O’Keefe takes six as Australia skittle India for 105
Pune: Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe picked up his maiden five-wicket haul, including three in an over, to trigger a spectacular collapse and help Australia bundle out hosts India for 105 in their first innings of the opening test on Friday.
O’Keefe finished with figures of 6-35 as Australia took a first-innings lead of 155 on a spin-friendly track against the world’s top-ranked side in the first of the four-match series.
Opener Lokesh Rahul’s 64 was the top individual score for the hosts, who are unbeaten in their last 19 tests.
Australia were dismissed for 260 in their first innings.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc claimed the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for a duck on Friday as the tourists reduced India to 70 for three at lunch on day two of the first Test.
The hosts, who are responding to Australia’s first innings score of 260 all out, trail by 190 runs in the match in Pune with opener Lokesh Rahul (47) and Ajinkya Rahane (6) the not out batsmen.
Starc took two wickets in the space of three deliveries including Indian skipper Kohli, who was caught at second slip off for nought. Josh Hazlewood also took one wicket.
Overnight batsman Mitchell Starc was dismissed for 61 as Australia were bowled out for 260 in the first over on day two of the opening Test against India in Pune on Friday.
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got Starc caught at mid-wicket after the left-hander added just four runs to his overnight score of 57.
Opening batsman Matt Renshaw top-scored with 68 after the visitors elected to bat first on Thursday. Indian seamer Umesh Yadav claimed four wickets while Ashwin took three.
While Renshaw anchored the innings, it was Starc who brought back Australia from the brink after they were reduced to 205-9 in the final session of play on the opening day.
The left-handed Starc, better known for his fast bowling, struck six boundaries and three sixes during his 63-ball stay at the crease at India’s newest Test venue.
Starc put on a gritty 55-run last-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood (1 not out) to give the visitors what seems like a fighting total on a typically turning Indian pitch.
Australian skipper Steve Smith (27) and David Warner (38) also put in useful contributions.
The 82-run opening stand between Warner and Renshaw, who retired ill with an upset tummy only to return and register his second Test fifty, was the highlight of the innings.
The match is the first in a four-Test series between the world’s two top-ranked sides.