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Welcome to our live blog of the Boxing Day Test. If India win at the MCG, they retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If Australia triumph, they remain on course for a first series win over India in a decade.
A defeat for the home side willl raise eyebrows while if India lose, their WTC fortune is out of their hands, although retaining the series trophy would still be possible. With a favourable forecast, a draw looks improbable, particularly given the ground’s recent history. The action set to unfold could take place in front of more than 90,000 spectators.
🇦🇺 walk away with the honors on the opening day🏅
Khawaja, Labuschagne and Smith built on the fiery start provided by debutant Konstas and notched up their respective fifties.
Bumrah was highly productive but Akash Deep toiled fruitlessly, save for the late blow of Alex Carey. pic.twitter.com/vKRU8QOnkO
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) December 26, 2024
Finally Akash Deep has a wicket to show for his efforts. Bumrah might have three wickets to his name today but it is Akash Deep who has been the pick of India’s bowlers. We’ve lost count of how many times he went past Khawaja’s outside edge and made life difficult for Smith as well. The second new ball has brought with it some much-needed luck.
He’s brilliant against the left-handers and the wicket of Carey bears testimony. Comes round the wicket and pounds the ball into the back of a length spot, gets it to straighten and kick up, Carey is left fending for the ball and he brushes it behind. That was a nut and not much Carey could have done there.
Marnus Labuschagne has missed the three figure mark again after striking form in this series as he throws it away the first ball after the drinks break. Prances down the track to Washington Sundar looking to clear the infield, but isn’t able to get enough elevation and finds Kohli at mid-off. End of an 83-run stand between Smith and Labuschagne.
Jasprit Bumrah then chimes in from the other end and cleans up India’s nemesis Travis Head for a seven-ball duck. The classic top-of-off-stump line and length has posed problems to Head. He left the ball on line which was outside off, but Bumrah got the ball to jag back sharply into the southpaw, who was shouldering arms and the ball clipped the bail.
Then Mitchell Marsh, who has been woefully short of runs all series, attempts to pull a Bumrah delivery which was not short enough and India have suddenly broken into Australia’s lower order. The tourists are smelling blood.
India are finding it hard to keep a check on the runs. Smith has made his intentions clear against Jadeja. Akash Deep has operated commendably but luck hasn’t been on his side. Bumrah and Siraj have already sent down 15 and 13 overs respectively. Rohit will have to summon Reddy and Sundar shortly and that’s where Australia can cash in further.
STAT: The last time before today Australia had 50+ partnerships for the first three wickets in an innings of a home Test was against Pakistan in Sydney in 2017.
Smith is not allowing Jadeja to settle into a rhythm. Rocks back to take a back-of-length delivery from the off-stump and pull it wide of mid-on. Then waltzes down the track, gets close to the pitch of the ball and hits it down to ground for a rocketing boundary.
Akash Deep to Smith, no run, a confident appeal for lbw has been turned down! Looks quite adjacent to the naked eye. Was a length ball that angled in from outside off, Smith took a shimmied down the track to work it across but missed the ball to get pinged on the pads. Clear gap between bat and ball but it’s going down leg. India lose their second review.
What’s happened there? Bumrah can scarcely believe it, he hides his face behind his hands as Khawaja walks away with a sheepish expression on his face. But India have a wicket nonetheless – a much needed breakthrough and Bumrah has struck with his first ball of a new spell.
An innocuous short of length delivery, Khawaja is a bit early into the pull and toe-ends the ball straight to short mid-wicket. Even KL, who took the catch, was slightly astonished that the ball came to him. The angle too was taking it down leg and Khawaja wanted to help it along, but somehow ends up getting it right off the toe as the ball lobs gently into the leg-side.
Bumrah and Akash Deep have bowled in excellent channels after Lunch. Akash Deep kept probing away outside off and troubled Khawaja but didn’t get a reward. Bumrah bowled disciplined lines and lengths and Siraj maintained the pressure as well. Labuschagne looked ill at ease at times but he has dug in as well. Khawaja has completed his fifty and will be eager to keep going. India need to find a way to break this stand.
India have tightened the screws after sending Konstas back to the pavilion. Bumrah and Akash Deep are keeping it very tight at the moment.
Camps back and uses the pace of Jadeja to get up and running. He has made a conscious effort to play proactively in the last few innings after being guilty of idleness at the crease that consigned him to an extended lean patch over 2024.
The MCG rises to applaud an ebullient knock. On debut, Konstas has given Australia a headstart on the first morning of the Boxing Day.
He survived a close LBW shout in Jadeja’s previous over but not again. The length was fuller and the ball skid across, beat the inside edge as Konstas pressed forward and hit him right in front of the stumps. Jadeja was confident with his appeal and umpire Michael Gough obliged this time around. India will heave a sigh of relief.
What an incredible start to his international career! The selectors wanted to throw a unique challenge at the Indian attack by picking him and Konstas has delivered on the promise. He points at the badge on his shirt with his bat and then waves his bat around to the MCG crowd.
Bumrah opening spells in this BGT
First 3 Tests: 8/54 in 30 overs (5 X 4s, 0 X 6s)
Today: 0/38 in 6 overs (5 X 4s, 2 X 6s)
34 off 33 by Konstas off Bumrah is the most anyone has scored off a spell by the Indian fast bowler in Tests.
Seems like the mini-altercation with Kohli has riled up Konstas. He takes 18 off Bumrah’s sixth over, hitting two fours and a boundary. A flat-batted thump past mid-off, a smack over long-on and a carve through point as Bumrah lets escape a low full-toss in line of the stumps. India are put on the backfoot by this exhilarating charge from Konstas.
He becomes only the second batter to wallop Bumrah for two sixes in an innings in Tests after Jos Buttler at the Oval in 2018.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING!
Sam Konstas just whipped Jasprit Bumrah for six 😱#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/ZuNdtCncLO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 26, 2024
Kohli deliberately barged into Konstas’ shoulder while passing by after the previous over concluded. The 19-year-old didn’t like the untoward aggression from the senior pro one bit and muttered some stuff back and then there were some words exchanged.
Kohli is trying to get under the skin of the new kid on the block. The umpire had to be the peacemaker.
Lovely timing. Fractionally overpitched from Bumrah and swinging towards the pads, Khawaja gets into a good position and flicks the cherry through backward square leg. Fine leg has no chance.
Unfazed by the occasion, the debutant is taking the attack to one of the world’s premier quicks, and that too in the most unorthodox fashion! A conventional ramp and two reverse scoops in that over to fetch 14. Konstas is not hanging around like McSweeney, he is here to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
First six hit off Bumrah’s bowling in Tests since Cameron Green produced a maximum in the New Year’s Test at the SCG in 2021.
Sam Konstas once again tries something out of the box! Looks iffy when you don’t execute it, though. He dances down the track to the in-angler from Siraj that pitched outside off and has a swipe at it. Meets air. Siraj has something to say to the young turk.
Khawaja was the man under the microscope. Facing Siraj, he walked down the track to mitigate the inswing but ended up playing down the wrong line and got pinged on the pad. Rohit has a chat with Pant, also looked at someone at square leg to gauge the height and then decides to challenge the on-field call before the timer runs out.
Time for the replays. Snicko reveals daylight between bat and ball. The height is an issue too and it’s just going over the stumps. Good decision by the umpire.
Oh my word! The young generation lives bold and free. The debutant has shown the audacity to try a reverse scoop versus arguably the best red-ball bowler in the world. On a good length around off, Konstas reverses his stance and tries to hit the ball over the slip cordon but misses. India’s pace spearhead has a wry smile on his face. Even Khawaja is in awe of his opening partner’s daredevilry.
Interesting call from India to bring in Washington Sundar in place of Gill, who tallied 59 runs in the Adelaide Test but struggled to make a noteworthy contribution in the ongoing series hitherto. Sundar, the off-spinning all-rounder, improves the balance of the visiting team. It is important to note that R Ashwin retired from international cricket after the third Test.
For the hosts, Travis Head was officially declared fit ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Australia captain Pat Cummins also stated that Sam Konstas will make his debut, replacing Nathan McSweeney at the top, and Scott Boland will return to the XI.
India have defeated Australia at the MCG on their last two visits, in 2018 and 2020. That will give them a psychological boost.
Teams:
Australia (Playing XI): Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
