Staff Reporter.
| Australia v India, Brisbane (day two) |
| Australia 369: Labuschagne 108, Paine 50; Natarajan 3-78, Sundar 3-89 |
| India 62-2: Rohit 44; Lyon 1-10 |
| India trail by 307 runs |
Australia remain on top after a rain-shortened second day of the decisive fourth Test against India in Brisbane.
India made a positive start in reply, reaching 60-1, but Rohit Sharma holed out at long on off Nathan Lyon for 44.
The tourists were 62-2 at tea and heavy rain meant there was no further play after the interval.
Australia remain favourites to win the Test and take the series 2-1, but any time lost favours India’s hopes of a draw.
They only need to draw to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Meanwhile Captain Joe Root scored an unbeaten 168 as England built a substantial lead over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test in Galle.
Debutant Dan Lawrence made 73, adding 173 with Root to help the tourists close on 320-4, a lead of 185.
Although rain allowed only 53 overs in the day – the start was delayed by 70 minutes and no play was possible after tea – Root and Lawrence batted England into a position of total dominance.
Root played beautifully for his 18th Test century, his first since November 2019.
He resume on Saturday alongside Jos Buttler, who is unbeaten on seven, and will be aiming to declare and bat only once on a pitch that is already breaking up and offering increasing turn and bounce.
Elsewhere Proteas arrived in Karachi on Saturday to play two Tests and three Twenty20 internationals on their first tour of Pakistan in 14 years.
The team, led by wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, was whisked from the airport under state-head level security accorded by the hosts, the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The 21-member squad had two Covid-19 tests before their departure from Johannesburg which all came back negative, and they will be further tested on their arrival.
Officials say the squad will stay in individual isolation until the results of the first round of testing are released before they start training in a ground adjacent to their hotel.
Pakistan and South Africa will play the first Test in Karachi from January 26.
The second Test starts in Rawalpindi from February 4 while Lahore will host all three Twenty20 internationals on February 11, 13 and 14.