Jaiswal hits unbeaten 90 as India take control against Australia

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Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a composed unbeaten 90 and KL Rahul a stylish 62 on Saturday as India built an ominous 218-run lead over Australia to take a stranglehold on the opening Test in Perth.

A determined and gritty effort from both men against a world-class attack put the visitors in the driver’s seat as they look to draw first blood in the five games.

Jaiswal faced 193 balls while Rahul fended off 153 to steer India to 172 for no loss at the end of day two.

India have won their last two Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia but came into the Perth Stadium clash on the back of a devastating 3-0 home loss to New Zealand.

After making a narrow 150 on a lively track in their first innings, the pressure was on again. But their response turned out to be admirable.

They took a 46-run lead into the second innings after dismissing the hosts for a paltry 104 at lunch, with dynamic skipper Jasprit Bumrah flashing 5-30.

Young gun Jaiswal, just 22 and in his 15th Test, failed to score in his first at-bat and got off to a tentative start before a Mitchell Starc boundary settled him.

Teaming up with the more experienced Rahul, playing in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, they were determined against the new ball on a calmer pitch than the treacherous one that faced the players on Friday.

Both ran well between the wicket and cracked something loose to the boundary and played their shots as their confidence grew.

With the ball not moving nearly as much, Australia badly needed some inspiration, but failed to deliver as the partnership flourished.

Left-hander Jaiswal brought up his ninth Test half-century off 123 balls, hitting Nathan Lyon for a single.

He had a let-off on 52 when he tried to drive from Starc, with the ball flying to Usman Khawaja at second slip, but he failed to take a tough chance.

The elegant Rahul too had a scare and survived a run-out of 42.

But he regrouped to reach his 16th half-century in his 54th Test, taking one more ball than Jaiswal, and with those landmarks reached they began to play more freely.

They reached triple figures thanks to Starc and Josh Hazlewood, with their 25-run stand the longest of the Australian innings.

Bumrah was India’s leading destroyer with his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests. Harshit Rana chipped in with 3-48.

Home hopes rested on Alex Carey when he started on the 19th, but after picking up two from Rana, he came up against an indomitable Bumrah.

Coming around the wicket, the Indian captain brought Carey to play and he nodded to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Nathan Lyon (5) did well to hang on for 16 fiery balls before dropping a short from Rana to Rahul in the slips.

That brought Hazlewood onto the field and it seemed only a matter of time before India struck again.

But he and Starc stuck gamely and brought up the 100 to great cheers from the crowd.

It was an intelligent innings from Starc who doggedly faced 112 balls and shielded Hazlewood to add crucial extra runs before he bowled Rana out to Pant on 26.