pune Test puts cricket world in shock)

Rahul top scorer for India:

Lokesh Rahul (64) was the top scorer for the hosts as 7 Indian batsmen couldn't even reach the double-figure mark. However, it was Rahul's wicket which opened the flood gates for the Indian batting line-up. Considered as a very deep batting line-up Indians lost wickets in a bunch.

Lokesh Rahul plays a shot during the first Test

Rahane (13), R Ashwin (1), Wriddhiman Saha (0), Ravindra Jadeja (2), Jayant Yadav (2) and Umesh Yadav (2) were the other 6 wickets to fall.

Steve O'Keefe's brilliant bowling effort

O'Keefe returned with brilliant bowling figures. O'Keefe took his best Test innings figures (6-35 in 13.1 overs) to become the eighth spinner to take 6-plus Test wickets in India, for Australia.

They lost three important wickets of Murali Vijay (10), Cheteshwar Pujara (6) and Virat Kohli (0).

Pace battery of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc's feiry bowling performances gave Australia the edge as the teams went for lunch on second day.

Kohli dismissed for duck:

It is a rare sight when India's batting mainstay, Kohli, fails to perform but rarest are the moments when he gets out for nought. Today was one such rarest of rare occasions as Starc restricted Kohli from opening his account.

Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli. Photo courtesy: BCCI

Kohli departed for 0 after playing 104 consecutive innings in international matches without being dismissed for such a score. He was last dimissed for a duck way back in 2014 during a ODI against England at Cardiff.

Starc, thus, won the first battle between him and Kohli.

Pujara-Vijay depart cheaply

India lost the crucial wickets of Vijay and Pujara, who have been in sublime form in this home season. Vijay was the first Indian wicket to perish. He was dismissed by Hazlewood while Starc removed Pujara and Kohli in single over to push the hosts to the wall.

Earlier, the visitors added just four runs to their overnight score of 256 as India restricted them to 260 in the first innings.

Ashwin touches another milestone

Starc's unbeaten half century lifted Australia to 256/9 at stumps on the opening day, but he failed to do further damage on second day as he was dimissed by India's bowling mainstay Ravichandran Ashwin.

Hazlewood remained unbeaten at 1. Starc (61) was the second highest scorer for the visitors.

With Starc's wicket, Ashwin (64 so far) surpassed legendary Kapil Dev's record of taking 63 Test wickets in a home season.

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