India Vs Australia Highlights, Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, Day 1, Full Cricket Score: Gill, Pujara guide visitors to 36/1 at stumps

IND 36/1 after 11 overs (Gill 28, Pujara 7)  

Hazlewood continues. Horrible mix up between the two batters but luckily India didn’t suffer any damage. Gill leaves the second delivery which nipped back in, it wasn’t that far from the off stump. Just one run off the over. And that will be the end of the first day’s play in the Boxing Day Test.

The Indian bowlers, especially Bumrah (4/56) and Ashwin (3/35), were clinical and did a fabulous job to restrict Australia to 195. Gill and Pujara will take heart from the fact that they saw off the Aussie pace attack. Gill, in particular, looked quite assuring for his 28 after being dropped.

Milestone crossed!

36-1!!

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) December 26, 2020

IND 35/1 after 10 overs (Gill 28, Pujara 6)  

Nathan Lyon, right-arm off break, comes into the attack. Gill uses his feet, reaches the pitch of the ball and drives the third ball down the ground for a boundary. Six runs off the over.

FOUR! Gill uses his feet, reaches the pitch of the ball and drives it down the ground for a boundary.Top stroke this!

IND 29/1 after 9 overs (Gill 22, Pujara 6)  

Bowling change for Australia as Josh Hazlewood, the chief architect behind India’s rout at Adelaide, comes into the attack. Huge appeal for LBW against Pujara off the third delivery but the umpire turns it down. It was going down leg so good decision by the umpire. One run off the over, courtesy a no ball.

IND 28/1 after 8 overs (Gill 22, Pujara 6)  

Cummins into his fourth over. Overpitches off the fourth and Gill plays a classy straight drive, collecting a triple in the process. Five runs off the over.

IND 23/1 after 7 overs (Gill 19, Pujara 4)  

Starc continues. Starts off with three dots against Gill. The Punjab batsman pulls the fourth for a boundary towards deep mid-wicket. Starc strays on the pads off the last and Gill tickles it towards fine leg for another four. Eight runs off the over.

FOUR! Starc strays on the pads and Gill tickles it towards fine leg.

FOUR! It seemed like a half-hearted pull shot. But Gill did well to get on top of the bounce and it raced away towards deep mid-wicket.

IND 15/1 after 6 overs (Gill 11, Pujara 4)  

Cummins into the sixth over of the innings. Three slips, a gully and Pujara is the man on strike. The second delivery just grips in the surface and hits Pujara, who does well to get his gloves off the way to counter the extra bounce. Pujara responds to a full delivery with a majestic straight drive. Four runs off the over.

FOUR! Full delivery and Pujara just shows it the full face of the blade. What a straight drive! Class written all over that!

IND 11/1 after 5 overs (Gill 11, Pujara 0)  

Starc continues. Starts off with a short one against Gill, who creams it through the covers for the second four of India’s innings. Gill just adding insult to injury after he was dropped by Labuschagne in the last over. The Punjab batsman sneaks a double off the fourth delivery. Six runs off the over.

FOUR! Just a hint of width, Gill gets on top of the bounce and creams it through the covers. Second boundary for India and Gill.

IND 4/1 after 4 overs (Gill 5, Pujara 0)  

Cummins continues. One thing’s certain, India will really have to work hard for their runs. After their bowling masterclass at Adelaide, the Aussie bowlers are right on the mark again. The first boundary of India’s innings comes from the blade of Gill, who plays the straight drive off the fourth. Labuschagne drops Gill at third slip off the last. How costly will this be? Four runs off the over.

FOUR! Full delivery and Gill shows it the full face of the blade. The ball races away towards long on for a boundary. That will give Gill confidence. First boundary for India.

IND 0/1 after 3 overs (Gill 0, Pujara 0)  

Starc continues. He was right on the money in the first over. Be it pace or bounce, he ticked all the boxes there. Pujara either defends or leaves the length deliveries before getting beaten off the last ball. The ball nearly took the outside edge on that occasion. Three maidens on the trot. Talk about building pressure.

Did you know?

 Mayank Agarwal is the 12th batsman dismissed by Starc in his first over in Tests.

IND 0/1 after 2 overs (Gill 0, Pujara 0)  

Pat Cummins comes into the attack. Gill leaves the first one, before getting beaten off the next. An absolute peach of a delivery to the Punjab batsman off the fourth, a good length ball that took off after hitting the pitch. Cummins with a maiden over as well.

IND 0/1 after 1 over (Gill 0)

Starc steams in for the first over. Huge appeal for LBW off the second delivery against Mayank but the umpire turned it down. A ripping inswinging yorker off the next and Mayank does well to defend it. Starc traps Mayank LBW off the final delivery as India lose their their first wicket.

OUT! Second LBW appeal in the over and this time, there’s no escape for Mayank. What a lovely inswinger from Starc. The left hander gets the first breakthrough for Australia, in the first over itself**.** Agarwal lbw b Starc 0(6)

Right, the Indian bowlers have done their bit and restricted Australia to 195. Time for the batsmen now. Gill, the debutant, walks out to bat alongside Mayank. Starc with the new ball. Here we go!

AUS 195 after 72.3 overs (Hazlewood 4)

OUT! Cummins aims for the slog sweep, miscues it and hands a simple catch to Jadeja at long-on. That’s it then, Australia have been bundled out for 195.

AUS 195/9 after 72 overs (Cummins 9, Hazlewood 4)

Bumrah bowls an eventful over, concedes a six and two fours, but also traps Lyon LBW. 16 runs off the over.

FOUR! Hazlewood deflects it fine, down the leg side for a boundary.

OUT! Good length delivery from Bumrah, pitching outside off and he traps Lyon LBW. Lyon played across the line and paid the price**. Lyon lbw b Bumrah 20(17)**

FOUR! Bumrah bowls short again and Lyon responds in similar fashion, with a pull shot, but this time it was a boundary.

SIX! Fetch that! Short from Bumrah, Lyon swivels on his feet and pulls it over fine leg for a six.

AUS 179/8 after 71 overs (Cummins 9, Lyon 8)

Jadeja returns to the attack after the drinks break. He hasn’t been as effective as Ashwin. His strength, however, is bowling wicket to wicket and he sticks to it in this over, conceding just two runs off it.

AUS 177/8 after 70 overs (Cummins 8, Lyon 7)

Bumrah continues. Starts off with two dots, before Lyon, the new batter, runs the next down to third man for a boundary. Lyon collects a double off the fifth to make it six runs in Bumrah’s 15th over. And we head into the drinks break!

FOUR! Lyon runs it down to third man for a boundary. Just using the pace of Bumrah there.

AUS 171/8 after 69 overs (Cummins 8, Lyon 1)

Ashwin returns and bowls well until the final delivery. Cummins collects a boundary off the last. Five runs off the over.

FOUR! Cummins breaks the shackles. He whacks it towards deep mid-wicket for a four.

AUS 166/8 after 68 overs (Cummins 4)

Bumrah continues. More often than not, he does just what the captain asks of him. On this occasion too, he removes Starc off the first delivery. The left-hander holes out to Siraj at long leg. Two consecutive bouncers off the fourth and fifth ball against Cummins, who’s finding it difficult to deal with the short stuff. Just two runs off the over.

OUT! Bumrah continues and he gets the breakthrough, removes Starc off the first delivery off his 14th over. Well directed short ball and the left hander holes out to Siraj at long leg**. Starc c Siraj b Bumrah 7(8)**

AUS 164/7 after 67 overs (Cummins 2, Starc 7)  

Ashwin into his 24th over. When he isn’t getting the wickets, he’s done really well to stem the flow of runs. Another maiden over from the off spinner.

AUS 164/7 after 66 overs (Cummins 2, Starc 7)  

Right, as expected, Bumrah has been called back into the attack. Can he run through the tail? Not yet. Starc drills the fifth towards long on for a four, before sneaking a double off the last. Eight runs off the over.

Most 3-fors for Indian spinners in Australia in Tests:

8 : Ravi Ashwin*
7 : Anil Kumble
6 : B Bedi, E Prasanna

FOUR! Full delivery, angling into the pads and Starc drills it towards long on for a boundary.

AUS 156/7 after 65 overs (Cummins 1, Starc 0)  

Ashwin continues. And he bowls another maiden over. India will be hungry for wickets from here on. Rahane might turn to his strike bowler Bumrah at this point.

AUS 156/7 after 64 overs (Cummins 1, Starc 0)  

Siraj comes into the attack and keeps it tight, not letting either of the two batsmen free their arms. Just one run off the over.

So far so good for the youngster

#AusvInd

Superb bowling by Siraj today. A bit nervous in the first spell, he has gotten better through the day. More movement, more pace, smarter bowling too. Lovely setup to send Green back. They did call him a bit of a red-ball specialist.

— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) December 26, 2020

AUS 155/7 after 63 overs (Cummins 0)  

Ashwin comes into the attack. Tosses up the final delivery to Paine, who hits it straight to Vihari at leg slip. Australia’s lower order is in now and India will look to bundle out their batting in a jiffy here. A wicket maiden for Ashwin, he continues his good show.

OUT! The Aussie captain has to walk back to the pavilion. Tossed up from Ashwin and Paine holes out to Vihari at leg slip. Soft dismissal.Just what India were looking for. Australia’s lower order has come into play now.  Paine c Hanuma Vihari b Ashwin 13(38)

AUS 155/6 after 62 overs (Paine 13)  

Siraj into his 14th over. Lures Green into the drive off the first but the towering all-rounder lets it go. Green chops the ball towards backward point for a double off the third and gets trapped LBW off the next. Siraj picks up his second wicket. Successful over for India, just two runs and a wicket off it.

OUT! Siraj picks up his second wicket. Angling into the pads, Green did not get a bat to it, as confirmed by the review, and was trapped LBW**. Green lbw b Siraj 12(60)**

AUS 153/5 after 61 overs (Green 10, Paine 13)  

Ashwin returns. Continues to change things up but doesn’t get the result in this over. Just a single in the over, from the blade of Green off the third delivery.

AUS 152/5 after 60 overs (Green 9, Paine 13)  

Siraj continues. Starts off with two dots followed by a full delivery outside off, which Green nudged to long on for a single. The ball takes the outside edge of Paine’s bat and races away for a boundary off the penultimate delivery. A double to end the over. Seven runs in total in that over.

FOUR! Probing length from Siraj. Outside edge but the ball races away towards third man for a boundary. Paine was lucky on that occasion.

AUS 145/5 after 59 overs (Green 8, Paine 7)  

Ashwin continues. Massive appeal for caught behind by the bowler and Pant against Green off the first delivery but the umpire isn’t interested. The broadcaster just showed the pitch map and Ashwin has mixed it up really well. Just one run off the over.

.

AUS 144/5 after 58 overs (Green 7, Paine 7)  

Siraj continues. Paine gets behind the line on the first two deliveries and carefully defends them. Change of pace by Siraj off the third and the Aussie skipper failed to read that one but what worked in his favour was that he played it with soft hands. Second maiden over on the trot for the Hyderabad pacer.

AUS 144/5 after 57 overs (Green 7, Paine 7)  

Ashwin into his 18th over. Just one run off the over as the off spinner continues to test the batsmen with his turn and bounce.

AUS 143/5 after 56 overs (Green 7, Paine 6)  

Siraj continues. India would be desperate for a breakthrough here, knowing that that Australia’s lower order will come into play. Hopefully, Siraj can get the job done but if that doesn’t happen, Rahane might turn to his strike bowler Bumrah as Indians don’t want Paine and Green to settle. Superb over, a maiden from Siraj.

AUS 143/5 after 55 overs (Green 7, Paine 6)  

Ashwin continues. So far, he has really tested the Aussie batsmen, extracting bounce and turn from the surface. Mix up between the two batters and Paine just manages to get back in the crease. There was a review there but the benefit of the doubt was given to the batsman. Rahane wasn’t happy with the umpire’s decision. Two runs off the over.

AUS 141/5 after 54 overs (Green 6, Paine 5)  

Siraj into his 10th over. Siraj bowls short after bowling three dots and pays the price as Paine pulls it towards square leg for a boundary. The Aussie skipper sneaks a quick single off the penultimate ball. Five runs off the over.

AUS 136/5 after 53 overs (Green 6, Paine 0)  

Ashwin takes the ball after the tea break. Keeps it tight and varies his pace beautifully. A maiden over. Green did not get any room to work with in that over.

AUS 136/5 after 52 overs ( Green 6, Paine 0)

Another big appeal for lbw by Siraj, but this time Rahane decides against going for the review as the ball struck Green, quite the tall bloke himself, high on the knee roll, making the likelihood of it flying over the stumps quite possible. Green collects a single off the penultimate delivery, with Paine blocking the last ball of the over, which is also the last delivery of the second session.

And it’s tea on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the end of this over; the first hour belonged to Labuschagne and Head, who threatened to take the game away from the Indians, before Bumrah and Siraj shifted the momentum back in the visitors’ favour wicket timely breakthroughs in what was ultimately a shared session.

Tim Paine’s last five Test innings:
73*, 35, 79, 0, 39

AUS 135/5 after 51 overs ( Green 5, Paine 0)

Tidy over for Ashwin, giving away just one off this over as Green collects a single off the second delivery with a punch through the off side.

AUS 134/5 after 50 overs ( Green 4, Paine 0)

Siraj’s wait for a Test wicket ends three balls into his eighth over as Labuschagne flicks straight into the hands of Gill standing a little close at backward square leg. The seamer appeals unsuccessfully for lbw against Paine off the last delivery, getting an umpire’s call after convincing his captain to go for the review. Wicket maiden for Siraj!

OUT! First Test wicket for Mohammed Siraj! And it’s the big fish that he nets just minutes before tea, as Labuschagne falls just short of his half-century after clipping a full delivery angling down leg straight to Gill at backward square leg. AUS 134/5

Labuschagne c Gill b Siraj 48(132)

AUS 134/4 after 49 overs (Labuschagne 48, Green 4)

Labuschagne collects crunches the ball through the off side off the third delivery, getting enough time to come back for a third run. Three off Ashwin’s 14th over.

AUS 131/4 after 48 overs (Labuschagne 45, Green 4)

Change from both ends, with Siraj coming in place of Bumrah, who delivered as far as getting the breakthrough was concerned. First maiden of the day for the Hyderabadi pacer.

AUS 131/4 after 47 overs (Labuschagne 45, Green 4)

Ashwin returns to the attack, replacing Umesh and bowling out a tidy over in which he gives away just one run. Rahane will be hopeful of the offie adding another to his wickets column before tea today.

AUS 130/4 after 46 overs (Labuschagne 45, Green 3)

Green gets off the mark with a drive through the gap in the cover region, getting enough time to come back for a third run. Dot off each of the remaining deliveries of the over.

AUS 127/4 after 45 overs (Labuschagne 45, Green 0)

Big appeal from Yadav as well as Pant behind the stumps after the ball hits Labuschagne high on the pad while appearing to go down the leg side. Rahane though, is inclined to stick to the umpire’s original decision of ‘Not Out’ on this one. Maiden over for Umesh.

AUS 127/4 after 44 overs (Labuschagne 45, Green 0)

Two off Bumrah’s 11th over, including a wide signalled for height off the last delivery of the over. Labuschagne, meanwhile, is closing in on his fifty at the moment.

AUS 125/4 after 43 overs (Labuschagne 44, Green 0)

Umesh catches Labuschagne off guard with an absolute ripper of a delivery off the second ball — nipping away from the outside edge ever so slightly, almost kissing it along the way, while bowled at length. Easy single to the SA-born batsman off the fifth after tapping a full delivery away towards midwicket. Dot off the last ball.

AUS 124/4 after 42 overs (Labuschagne 43, Green 0)

Another no-ball in a space of a few deliveries, as Bumrah oversteps while bowling the second delivery of the over. The pace spearhead more than makes up for it four balls later though when he breaks the partnership that was threatening to take all the advantage away from the visitors, getting Head caught by Rahane at gully. Just one off the over to go with the wicket.

OUT! Jasprit Bumrah with the much-needed breakthrough, as Head edges the full delivery, with skipper Rahane taking a fine, low catch at gully. AUS 124/4

Head c Rahane b Bumrah 38(92)

AUS 122/3 after 41 overs (Labuschagne 43, Head 38)

Umesh continues after the break. Labuschagne collects a boundary off the second delivery of the over, getting a thick outside edge off a full, wide delivery that sends the ball through the gap between second slip and gully. Five off the over, including a no-ball off the penultimate delivery.

FOUR! Labuschagne edges a wide, full delivery from Umesh through the gap between the slips and gully, collecting his fourth boundary in the process. AUS 121/3

AUS 117/3 after 40 overs (Labuschagne 39, Head 38)

Bumrah brought back into the attack with the drinks break around the corner, sending down a sharp bouncer off the second delivery that Head chooses to leave alone. Bumrah hadn’t conceded a boundary so far today, and ends up conceding two of them off consecutive deliveries to Head at the end of the over. 10 off the over, with the umpire signalling for the drinks cart to be brought out to the field. The first hour of the second session has clearly belonged to the Aussies.

FOUR! Lovely drive through the gap between extra cover and mid off! Head’s in some nick at the moment! AUS 117/3

FOUR! An attempted yorker from Bumrah that ends up being a loss full toss, Head clips this past the diving square-leg fielder to collect his third boundary. AUS 113/3

AUS 107/3 after 39 overs (Labuschagne 38, Head 29)

Tidy over from Umesh as the Vidarbha pacer gives away just three singles in this over. Both Labuschagne and Head quite well set at the crease right now, with the partnership between them worth 69.

AUS 104/3 after 38 overs (Labuschagne 37, Head 27)

Head drives an overpitched delivery from Siraj down the ground for a boundary off the second delivery, before punching a slightly shorter ball through cover for a brace three balls later. Retains the strike with a single off the last ball.

FOUR! Full delivery in the slot — almost a gift from Siraj to Head. The latter responds with a well-time drive down the ground. Brings up the 100 for the hosts AUS 101/3

AUS 97/3 after 37 overs (Labuschagne 37, Head 20)

Head collects his first boundary off a wide delivery from Umesh, steering it behind point with the ball then rolling  beating two chasing fielders to roll away to the fence. He then collects a single two balls later. Dot to end the over, with five coming off it.

FOUR! Head steers a wide delivery from Umesh, beating the diving fielder at backward point. AUS 96/3

AUS 92/3 after 36 overs (Labuschagne 37, Head 15)

Siraj surprises Labuschagne with a searing bouncer off the second delivery, the ball caught by second slip after rebounding off his helmet. The Aussie No 3 needs a quick check from the physio after the blow to go with a change of helmet. Just two singles off the remaining deliveries of the over.

AUS 90/3 after 35 overs (Labuschagne 36, Head 14)

Umesh Yadav brought back into the attack from the end where Ashwin last bowled, conceding a brace to Head off the second delivery to go with five dots.

AUS 88/3 after 34 overs (Labuschagne 36, Head 12)

Head flicks an overpitched delivery through midwicket for three runs off the first delivery. Labuschagne clips the ball behind square on the leg side for a brace off the next delivery. Three dots later, the Queenslander ends the over with a solid punch through the off side for a four, bringing up the fifty stand in the process.

FOUR! Punched through the off side by Labuschagne off the last delivery of Siraj’s fourth over of the day! Ball’s pulled back inside just short of the extra cover fence, but the batsman gets enough time to run four. Brings up the fifty partnership between Labuschagne and Head in the process! AUS 88/3

AUS 79/3 after 33 overs (Labuschagne 30, Head 9)

Ashwin bowls one far down the leg side to Head, and Pant’s miss behind the stumps results in four byes. Another fumble by Pant three balls later results in another bye being added to the Australian total. Five off the over.

AUS 74/3 after 32 overs (Labuschagne 30, Head 9)

Labuschagne clips a length ball from Siraj towards fine leg for a single off the second ball. Siraj starts bowling round-the-wicket to Head from the third delivery. Fine stop by Rahane at gully off the fourth ball after an outside edge off Head’s bat, the ball travelling almost at catching height. Single to the left-hander off the fifth followed by a dot.

AUS 72/3 after 31 overs (Labuschagne 29, Head 8)

Labuschagne rocks back and cuts the ball through cover off the third delivery, collecting an easy single on offer. Head follows suit two balls later after a fumble at short leg. Labuschagne keeps the strike with a single off the last delivery.

AUS 69/3 after 30 overs (Labuschagne 27, Head 7)

Two from Siraj’s second over of the day, with Head collecting a brace off the fourth delivery after a punch through the off side. The Hyderabadi pacer ends the over with a steep bouncer to the southpaw.

AUS 67/3 after 29 overs (Labuschagne 27, Head 5)

Ashwin, the top performer from either side in the morning session, continues from the other end, walking away with his second maiden of the day as Labuschagne blocks all the way in the six deliveries.

AUS 67/3 after 28 overs (Labuschagne 27, Head 5)

Siraj bowls his first over in Test cricket at the start of the afternoon session on Day 1, starting off with four dots on the trot before conceding a single each to Head and Labuschagne off the last two deliveries.

Well then, we have the debutant Mohammed Siraj bowling the first over after lunch! It’s Travis Head on strike at the start of the second session.

Not a bad toss to lose for the visitors

Excellent session for India. Bumrah started it right and then Ashwin stepped up with a terrific spell.

Siraj yet to bowl, Jadeja yet to hit his mark. Now to make the most of this start.,

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) December 26, 2020

First session done and dusted and it belonged to India, who picked up three wickets there, giving away just 65 runs from 27 overs. Ashwin (9/2) has been phenomenal, Bumrah (7/1) has been right on the mark from the start as well. If the other bowlers can chip in, Australia will be in for some serious trouble.

AUS 65/3 after 27 overs (Labuschagne 26, Head 4)

Ashwin into his ninth over. Ashwin’s ball pitches around the middle stump and just holds its line. It seems Labuschagne played for the spin on that occasion. Good review by Labuschagne as the it was going over the stumps. Just one run off the over. And that’s also the end of the first session.

AUS 64/3 after 26 overs (Labuschagne 26, Head 3)

Jadeja continues. Labuschagne pierces the gap on the off side, collects a boundary. Jadeja almost has his man on the second as the ball lands anxiously close to the cover point fielder. Three runs off the fifth, byes. 10 runs off the over. That over will release some pressure as far as the Aussies are concerned.

FOUR! Short and wide from jadeja and Labuschagne pounces on it as he whacks on the off side for a boundary.

AUS 54/3 after 25 overs (Labuschagne 19, Head 3)

Ashwin continues. The move to introduce him early has paid dividends. And he refuses to take the foot off the gas in this over as well as he continues to frustrate the batsmen with inch perfect line and lentths. Maiden over for him.

AUS 54/3 after 24 overs (Labuschagne 19, Head 3)

Jadeja continues. Bowls the second one wider outside off and Labuschagne dabs it past Rahane at slip for a boundary. Four runs off the over.

FOUR! Labuschagne runs the ball down to third man for a boundary. Welcome boundary for Australia.

AUS 50/3 after 23 overs (Labuschagne 15, Head 3)

Ashwin continues. The third one drifts on to Head’s pads, the batsman gets the leading edge but the ball went wide of square leg for a single. Labuschagne returns the favour off the next. Just two runs off the over. Meanwhile, Australia cross the 50-run mark.

AUS 48/3 after 22 overs (Labuschagne 14, Head 2)

Jadeja into his second over. He keeps it tight, not letting Labuschagne free his arms. A maiden over that. Top stuff this by the Indian bowlers.

AUS 48/3 after 21 overs (Labuschagne 14, Head 2)

Right, spin from both ends as Ashwin continues. A rare half tracker by him off the fourth, Labuschagne rocks back and punches it through the covers for a boundary. Five runs off the over.

FOUR! Half tracker from Ashwin, Labuschagne had ample time to get on the backfoot and punch it through the covers.

Travis Head batting average in Tests:

v left-arm orthodox : 84.0
v right-arm off-spin : 92.3

AUS 43/3 after 20 overs (Labuschagne 9, Head 2)

Bowling change as Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack. The signs are encouraging for spinners as far as the pitch is concerned. Jadeja, however, doesn’t extract much turn or bounce from the pitch in the over. Two runs off the over.

AUS 41/3 after 19 overs (Labuschagne 8, Head 1)

Ashwin continues. Huge appeal for LBW off against Head, but the umpire wasn’t interested. Rahane, the stand-in India skipper, wasn’t too interested either. Head will retain the strike next over as he got off the mark with a single off the last ball. Just one run in the over.

AUS 40/3 after 18 overs (Labuschagne 8, Head 0)

Bumrah into his eighth over. Labuschagne either defended or left the length deliveries in the over. He was also beaten twice in the over, the ball hitting the batsman’s thigh pad on both occasions. Another maiden over from Bumrah.

AUS 40/3 after 17 overs (Labuschagne 8, Head 0)

Ashwin returns. He is extracting bounce and spin from the surface. Australia will be wary of him from here on, having lost two wickets of their wickets to him. Just one run off the over. Ashwin’s spectacular show continues.

AUS 39/3 after 16 overs (Labuschagne 7, Head 0)

Bumrah continues. Massive appeal for LBW against Labuschagne, but the umpire wasn’t interested. India took a review nevertheless, but height was the issue there. A lost review for India. Labuschagne tucks the third in front of deep mid-wicket for a single. Bumrah goes around the wicket for Travis Head, the new batsman at the crease, and bowls three dots to end the over.

This is the first time that Steve Smith was dismissed for duck against India in international cricket.

Indian fans starting to get chirpy in the stands now

🔥 ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie... Look at the scoreboard...’ 🎶 #TeamIndia on fire in the first session! Come on !#BharatArmy #AUSvIND #BoxingDayTest #COTI 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/MNM9NI03m9

— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) December 26, 2020

AUS 38/3 after 15 overs (Labuschagne 6)

Pant replaces Saha behind the stumps and chants of “Come on, Ash” behind the stump as the off-spinner continues. India’s feisty morning session continues as Steve Smith departs for a duck. Ashwin’s off break does the trick as Smith nicked one straight into the hands of Pujara at leg slip. Three runs and a wicket in that over.

Some start to the day for the offie!

And now it’s Ashwin’s morning for sure. He has been superb. Good catch. The big man gone for Australia and the toss has been nullified. Tremendous spell from @ashwinravi99

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) December 26, 2020

OUT! Ashwin is on fire. He picks up the big wicket of Steve Smith. A duck for Smith. That spun a fair bit. Smith was looking to nudge it behind square, played with a closed bat-face, but couldn’t keep it down. Soft dismissal. Pujara completed a simple catch at leg gully**. Smith c Pujara b Ashwin 0(8)**

AUS 35/2 after 14 overs (Labuschagne 5, Smith 0)

Bumrah returns to the attack. Two slips, a gully and a leg gully in. Bowls testing lengths, outside the off-stump to Steve Smith, the new man in. The unorthodox batsman not taking any risks. Another maiden over for Bumrah. Superb bowling this.

AUS 35/2 after 13 overs (Labuschagne 5, Smith 0)

Ashwin continues. Two slips, leg gully and a short mid wicket. Attacking field here. Beats Wade on the second but Pant fails to collect that one behind the stumps. Wade swept the fourth for a boundary, before holing out to Jadeja at mid-wicket. Four runs and a wicket in that over. Australia in a spot of bother after losing their second wicket.

OUT! Gill and Jadeja nearly collided while taking a catch but thankfully, the latter safely held on to it. Tossed up from Ashwin, Wade was looking to take the attack to the off spinner but got height on it rather than distance. Australia lose their second wicket. Wade c Jadeja b Ashwin 30(39)

FOUR! Wade nicely sweeps it towards fine leg for a boundary.

AUS 30/1 after 12 overs (Labuschagne 4, Wade 26)

Yadav continues. Wade elegantly drives the first through extra cover for a triple. Superb delivery, the fourth one by Umesh, came back in sharply and hit Labuschagne on the thigh pad. The right-hander is taking his sweet time to assess the conditions, Wade has been the more aggressive batsman. A single to end the over. Four runs off it.

AUS 26/1 after 11 overs (Labuschagne 3, Wade 23)

Bowling change for India as Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the attack. Well, surprise, one would have expected Siraj to come in at this point. Wade sweeps the second one towards square leg for a single. Sharp spin on the fourth, took Labuschagne by surprise. Just one run off Ashwin’s first. The pitch does have something for the spinners as well, it seems.

AUS 25/1 after 10 overs (Labuschagne 3, Wade 22)

Yadav returns and bowls a probing delivery outside off, Wade just unsure whether to play or leave it. But the left hander has driven the ball well so far and he did just that on the second, collecting a triple in the process. The penultimate delivery clocked 143 kmph, Labuschagne happy to leave it. And the final one nips back in, hit the right-hander on his pads but had height on it. Three runs off the over.

AUS 22/1 after 9 overs (Labuschagne 3, Wade 19)

Bumrah into his fifth over. He’s been right on the money as far as his lengths are concerned. But the penultimate delivery of this over was a bit too short. Labuschagne didn’t anticipate that either. Nevertheless, a pull shot earns him two runs.

AUS 20/1 after 8 overs (Labuschagne 1, Wade 19)

Yadav continues. He’s been driven a few times but he’s not shying away from bowling the fuller lengths. It was evident on the second delivery which swung away from Wade. The fifth one nips back in. Wade leaves the final ball outside the off stump. A maiden over.

AUS 20/1 after 7 overs (Labuschagne 1, Wade 19)

Bumrah into his fourth over. Starts off with two dots before Wade flicks one towards deep mid-wicket for a triple. Remember, big boundaries here. Triples are quite common. The final delivery came back in sharply but Labuschagne was happy to let it go. Three runs off the over.

AUS 17/1 after 6 overs (Labuschagne 0, Wade 16)

Yadav returns. Starts off with a full delivery outside off and Wade punches it through the line. Two singles to follow the boundary. Yadav clocked good speeds in the over but wasn’t that good with his line and length. Seven runs off the over.

FOUR! Full delivery outside off and Wade punches it through the line. No swing whatsoever there.

Marnus Labuchagne’s scores in Test matches’ first innings:

6, 74, 67, 162, 143, 63, 215.

OUT! Bumrah with the first breakthrough for India. Burns has to depart. A duck for Burns. A well-deserved wicket for India’s pace spearhead. Burns had to play at it, the ball took the outside edge of Burns’ catch and Pant completed a simple catch**. Burns c Pant b Bumrah 0(10)**

Bumrah bowling strike rate in Tests:

1st innings : 78.6
2nd innings : 38.2
3rd innings : 60.4
4th innings : 37.9

AUS 10/0 after 4 overs (Burns 0, Wade 10)

Yadav continues. He pitched on full outside off and Wade pounced on it, drove it through the covers for the first boundary of Australia’s innings. A double in the over as well. Six runs off it.

Some sad news for the cricketing fraternity early on Boxing Day

Oh dear, just got the news that a valued colleague, a cheerful man and a fine commentator after his playing days, Robin Jackman has passed away. Good man, good host. Condolences to his family from India where he had special bonds

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 25, 2020

FOUR! Crisp as you like! Wade drives it through the covers for a boundary. That will give him confidence. First boundary of Australia’s innings.

AUS 4/0 after 3 overs (Burns 0, Wade 4)

Bumrah continues. There’s swing on offer and that seems to be encouraging Bumrah and Umesh at the moment. The second delivery is a nip backer, hits Wade on the pads but height is a concern. Wade steers the penultimate ball towards backward point for a single. An absolute peach of a delivery, the last one by Bumrah, it nearly takes the outside edge of Burns’ bat. Just one run in the over.

…as well as at Hyderabad!

He battled personal tragedy, fought adversity and is now rewarded with India's Test 🧢 no. 298. Congratulations Mohammed Siraj. Go seize the day! #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/D48TUJ4txp

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2020

Celebration time at Fazilka!

The moment when your dreams come true. No better stage than the Boxing Day Test to make your maiden Test appearance.
@RealShubmanGill is now the proud holder of India's Test cap 🧢 No. 297. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/G0kdE9TgNU

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2020

AUS 3/0 after 2 overs (Burns 0, Wade 3)

Umesh Yadav comes into the attack. Starts off with the four dots against Wade, who drives the penultimate ball through the covers for a triple. But that’s the length where there’s the possibility of getting a wicket. The final ball just angles away from Burns. Three runs off the over.

AUS 0/0 after 1 over (Burns 0, Wade 0)

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah with the first over. Starts off with two dots, both good length deliveries outside off and Burns was happy to leave them. Oh and the third one nearly takes the outside edge of Burns’ bat. The penultimate delivery comes into the right hander. A maiden over to start. Testing first over by Bumrah.

Right, the national anthems are done. Joe Burns and Matthew Wade are out in the middle and will open for Australia while Japrit Bumrah will take the new ball for India. The action begins at the iconic MCG!

Playing XI:

India (Playing XI): Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Australia (Playing XI): Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Tim Paine(w/c), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

— India have won both the Tests under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane – against Australia at Dharamsala in 2017 and against Afghanistan at Bangalore in 2018.

— This is the 100th Test match between India and Australia.

— Australia have lost only two Boxing Day Tests out of their last 10 that they played at MCG.

Perhaps the most special moment in their lives so far

Ravi Shastri hands out the Test cap to Shubman Gill while it’s great to see @ashwinravi99 being asked to do the same to Mohammad Siraj #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/CA04LOwjRp

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) December 25, 2020

Australia skipper Tim Paine: We’ll bat first. Christmas was very quiet, we had half the families here. We didn’t the big buffet which was a pretty good thing We had a good night at Adelaide, but we have spoken about the fact that series wins are more important over individual wins. Obviously David Warner has missed a game, we have great depth in our side.

India skipper Ajinkya Rahane: Its an honour to lead my country. We dominated the first two days at Adelaide and it was just that one hour that took it away from us. We just have to be positive, focus on our routine. Really excited for the debutants (Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj). They have a good first class record. Jadeja is a quality all-rounder, is batting really well lately and adds that balance as well. We were looking to bat as well. We’ll be looking to bowl in the right areas.

TOSS UPDATE: Australia have won the toss and they have elected to bat.

SA to make meaningful anti-racism gesture

There’s a third match scheduled to begin on what is an important date in the cricketing calendar, with South Africa scheduled to take on Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Supersport Park in Centurion, and Proteas coach Mark Boucher has said the hosts have planned a “meaningful” anti-racism gesture for the opening game of the series.

Pakistan off to promising start against Black Caps!

Meanwhile other Boxing Day Test going on simultaneously on the other side of the Tasman Sea at the moment, Pakistan are off to a happy start in the two-Test series, winning the toss in the first Test against New Zealand, with Shaheen Afridi getting rid of Tom Latham early after the visitors opted to field.

Hosts plan no changes for second Boxing Day Test, says coach Justin Langer

More

India reveal their playing XI

Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj will make their Test debuts as India announced their playing for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, on the eve of the match. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja comes into the side as a replacement for Kohli, who has left for India on paternity leave. Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant would be playing at Melbourne in place of Wriddhiman Saha.

India’s playing XI for Boxing Day Test: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Jasprit  Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

The Preview

The visitors are under pressure. The batting debacle at Adelaide is almost a week old, yet the sound of nick off the bat must be still ringing in the ears.

Ajinkya Rahane, who has not looked his best in Tests in quite a while, will be captaining the side in absence of Virat Kohli. Not to forget, India are also without Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, and Mohammed Shami, who has been ruled out of the Test series courtesy of a broken elbow.

Click here to read the full article

Hello and welcome to Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test match between Australia and India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. India, now led by Ajinkya Rahane in absence of Virat Kohli, will aim to start afresh after their horrible second innings display at Adelaide last week, where they were bowled out for their lowest-ever Test score of 36. Stay tuned for more updates from the second Test. ​