Yashasvi Jaiswal is rapidly growing in confidence in Australian conditions. The biggest sign? Yes, of course, the way he batted in the second innings, showing patience, mixing caution with aggression, respecting the conditions and the match situation, but what about his verbal battle with Mitchell Starc? Jaiswal did not shy away from indulging in the verbal duel with Australia's very best. On Day 2 of the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, Yashasvi Jaiswal took a dig at Mitchell Starc. The fact that it came without any direct provocation from Starc, 12 years older than Jaiswal in Test cricket, spoke volumes about the young Indian batter's confidence and aggressive attitude.

After hitting Starc for a four over square leg with a jaw-dropping half sweep half slog shot, Jaiswal defended a delivery off the backfoot in the same over and decided to nudge the big last bowler. "It's coming slow," he told Starc on this follow-through. The left-arm fast bowler, had a smile on his face while walking back to his mark.

To understand the context behind Jaiswal's sudden verbal banter, one has to go back a couple of hours. In the first session on Saturday, Starc informed India's debutant pacer Harshit that he is quicker than the right-arm seamer. "I bowl faster than you and have a long memory," Starc told Rana after the latter ruffled him with a few short stuff.

India in complete control

Starc, who was the top-scorer in the Australian innings with a fighting 26 off 112 balls, was dismissed by Rana in the end, but it appears that Jaiswal took note of that comment from the veteran Australian fast bowler. The fact that Jaiswal was dismissed for an eight-ball duck by Starc in the first innings may have also played a part in it.

The visitors took a 46-run lead into the second innings after dismissing the hosts for a meagre 104 at lunch in reply to their equally miserly 150 on a lively pitch.

Jaiswal got to his half-century and Rahul continued on his merry way as the dup brought up India's first century opening stand in 20 years.

Jaiswal, in his 15th Test, failed to score in his first knock and began tentatively before a boundary off Mitchell Starc settled him.

Batting alongside the more experienced Rahul, they ran well between the wickets and cracked anything loose to the boundary, playing their shots as their confidence grew.

It included a beautiful straight drive by Rahul off Pat Cummins and an equally impressive sweep by Jaiswal from a fullish Starc delivery.

The ball was not moving nearly as much as the opening day and Australia were in dire need of some inspiration, but it failed to come as the partnership flourished.

After an astonishing 17 wickets fell on a chaotic opening day, Australia resumed on 67-7 and put on 37 thanks to a dogged last wicket holdout.

They reached three figures courtesy of Starc and Josh Hazlewood, with their 25-run stand the longest of the Australian innings.

Jasprit Bumrah was India's chief destroyer with 5-30, his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests. Harshit Rana chipped in with 3-48.

Home hopes rested on Alex Carey as he began on 19, but after nudging two from Rana he came up against an irrepressible Bumrah.

Coming round the wicket, the Indian captain made Carey play and he nicked to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Nathan Lyon (5) did well to hang around for 16 fiery balls before gloving a short one from Rana to Rahul in the slips.

That brought Hazlewood to the crease and it seemed only a matter of time before India were batting again.

But he and Starc gamely stuck around, bringing up the 100 to huge cheers from the crowd.

It was an intelligent innings by Starc, who doggedly faced 112 balls and protected Hazlewood to add crucial extra runs before holing out Rana to Pant on 26.

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