India reduced to 168-5 at tea against Australia

Opener Lokesh Rahul hit an unbeaten half-century but Australian spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe again troubled India's middle-order to reduce the hosts to 168 for 5 at tea on the opening day of the second cricket Test here today.
Lyon, who had dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara at the stroke of lunch, snapped two more wickets -- Virat Kohli (12) and Ajinkya Rahane (17) -- and O' Keefe accounted for Karun Nair (26) as Australia dominated the second session.
At the break, Rahul and Ravichandran Ashwin (5) were batting on 79 and 4, respectively.
The Indian opener, who was dropped at 30 and 61, hit nine boundaries in his 175-ball innings.

In the post-lunch session, Lyon grabbed his second wicket by trapping the Kohli infront of the wicket. The Indian captain did not offer a shot and the ball rapped on the pads, prompting umpire Nigel Long to raise his fingers. This is the fifth time Lyon has removed Kohli in Tests.
Kohli was surprised and consulted Rahul for the review, but replays showed that the ball had pitched outside off and the impact was in line and going on to hit the wickets.

At 88 for three, Rahane walked in the field and the very first ball he was greeted by a loud leg before appeal by Lyon and close-in Australian fielders, but umpire Long turned down the decision.

Rahane also survived a soft appeal in the next ball too after Lyon's ball hit the thigh pad and went straight to the fielder at short leg.
In 39.2 overs, India brought their 100 up when Rahul hit Lyon through mid-wicket region for a single.
Rahul was lucky as he was dropped by David Warner, who standing at leg slip, failed to hold on to the ball after the India opener miscued an attempted paddle sweep. He was then batting on 61.
In the 48th over, Lyon struck for the third time, removing Rahane. The Mumbaikar was stumped by Mathew Wade, who recovered in time after fumbling a bit initially.

(REOPENS DEL 7)
Earlier, India were 72 for two at lunch with Lyon dismissing Pujara and Mitchell Starc sending back Abhinav Mukund for a duck.
Rahul had helped India recover from the early loss of Mukund, who was picked in the team at the last minute in place of an injured Murali Vijay.
The players walked off for lunch after Lyon's dismissal of Pujara in the 28th over at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Coming off a humiliating defeat in Pune, India trail the four-match series 0-1.
While a confident Australia took off from where they left in the last game, removing Mukund for a duck in the day's third over.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was the one who gave the visitors the initial breakthrough, as he trapped the batsman who figured in the playing XI after a gap of five and a half years.
Rahul and Pujara (17) added 61 runs in 25 overs to steady the innings. However, Lyon sent back Pujara when he got an inside edge and the ball lobbed up for Peter Handscomb to complete a catch at forward short-leg, tilting the scales slightly in favour of Australia after the first session's play.
Pujara did not look very comfortable during his stay in the middle, while luck smiled on Rahul, who got a reprieve on 30 by Handscomb.

Rahul faced 93 balls and struck eight boundaries during his stay in the middle.
Earlier, India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat.
Australia have named an unchanged XI, while India have brought in Mukund and Karun Nair. Mukund is making a comeback to the Test side after five and a half years, replacing Vijay, who suffered a last-minute shoulder injury.
Nair, who had scored a triple century in his last Test, also got a chance after India decided to drop Jayant Yadav for an extra batsman.