Labuschagne, Head propel Australia into lead over India in 2nd Test / Photo: William WEST - AFP
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Labuschagne, Head propel Australia into lead over India in 2nd Test
Marnus Labuschagne roared back to form with a gritty 64 and Travis Head slammed an unbeaten 53 as Australia edged into the lead in the day-night second Test against India on Saturday.
In front of a big Adelaide Oval crowd, the hosts resumed on 86-1 in reply to India's 180 after weathering a torrid two hours on Friday for the loss of Usman Khawaja (13).
By the break on day two they had reached 191-4 with the dangerous Head accompanied by Mitchell Marsh on two.
Three wickets fell in an action-packed opening session, two to Jasprit Bumrah and one to Nitish Kumar Reddy.
India got an early breakthrough with Nathan McSweeney throwing away the hard work he had put in under lights on Friday.
Playing on his home ground, he added just one to his overnight 38 before being beaten by Bumrah's sheer pace, nicking to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
It was the third consecutive time he has fallen to Bumrah after suffering the same fate in Perth last week on debut.
Bumrah and Pant combined to remove Steve Smith (2) four overs later, with the former Australia skipper shaking his head in disbelief after falling into a similar trap.
At the other end, Labuschagne kept his focus, stroking successive boundaries off Harshit Rana as he rediscovered the magic that has eluded him for some time.
He came into the game under pressure and with calls mounting for him to be dropped.
But the tenacious number three, who resumed on 20, silenced the doubters by reaching his 21st Test 50 off a patient 114 balls.
With the landmark behind him he began playing more freely, slamming 17 off one Rana over before a brilliant catch from Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully ended his reign.
Head adopted his usual aggressive posture, blasting two sixes off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as he raced to an 18th Test half-century from 63 balls.
R.Vandevelde--JdB
