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Posted: 2017-02-24 11:13:48

Posted February 24, 2017 22:13:48

Steve O'Keefe's breakout performance and another strong showing by captain Steve Smith have Australia sitting pretty on day two of the first Test in Pune.

After being skittled for 105 thanks to O'Keefe's 6-35, the hosts started dropping catches all over the place, allowing Australia to build a lead of 298 runs with six wickets in hand.

Smith was dropped three times en route to 59 not out, with Mitchell Marsh (21 not out) also helping the tourists to 4-143 at stumps on day two.

All told, 15 wickets fell in a day that saw Australia's first innings finished off for 260, a woeful Indian collapse and some more Aussie fight with the bat, but it was undeniably O'Keefe's day.

The left-arm orthodox was under the spotlight as the second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon but was loving the limelight as he sparked a 7-11 capitulation by India.

Thrown the ball in the second over of the day, he failed to get an early breakthrough and it was left to the seamers to take the first three wickets, including Virat Kohli for a duck, before lunch.

But after the break and a change of ends O'Keefe became unplayable in the 33rd over.

First, having reached 64 and guided India to 3-94 with some dogged batting, opener KL Rahul skied O'Keefe to David Warner in the deep, injuring his shoulder in the process.

Two balls later, a cracking Peter Handscomb catch at second slip removed Ajinkya Rahane, and O'Keefe ended the over by finding Wriddhiman Saha's outside edge, which ricocheted off Matthew Wade and to skipper Steve Smith.

Lyon got in on the act three balls later when Ravi Ashwin bunted a ball on to his own toe and Handscomb was on the spot to take another superb grab at short leg.

O'Keefe finished off the innings with one wicket in each of his final three overs, removing Jayant Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav, allowing Australia to start its second innings with a 155-run lead.

Aussie collapse halted by skipper Smith

Warner, reunited with occasional opening partner Shaun Marsh, went about building a winning lead in the opening over, belting 10 before being trapped LBW by Ashwin.

Marsh struggled mightily against spinners Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja before falling identically to Warner for a 21-ball duck.

Peter Handscomb added 19 runs before nudging Ashwin to leg slip bringing Matt Renshaw to the crease at number five.

The first innings' top scorer could not open because his illness forced him to spend too much time off the field while India was batting, but he seemed unfazed as he and captain Smith knuckled down.

But, having succumbed to gastrointestinal turmoil on day one, Renshaw was eventually felled by a vomiting spell brought about by copping an Umesh delivery to the arm.

Soon after, he took on Jayant Yadav and found the waiting hands of Ishant Sharma at long-off.

But Smith and the much-maligned Marsh made it through to stumps with a lead nearing 300 and three days remaining to wrap up what would be a shock victory.

Topics: cricket, sport, india, australia

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