India bowled exceptionally but we hung in there, says Australia's Travis Head

Travis Head was the leading light for Australia amidst the doom and gloom of yet another poor show with the bat on day 2 of the first Test against India on Friday.

Head scored an unbeaten half-century on his home debut to give Australia hope, being 191/7, still 59 runs short of India's modest total of 250 at the close of play at the Adelaide Oval.

"It's nice to do the job for the team. That's all I'm here to do. We hung in there in the end," Head, was is 61 not out, said at the close of play to Fox Sports.

Even though Head lauded the Indian bowlers for their efforts, he wants to stay positive about his team's chances.

"India bowled exceptionally today. We've got a really important hour in the morning. Every run is going to be valuable," Head added.

A half-century for Travis Head at his home ground!#AUSvIND | @Domaincomau pic.twitter.com/YdSWCCechD cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2018

Head wasn't the only one though, as debutant Marcus Harris too said that Australia are "still fighting, still in the contest".

Harris, like Head was all praise for the Indian bowlers.

"I thought they bowled really well - the run rate's only two and a bit, so I thought they bowled really well. We stuck at it pretty well. It was a tough day. It wasn't easy to score, so I thought we fought well," Harris said at the press conference.

"Travis Head batted well, Peter Handscomb looked good and Mitchell Starc batted well at the end. I think we're in a decent position," Harris said.

He said that Australia did want to get on the front foot and attack but the Indian bowlers kept relentless pressure to force them into fending off overs.

"You can only put bowlers under pressure if they give you opportunity to put them under pressure. The wicket doesn't let you play like that.

"You want to come out and blast them everywhere and be going great guns, but sometimes it's not that way. That's why it's called Test cricket. We're still fighting, still in the contest."

That's stumps! Australia trail by 59 runs, but Travis Head is leading the way for the home side on 61 not out.

Scorecard here: https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/FwI9E8VvLF cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2018

Asked if Australia's intent was to attack the Indian bowling at all, he said, "You want to attack all the time but sometimes it's not that easy. The wicket wasn't overly easy to score on, and I thought they set good fields.

"It was just one of those old school, hard days of Test cricket and I think it's pretty even and both teams have bowled pretty well so far like you've seen."

Harris scored 26 off 57 balls in his first Test innings before R Ashwin, who finished with 3/50 on day two, dismissed him. The off spinner also got rid of left-handers Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh after lunch.

"I've faced Nathan Lyon a lot and he's pretty good. I thought Ashwin bowled really well, mixed up his pace a lot, bowled a few different variations with side spin and over spin.

"There's probably going to be a little bit of turn there going on in the game for the third and fourth innings, so Nathan will come into it like he did in the first innings.

"(Ashwin) was hard to score off and Virat set some really good fields. It wasn't easy but hopefully we can keep finding a way."

"It was just a change of pace that came on a little bit quicker," Harris added, about his own dismissal.

"He's been doing more media than I have!"

Great stuff here from Marcus Harris on a special time for him and the family! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/KVHwBw7fig cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2018

The opener said that it was a tough day of Test cricket when shot making wasn't easy and that they had to bide time against such a disciplined bowling attack.

"It's not easy to score on. The last couple of years have been tough with the pink ball wicket and it's similar now with a lot more grass on it. So it's not as easy as it used to be with the old Adelaide Oval wicket.

"We haven't got millions of Test matches in our top six, so I think people just have to be a little bit patient. We'll work it out, but it's a tough wicket and they bowled really well.

"Sometimes there's going to be days where you can't come out and blast them at three and four an over, just got to grind away.

"A good thing with this wicket is it gets better as this match goes on, so I think that should hold us in good stead," he signed off.

(With inputs from PTI)