On a day of unbroken sunshine at the Oval India toiled in Australia’s shadow. Ascendant at the end of day one, Pat Cummins’ side were resplendent at stumps on day two and, though Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane led something of a late fightback, India ended the day on 151 for five, still 318 behind.
They will feel they contributed to their own downfall. There was some unexceptional bowling, occasionally downright wayward, as Australia reached a total of 469. Later Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara both fell to superlative deliveries, but they would have had a better chance of impeding their progress towards the stumps had they attempted to get their bats in the way.
