Advantage Australia after a fiery Boxing Day Test onset despite India's late fightback as Konstas, Smith shine
Australia took the honours on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the hosts scoring 311 runs. India had a scope to fight back after they got three wickets for just nine runs during a passage of play but Steve Smith with an unbeaten 68 is still a massive threat.
Four half-centurions, one still batting, two ramp shots off Jasprit Bumrah for six, one deliberate shoulder bump and three quick wickets later, Australia found themselves ahead of the game after what was an eventful first day of the Boxing Day Test at the packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday, December 26. 311 runs with a set batter on course of a century in less than 90 overs, all in a day's work is a good job done for which Australia should be commended despite the ball doing a fair bit throughout the day.
The day began with the 19-year-old Sam Konstas treating Jasprit Bumrah like a club-level bowler by trying to ramp him over the keeper in just the third over of the innings. Konstas, who was clearly excited to be donning the baggy green was delighted at the prospect of taking Bumrah head on and it showed in his strokeplay against the Indian spearhead. Konstas was trying to unsettle Bumrah from the onset and finally got the results from the seventh over onwards.
Konstas got his ramp shots going, hitting Bumrah for a couple of sixes over the keeper's head before settling down. Konstas was given a certain role and he played it to perfection by smashing a 52-ball half-century in his maiden hit in Test cricket. Ravindra Jadeja finally got the breakthrough for India before the lunch break.
The post-lunch session was yet another long couple of hours for India in the field as Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne applied themselves, used the conditions on offer and stuck to the job at hand, of staying in the middle. Khawaja after multiple run-ins with Bumrah finally got to his first half-century of the series. However, his nemesis struck again as Bumrah got a wicket out of nowhere and Australia were two down.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne was set at the other end and those were ominous signs for India.
The post-tea session was divided into two halves. The first part was dominated by the Australians with both Labuschagne and Smith getting to their half-centuries. At 237/2, it almost seemed like a match-winning call at the toss by Pat Cummins before India got another wicket against the run of play.
Labuschagne trying to hit Washington Sundar over the mid-off fielder hit straight to Virat Kohli at the position and Bumrah snapped back yet again. The Indian vice-captain dismissed Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in quick succession to lead the visitors' comeback.
Akash Deep also added one to his tally before the stumps but Australia made sure they didn't let the advantage slip with Smith holding one end. India's first main objective on Friday morning will be to get the remaining four wickets for the least runs possible. If Smith gets to his century, India are in trouble as they wouldn't want to conceded 400-plus runs in the first innings again.