PIX: Pant delivers an exciting ending after the fiery fifty

Images from day 2 of the fifth test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

IMAGE: Rishabh Pant hit 6 fours and 4 sixes as he scored 61 off just 33 balls in India's second innings on Day 2 of the fifth Test against Australia at the SCG on Saturday. Photo: BCCI/X

India ignored the absence of captain Jasprit Bumrah to dismiss Australia for 181 and reach 141 for 6 for an overall lead of 145 on an extraordinary Day 2 in the fifth Test on Saturday.

On a day full of drama at a sun-drenched Sydney Cricket Ground, Bumrah took the first wicket to get India going but left shortly after lunch with the team doctor for medical scans on an undisclosed injury.

IMAGE: Scott Boland won 4-42 in the final session to add his four-wicket from India's first innings. Photo: ICC

Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped into the significant bowling void left by their captain to beat Australia and fire India to a slim four-run lead in the first innings.

However, there was still plenty of spice in the wicket and paceman Scott Boland took 4-42 in the final session to add to his four-wicket haul on Friday, as Australia saw off the top of the Indian batting and dug deep into the middle. order.

IMAGE: Mohammed Siraj celebrates with his Indian teammates after Sam Konstas was caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal in Australia's first innings. Photo: BCCI/X

Rishabh Pant threw off the shackles and produced some extraordinary shots in a stunning 28-ball half-century to arrest the rot, but he too departed for 61 in the final hour, with Australian skipper Pat Cummins taking the 14th wicket of the day claimed.

There was still time for Boland to claim his fourth victim in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy, leaving Ravindra Jadeja, who was eight and not out, and Washington Sundar, undefeated on six, at the end of the game. were on point.

IMAGE: Beau Webster waves to the crowd after completing 50. Photo: ICC

The crowd of 47,257 enjoying the Sydney sunshine certainly got their money's worth as the momentum shifted back and forth, just as it did throughout the series, with Australia leading 2-1.

Debutant all-rounder Beau Webster, whose 57 was Australia's highest score, was cheered for his half-century and again when he removed Shubman Gill for 13 later in the day to claim his first Test wicket.

IMAGE: Prasidh Krishna celebrates with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who took the catch to dismiss Beau Webster. Photo: BCCI/X

Virat Kohli, who captained India after Bumrah's departure, was booed to the hilt for what was likely to be his last innings in Australia, cheering back to the boundary rope after Boland dropped him in the slip for a timid six .

Boland is fast becoming a cult hero in Australia and perhaps the loudest roar came when he bowled a peach of a delivery to bowl out the stump of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and end a promising innings on 22.

IMAGE: Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrates the dismissal of Pat Cummins. Photo: BCCI/X

The Indian supporters also had plenty to cheer about, starting with Bumrah's dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne in the morning session, taking his series tally to 32 wickets at an average of 13.06.

Krishna also sent the Indian flags flying when he caught Steve Smith at slip for 33 to break a fifth-wicket partnership of 57 with Webster and leave the former Australia captain five short of 10,000 Test runs.

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah celebrates Marnus Labuschagne being caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Photo: BCCI/X

India, without captain Rohit Sharma for the match, need to win in Sydney to level the series at 2-2 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.