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Smith supreme as lead nudges 300
Andrew Ramsey, Cricket Australia
The sporting nature of India pitches, the speed with which the balls fizzes off the surface and skates across the outfield, the enervating heat and the energy of the crowds can often leave players, commentators and spectators clutching for breath.
But in the fabled and often frenetic 84-year history of Test cricket in India it’s doubtful there have been many more sessions of pure pandemonium than that played out between lunch and tea on a bakingly clear afternoon in Pune on day two.
When India folded in a manner not seen on their own turf for almost 50 years, since an infamous 1969 Test against New Zealand in Hyderabad that brought with it crowd riots, pitch preparation controversies and ultimately no result.
There will be an outcome in this series opener, and the nearest a stunned local crowd came to conflagration was when a section of cabling behind the boundary-side LED advertising panels flared into flames and sent black smoke billowing skywards and a terrified ball boy on to the playing arena.
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Wonder spell from Steve O'Keefe hits hosts for six
Andrew Wu, The Sydney Morning Herald
Australia have a priceless opportunity to post a rare Test victory in India after Steve O'Keefe made spin great Shane Warne eat his words by producing a stunning career-best performance to turn the series opener on its head.
A three-day game is firmly on the cards but the result may not be what everyone thought 48 hours ago. Steve Smith's men hold the aces heading into the third day of the first Test but Australia, after nine consecutive Test defeats in Asia, should know from history that India cannot be discounted from seemingly hopeless positions.
VVS Laxman, India's saviour in Kolkata in 2001 and again nine years later in Mohali, is well into retirement but Virat Kohli can still have a major say on the result of this game – even after his duck in the first innings.
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O’Keefe, Smith leave India down for the count
Dileep Premachandran, Wisden India
The holiday crowd was still streaming into Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium when R Ashwin had Mitchell Starc caught at deep midwicket with the fifth ball of the morning. Starc had made 61 from just 63 balls, and the value of those runs would become evident in a manic passage of play after lunch on Day 2 that saw India lose 7 for 11 in just 38 minutes to be bowled out for 105.
Steve O’Keefe, with more than a decade of sterling first-class performances behind him, did most of the damage with 6 for 35 after Starc had ripped the heart out of the Indian batting in the space of three balls in the first session. Ahead by 155, Australia then batted with positive intent to reach 143 for 4 by stumps, a lead of 298. Steve Smith showed the way with a belligerent 59, and there was another sprightly cameo from Matt Renshaw.
But the story of Friday (February 24) was the Starc spell that left India reeling. First, one reared up at Cheteshwar Pujara from short of a length. As he tried to evade it, the ball brushed the glove on its way to Matthew Wade. With applause still ringing in his ears, Virat Kohli left the first ball he faced well alone. The next was fast, full and very wide. Kohli went for it, but could only manage a top edge that Peter Handscomb pouched at first slip. From a position of comfort, despite the loss of M Vijay – who had nicked behind off the relentlessly accurate Josh Hazlewood – India were suddenly in strife at 44 for 3.
But KL Rahul was still there and in fine touch, unfurling some gorgeous drives and clips off the pads. On a surface giving the spinners extravagant help, he was even confident enough to reverse-sweep Nathan Lyon for four. But beneath the surface, trouble awaited. After dancing down the pitch to thump O’Keefe back over his head for six, Rahul doubled up in pain, clutching his left shoulder. The significance of that would become apparent later.
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O'Keefe and Smith put Australia in dominant position
Brydon Coverdale, ESPNCricinfo
It could have been worse for India, though it's hard to imagine how. Virat Kohli might have spontaneously combusted, or R Ashwin could have suffered a freak shaving accident in the morning and sliced his arm off. But aside from those admittedly long shots, the day went about as badly for India as it could have. By stumps, they were facing the very real prospect of losing a home Test to Australia for the first time since 2004.
Of course, the second day's play showed how quickly things can change, so India cannot be written off. But they will need to complete a chase of 300-plus to escape with a victory, something that has been achieved only once in Test history in India. On that occasion, back in December 2008, Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten hundred to hunt down 387 against England in Chennai. But that was on a pitch that lacked the spite of this one.
This is a pitch on which 15 wickets tumbled on day two, including nine during a frenetic middle session, and on which India managed only 105 in their first innings. Steve O'Keefe ransacked the Indian middle and lower order for six wickets, which all came during a 25-ball spell after lunch. Three of those wickets came in one over, which triggered a stunning collapse during which India lost their last seven wickets for 11 runs, their worst such capitulation in Test history.
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