India still trail by 310 and they still need 111 more to avoid the follow-on

At the close of Day 2 in the Melbourne Test, India found themselves in a precarious position, having lost 3 wickets late in the day. With 5 wickets down for 164 runs, India still trails Australia by 310 runs in their first innings.

On Friday, during Day 2 of the Melbourne Test, Steve Smith reached his century, scoring 140 runs before being dismissed by Akash Deep. Pat Cummins, who was unbeaten on 8 runs at the end of Day 1, was out for 49 runs on the second day. Mitch Starc contributed 15 runs, while Nathan Lyon added 13. Australia were all out for 474 runs in their first innings on Day 2.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up 3 wickets and Akash Deep took 2 wickets.

After Australia’s innings ended, India began their own batting in the second innings. However, they quickly found themselves in trouble, losing 2 wickets for just 52 runs. Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 3 runs, and Lokesh Rahul followed for 24 runs, both falling to Pat Cummins’ twin strikes.

The third-wicket partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli produced a steady 102-run stand. However, Jaiswal was run out for 82 due to a misunderstanding with Kohli. Kohli himself followed shortly, dismissed for 36 runs after giving a catch, leaving India further troubled. Akash Deep's dismissal for a duck added to India’s woes, as they struggled to get runs.

Rishabh Pant (6*) and Ravindra Jadeja (4*) remained unbeaten at the close of Day 2, but India’s hopes seemed increasingly slim. For Australia, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland took 2 wickets each, maintaining control over the game.