4th Test, Melbourne, December 26, 2024, 05:00 AM
Australia
379/6(101.0ov)
India
Day 2: Session 1 - AUS opted to bat
AUS 64%
Tie 28%
IND 8%
100.6
4
Four!
100.5
2
The scoreboard keeps ticking for 'Straya'! Smith moves to 99 now! Back of a length and just outside off. Smith arches back and punches it to the widish deep point region and hustles back for a second.
100.4
1
A gentle-paced delivery by Nitish, on a length, around off, Pat Cummins leans back and cuts it to deep backward point for a single.
100.3
.
Back of a length, on top of middle, Pat Cummins plays it back to the bowler with a straight bat.
100.2
1
Angling on the pads again, on a length, Smith steers it towards deep square leg for a single.
100.1
.
Length ball, onto the pads, nudged away to short mid-wicket by Smith.
Drinks! Unarguably, Australia's hour. This seventh-wicket stand between Smith and Cummins has already added 72 runs now and has proved to be the cog in the wheel for India's late surge on the first day. But in all fairness, the Indian bowlers have looked out of plans. Barring Bumrah, hardly anyone has created chances or troubled the batters. And one feels that the Indians have gone a bit more defensive, just waiting for the batters to commit a mistake. Their best bet was to run through the Aussie tail with the new ball, but they just couldn't utilize it to their benefit. As things stand, Australia are marching towards a mammoth total now and India need some really extraordinary stuff from their bowlers to get rid of Smith, who is on the cusp of a well-deserved century. Cummins too, has provided an exceptional support under pressure.
In over# 100
0
1
1
0
1
0
Mohammed Siraj 81/0(18)
99.6
.
Another appeal for LBW but this way more stifled and comfortably missing leg as well. Good length, slanted back in from wider on the crease, pitches on middle and darts back in, Pat Cummins is caught on the crease and gets pinged on the pads
99.5
1
Fuller one angled in on the pads, Smith works it away well in front of square on the leg side and picks up another single.
99.4
1
Risky single but well-judged in the end! An inch or two less fuller than a yorker and around off, Cummins gets low and leans on before easing it away to the left of covers for a single.
99.3
.
Floated up nice and full, right at the stumps as well, Cummins gets halfway forward and pushes it away to mid on.
99.2
1
Shortish length, slanting ut on the pads, Smith gets inside the line and works it away well behind square leg for a run.
99.1
.
Ooh, more than half an appeal for LBW but the umpire turns it down. Slingy delivery from Siraj, dished out a bit full and on off, Steven Smith with a loose attempted defense off the front foot and gets an inside edge onto the back leg.
In over# 99
1
0
0
1
0
1
Nitish Kumar Reddy 13/0(6)
98.6
1
Hard length around off, Smith presses back and across before nudging it away through backward square leg for a single.
98.5
.
Floated up full and on the stumps, Smith gets across a bit and punches the ball away down to mid on.
98.4
.
There's that uneven bounce again! Just short of a good length around middle, this one straightens and takes off after hitting the deck, Smith is taken aback and takes a blow to the forearm.
98.3
1
Too short and too wide, Pat Cummins thrashes it away to the fielder at sweeper cover and turns the strike over.
98.2
.
Nice line and length from Reddy! On a good length, floated up in the channel around off and nibbling away off the deck, Cummins has a poke at it but bails out of the shot.