Travis Head slammed the fastest test hundred in the Day-Night test. The 111-ball hundred was Head’s third century in the Day-Night Test. Interestingly, Travis Head holds the record for top three fastest hundreds in Day-Night Tests. India were again on the receiving end of Travis Head’s onslaught as he decimated the visitors’ attack en route to a blazing hundred in the second Test at Adelaide Oval.
Travis Head was unstoppable as he launched a brutal attack, smashing a hundred in just 111 balls. This was Travis Head’s third hundred in the Day-Night Tests, the second most by an Australian after Marnus Labuschagne, who scored four centuries. Overall, this was Travis Head’s eighth Test hundred.
The 111-ball hundred by Travis Head is the fastest by a batter in a Day-Night Test. He is the first player in world to score a hundred in less than 130 balls in Day-Night Tests. Interestingly, the previous record was also held by Travis Head, who slammed a hundred of 112 balls against England in Hobart in 2022. In fact, Head holds the record for slamming the top three fastest hundreds in the Day-Night Tests. His third hundred in Day-Night Test came against the West Indies in just 125 balls at Adelaide Oval.
Travis Head proved to be a thorn in India’s flesh yet again as he smashed a 141-ball 140 that gave Australia a first innings lead of 157. And to further wrest control, their pacers bagged five wickets under the lights as India slipped up ending the day trailing by 29 runs .
Day 2: Session 1 : Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head hit fifties as Australia take lead
Australia retained firm control of the second Test with a solid batting performance at the start of the second day in Adelaide. Marnus Labuschagne put away some indifferent form to fight his way to a half-century on a ground where he averages over 70. His partnership worth 65 with Travis Head for the fourth wicket helped them offset two early strikes by Jasprit Bumrah.
Travis Head had set to work on Saturday by adding 65 with Marnus Labuschagne and then 74 with Carey. Labuschagne’s innings was as fluent as Head’s but it was one that he needed to work his way back into form after having managed just 123 runs in his last ten Test innings, of which 90 came in one knock against New Zealand, before the Adelaide Test.
After having been afforded some fairly comfortable leaves on the first evening, India’s seamers made Labuschagne play a lot more on the second afternoon. Whenever they erred too straight or into his pads, Labuschagne picked them away with compact drives and flicks.
India’s morning session was given a boost when Bumrah had Nathan McSweeney caught behind with a ball nipping away and soon after also had Steven Smith caught down the legside, putting Australia in a spot of bother at 103/3. Travis Head was tested early with the round-the-wicket angle by both Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, but managed to see it through. Along with Labuschagne, he saw through that spell to cash in later. Harshit Rana was hit for four fours in an over as Australia cruised ahead after seeing past the initial threat.
Labuschagne got to his fifty off 114 balls and celebrated it by taking the erratic Harshit Rana for three fours in four balls. After having late-cut the taller, quicker Rana with ease, Labuschagne was caught at gully when he tried a similar shot off the shorter, slower pace of Nitish Kumar Reddy.
But against the run of play, Labuschagne ended up cutting a delivery from Nitish Reddy to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully. But his departure on 68 did not dent Australia much as Travis Head marched on, getting to his fifth Test fifty against India and second on the trot in the series. It also ensured that Australia took the lead in the first session.
Travis Head was more brutal on Rana, hitting him for 41 off 29 balls. It didn’t really matter what came down at Travis Head. Short. Full. On the stumps. Outside off stump. Everything was dispatched.
India had a close LBW call against Mitchell Marsh turned down on review with the third umpire controversially deeming that there was no conclusive evidence if Ashwin’s ball had struck the pad or bat first. More replays shown by the broadcaster were indicative of the ball striking pad first but India ended up losing the review, capping off a frustrating morning session.
Day 2 : Session 2 : Travis Head tons up as Australia build big lead over India
Travis Head had walked out to generous applause from his home crowd and into a bit of trouble in the middle after Jasprit Bumrah had taken out both Nathan McSweeney and Steven Smith in a space of 13 balls. While McSweeney nicked a Bumrah special behind to Rishabh Pant, after managing to add just one to his overnight tally of 38, Steven Smith was caught down the leg side for 2.
After the floodlights had blacked out twice on the opening day, Australia’s batting threatened to black out on the second afternoon. Travis Head, however, had other ideas and torched the innings with his no-holds-barred approach. He played and missed four of his first nine balls, but that certainly didn’t stop him from playing his shots. He stayed true to his method of staying leg-side of the ball and cracking it away into the shorter pockets of the ground square on the off side.
He also cleared the longer straight boundary when he crashed R Ashwin over mid-off and then over his head for sixes, including a 110-metre monster hit. Travis Head scored his first fifty off 63 balls and took only 48 more balls to convert it into a hundred. He celebrated the landmark by rocking his bat like a baby in tribute to his family’s new arrival, with his wife among the crowd of over 51,642. A hug from fellow South Australian Alex Carey was also part of the revelry.
Travis Head proved to be a thorn in India’s flesh yet again as he smashed a 141-ball 140 that pulled the game firmly in Australia’s favour. By the time Mohammad Siraj bowled him off the second new ball, Head had done more than enough to dent India’s confidence.
The second session saw him press the accelerator against a tiring attack with an older ball. The time was ripe to cash in and Head did so with elan, smashing Harshit Rana threw the offside before registering a hundred off only 111 balls – the quickest-ever in a day-night Test as he powered Australia’s lead at a rapid pace.
Even against the second new ball which was India’s biggest weapon, he started off whipping and clipping Bumrah and Siraj as they missed their lines for crucial boundaries. India had a brief injury scare during this period when Bumrah was down clutching his groin but went on to bowl again. But the wicket finally came to Siraj who yorked Head and followed it up with an exchange of words with the batter.
Mohammed Siraj, though, gave India some control and backed Bumrah up. Siraj picked up his first wicket in the game when he extracted extra bounce and coaxed an outside edge from Carey.
R Ashwin’s only wicket was Mitchell Marsh but that was down to some good fortune. After shaping to defend a non-turning off break from Ashwin, Marsh walked off even before umpire Richard Illingworth raised his finger and didn’t even contemplate a review. There was nothing on Snicko, with replays also indicating that the ball had missed the outside edge.
Travis Head attacked the second new ball as well, whipping Bumrah for a brace of fours. He then picked up Siraj for an imperious six over square leg in the next over, but Siraj struck back the next ball to york Head. Siraj released his pent-up emotions and gave Head a send-off that didn’t go too well with him or his beloved Adelaide crowd.
It brought an end to a frustrating period of play for India where they were made to toil for every wicket. R Ashwin who had been their best bowler through that period despite being hit for a couple of sixes by Head had got Mitchell Marsh caught behind but Head stepped up in the company of Alex Carey (15) where they put on 74 off just 80 balls before the latter was out caught behind. The lead swelled past 150 by the time the Tea interval came around when Pat Cummins was bowled by Bumrah.
Siraj proceeded to dismiss Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland soon after tea to wrap up Australia for 337. Bumrah, who had gone down with some discomfort, which prompted medical attention, four balls into his spell with the second new ball, recovered sufficiently to knock Cummins over. The lead swelled past 150 before Siraj wrapped up the tail early into the third session leaving India with the toughest conditions to bat in a day-night Test.
Day 2 : Session 3 : Pacers put Australia in command on Day 2
KL Rahul was the first to go being surprised by a short ball from Cummins and pulling it to the ‘keeper. Cummins then took centerstage with the ball and cramped KL Rahul with a short ball for 7 off 10 balls.
Yashasvi Jaiswal started confidently until he nicked behind the first ball from Boland, who proceeded to nick off Virat Kohli too soon after. Starc added salt to the wounds getting a ripping incoming delivery to flatten Gill’s middle stump.
Day 3 : Road Ahead for Australia and India
A whirlwind century from hometown hero Travis Head blew India’s attack away and thrilled the Adelaide crowd on day two of the pink-ball Test. Head’s 140 off 141 balls swelled Australia’s first-innings lead to 157, leaving India facing a challenging final two hours under the floodlights. The visitors fell further behind when they lost half their side during that period when the pink ball was at its most potent. At stumps, India were 128 for 5, still 29 runs behind away from taking a lead.
Indian fans would be sick of the sight of sight of Head by now. Since 2023, he has hit 1052 runs in 19 innings against India across formats at an average of 61.9 with three centuries, including tons in the previous cycle of the WTC final and 2023 ODI World Cup final.
Excellent day for Australia. Marnus Labuschagne started from where he left yesterday and fought hard to get back into form as he scored a gritty fifty. The bowling was tight from Bumrah and Siraj in the opening hour and the former picked up a couple of wickets. Travis Head received an incredible reception from the Adelaide crowd when he walked out to bat and the left-hander didn’t disappoint the fans. He got off to a slightly scratch start but once he got his eye in, the runs came at a quick pace.
His entertaining knock of 140 resulted in the hosts taking a healthy 157-run lead. Post that, the Aussies were relentless with the pink ball under lights. Just the three main speedsters were used, Boland and Cummins picked two wickets apiece while Starc cleaned up Gill with a lovely inswinger. India are well behind the eight-ball as they still trail by 29 runs and just five wickets in hand.
Pant has been adventurous with five audacious boundaries. For India to even be competitive, he and young Nitish have to bat out of their skins. For now, Australia are mighty favourites to wrap up the match and level the series 1-1.
Meanwhile, Australia find themselves on top in the second Test. Having bowled out India for just 180, Australia took a healthy first-innings lead. Head’s century helped Australia’s lead cross the 100-run mark. Given that the conditions will get tougher to bat, it won’t be easy for India to make a comeback into the Test. India are 1-0 ahead in the series, but Australia are well set to level the series.
The series is of utmost importance for both teams as the winner will almost confirm a berth in the WTC final. India need a 4-1 win to qualify. If they lose in Adelaide, they will have to win the remaining three matches to keep hopes alive.