FILE PHOTO: Cricket - Ashes - Fifth Test - England v Australia - The Oval, London, Britain - July 31, 2023 Australia's Marnus Labuschagne walks after losing his wicket, caught by England's Zak Crawley off the bowling of Mark Wood Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
(Reuters) -Australia rode Travis Head's blistering 140 to post 337 and reduced India to 128-5 to stay on course for a series-levelling victory in the day-night second test on Saturday.
Head smashed a swashbuckling hundred to fetch Australia a first innings lead of 157 at his home ground the Adelaide Oval.
Australia's pace battery further consolidated their position by blowing away the top half of India's batting order with the pink ball.
Rishabh Pant led India's fightback with an entertaining 28 not out with Nitish Kumar Reddy on 15 at the other side and 29 in the arrears.
Earlier, after Australia resumed on 86-1, Jasprit Bumrah (4-61) ensured the tourists did not have to wait long for a breakthrough.
Opener Nathan McSweeney, playing only his second test, added just one run to his overnight score before edging Bumrah behind for 39.
The crafty seamer also dismissed Steve Smith for two, strangling the out-of-form batter down the leg side with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant taking a diving catch.
Marnus Labuschagne (64) kept his head down and collected runs without courting risks en route to only his second half-century in his last 11 test innings.
Head, coming in at the other end, was more assertive and hit off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin over the mid-off ropes for his second boundary.
Reddy broke their 65-run stand when Labuschagne cut him to gully where Yashasvi Jaiswal took a sharp catch.
Head could not be contained, though, and the left-hander continued to play his shots on his way to a 63-ball fifty.
HEAD CARNAGE
Mitchell Marsh fell caught behind to Ashwin even though replays showed no bat-ball contact and the batter did not challenge the decision.
Head continued to cut and pull with abandon and also had his share of luck. One of his edges flew between wicketkeeper and first slip and, on another occasion, Mohammed Siraj could not hold on to a tough catch in the deep.
Head took a single off Ashwin to bring up his hundred before gesturing to his wife, daughter and newborn son in the stands.
Siraj (4-98) finally stopped the batting carnage, bowling him with a yorker.
"When they've got the quality of quicks that they've got, I guess you've got to target something," Head said, explaining why he targeted Ashwin, India's lone spinner.
"I felt like I navigated through his spells really, really well, and was able to get the quicks back at certain stages into that new ball."
India did not start well in their second innings when they came out to bat.
Pat Cummins dismissed KL Rahul (seven) caught behind with a steepling delivery, which the opener could only glove to Alex Carey.
Scott Boland struck with his first ball, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal, also caught behind, for 24 just when the batter was looking dangerous.
A subdued Virat Kohli, who made 11, also fell to Boland in similar fashion.
Shubman Gill made a fluent 28 before he had his stumps rearranged by Mitchell Starc, while Cummins bowled counterpart Rohit Sharma (six) to leave India reeling.
Pant played a couple of outrageous shots - sending the ball to the rope while tumbling himself - much to the amusement of the 51,642 fans.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Nick Mulvenney and Toby Chopra)
