By Amlan Chakraborty
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the same over to reduce Australia to 94-3 at lunch on day one of the second test on Friday.
Usman Khawaja, who had an lbw decision against him overturned before the break, was on 50 with Travis Head on one at the other end.
With Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc still recovering from finger injuries, Australia took a bold selection gamble that left skipper Pat Cummins as their lone fast bowler.
Head replaced fellow batter Matt Renshaw but a bigger surprise was the inclusion of Matt Kuhnemann for his test debut as Australia’s third spinner at the expense of paceman Scott Boland.
After winning the toss, Cummins opted to bat on a track that offered significant bounce but their openers endured a tough opening hour at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Warner, who had said he was “exhausted” even before arriving in India and managed scores of one and 10 in their innings defeat in Nagpur, needed 21 balls to open his account.
By then he had already been given lbw to Mohammed Shami, a decision that was overturned on review.
Warner struggled against Mohammed Siraj in particular and was hit twice – once on his arm and then on his helmet – after fluffing hook shots against the sprightly seamer.
Khawaja did not look convincing against Siraj either but released the pressure with a six off Ashwin’s bowling.
Shami ended Warner’s 44-ball struggle soon after Australia reached the 50-mark, dismissing the opener caught behind for 15.
Labuschagne hit four fours in his fluent 18 before Ashwin struck twice in three balls to wreck Australia’s top order.
Labuschagne, rapped on the pad, was initially ruled not out but had to leave after India reviewed.
Smith fell two balls later, caught behind for a duck in a major blow to the tourists.
India brought in fit-again Shreyas Iyer for Suryakumar Yadav in the only change to the squad which had triumphed inside three days in Nagpur.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)
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