4th Test, Melbourne, December 26, 2024, 05:00 AM
Australia
311/6(86.0ov)
India
Day 1: Stumps - AUS opted to bat
AUS 60%
Tie 21%
IND 19%
Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Commentry
Right then, on the surface, it seems like Australia are in command but given the up and down we have seen on Day 1, it isn't going to be as easy to bat on going forward and India will be eyeing up early wickets on Day 2. If Australia get anywhere close to 400 runs, then India will have to bat out of their skins to even things up but that's for later. Day 2 will begin on Friday, 27 December at 5 am IST (11.30 pm GMT, the previous day) but you can join us an hour in advance for the build-up. Cheers!
The third and final session was where things came back to life and a lot happened in it as well. For the first 45 minutes or so, the pair of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith dominated proceedings. All of the top 4 Aussie batters notched up half-centuries but Marnus fell right after the drinks break, triggering a mini-collapse that saw India pick up 3 wickets in the space of 9 runs. But that was as good as it got for the visitors for a while as Smith piled on the runs and Alex Carey gave him good support, playing positive strokes. However, Akash Deep dug in deep and bowled a pearler with the second new ball to Carey, allowing India to get into the Aussie tail before the day ended.
The first session belonged to Australia even after Ravindra Jadeja sent back Konstas for 60 and it was then in the second session that everything just started to slow down. Khawaja raked in a half-century as well but fell after playing a poor shot and India managed to keep the scoring rate to a minimum and got some teeth into the game.
The Boxing Day Test began with a few quiet overs from the Indian pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj but once Usman Khawaja got that first boundary away off Siraj, the 19-year-old debutant, Sam Konstas came into life. He didn't care for Bumrah's stature or his excellence and simply took him down, even managing to hit a reverse-lap six off him, a six that Bumrah conceded after 4484 balls in Test cricket.
An engrossing and entertaining Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, two big teams playing in front of about 87,000-plus fans at the Colosseum of world cricket that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground - it simply doesn't get better than this! At the end of the day though, it will be the Aussies who will be the happier of the two sides heading into Day 2 but not by much and will look to put a substantial first-innings score on the board.
In over# 86
0
2
1nb
0
0
0
0
Jasprit Bumrah 75/3(21)
85.6
.
Bumrah fires it straight and full, attacks the stumps. Pat Cummins is watchful in his approach and pushes it firmly back to the bowler. And that will be STUMPS ON DAY 1 AT THE MCG!
85.5
2
An attempted yorker right in front of the stumps, with a bit of shape in, Pat Cummins jams his bat down in time and the ball goes on the bounce to Jaiswal stationed at short leg. He gets his right hand out to stop but the ball deflects off his fingers to the deep square leg region for a couple of runs.
85.5
1nb
Bangs it short and into the surface, but going down leg. Cummins leaves. Also, a NO BALL called for overstepping.
85.4
.
Angles it on the middle and leg stump, on a length. Pat Cummins tucks it across to mid-wicket.
85.3
.
Just around off, curving back in a touch on a length. Pat Cummins makes a tight leave for the keeper to collect.
85.2
.
Sharp shape into the batter on a length, and on middle. Pat Cummins is watchful and blocks it out off the inner half of the bat.
85.1
.
Short of a good length, just outside off, Cummins leaves it alone.
In over# 85
0
1
4
0
0
0
Akash Deep 59/1(19)
84.6
.
Hurls it full and on the stumps, Smith with a firm push to the mid on region to end the over.
84.5
1
Length and just outside off, Cummins opens the bat face and guides it to deep backward point for a single.
84.4
4
EDGED AND FOUR! Handy runs for Australia and Cummins! Pitched fuller and around off, Pat Cummins prods ahead for a front foot block, but gets a healthy outside edge. The ball races away to the deep third boundary through the right of the third slip.
84.3
.
A bit of shape into the batter, around off on a good length. Pat Cummins lets the ball arrive at him and knocks it to the off side with soft hands.
84.2
.
Angling down leg again, on a shorter length. Pat Cummins sways out of the line and lets the ball sail to the keeper.
84.1
.
Sliding down the leg side on a length. Cummins misses to work it across and the ball zips through to the keeper.