Underdogs have their day!

Novak Djokovic, Australian cricketers between wickets during the second Test against West Indies (Pic: AFP/@CricketAus/X)

It was a day for an underdog to come out all guns blazing against a fancied opponent in Melbourne and eventually prevail while in neighbouring Brisbane, South Australia, a visiting cricket team showed spine after being humbled in the opening Test but failed to fully capitalise on the situation by the end of day's play.

At Melbourne, which is playing host to the year's first Grand Slam--the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic, the World Number 1 and holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, crashed out in the semifinals after losing to rising 22-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner.

While Djokovic has more Grand Slams to his credit than the number of birthdays that Sinner has celebrated to date, it hardly mattered on the day as the Italian produced some of his best tennis to get the better of the champion.

In the biggest upset of the Australian Open, the defending champion was outplayed in four sets in a clash that pitted experience and vintage against unbridled talent and the fearlessness of youth.

At the end of the fascinating clash, which spanned three hours and 21 minutes, Sinner came through against the seasoned and battle-hardened Serbian. The eventual scoreline read 1-6, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 3-6 in favour of the 22-year-old Italian.

The result, coming in the face of heavy odds, made Sinner the first player to defeat Djokovic in the semifinal of the Australian Open.

Throwing caution to the winds and going all-out against the 24-time Grand Slam winner, Sinner made Djokovic work hard for every point and as the opening set went to the Italian, there were murmurs in the stands that an upset could be on the cards.

And, so it turned out after four sets as the wiry Italian lifted his maiden Grand Slam trophy at the year's first major.

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Meanwhile, as Djokovic found the going tough against the Italian, cricketing giants Australia, who have mastered all formats and have most world titles to their credit, struggled literally to put bat to ball in the face of fiery bursts from West Indian quicks on Day 2 of the ongoing second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.

However, by the end of the day's play, the match was on an even keel with the hosts managing to reduce the deficit and boldly declare while they were within sniffing distance of the Caribbean total with the last pair standing.

Earlier, as play resumed on Day 2, debutant Kevin Sinclair waged a brave battle in the company of wicketkeeper Joshua DeSilva, scoring a fine half-century. Their enterprising association in the middle helped the visitors close their first innings at a respectable score of 311.

After a late-order cameo with the bat, speedster Alzarri Joseph, in the company of bowling spearhead Kemar Roach, put the Kangaroos in a tight corner in fortress Gabba.

Bowling at fiery and extracting deadly bounce off the surface, the Windies' quicks made the Aussies sniff the leather, sending half the side back to the hutch with not many runs on the scoreboard.

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For Australia, skipper Pat Cummins (64'), Usman Khawaja (75) and Alex Carey (64) helped the hosts save their blushes after they were reduced at one point to 24/4.

After lifting the score to a few runs short of the West Indies target, largely on the back of a rearguard revival, the Aussies declared boldly at 289/9.

However, the visitors did well not to crumble in the face of the new-ball bursts by the Aussie quicks, as they closed the day's play at 13/1, stretching their lead to 35 runs.

(With agency inputs)