The Australian attack was devoid of luck early on Sunday morning, with edges not carrying and one drop catch, unlike the one that aided them immensely in Adelaide. But eventually, they found two in succession to bring India three down an hour later into the morning session, one of which involved a spectacular one-handed blinder by Aussie skipper Tim Paine to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara.
Cummins had troubled him in Adelaide attacking the off-stump line to draw a thick outside edge and he emulated the strategy on the second morning of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pujara remained stuck on the crease to the in-angler with a touch of bounce. The edge carried to the slip and as well to the keeper, but Paine had made the dive to his right earlier and plucked the stunner to complete the dismissal. Pujara departed for 17 off 70 as India went three down for 64 in the 24th over.
Earlier in the day, Cummins, just an over before, drew his IPL teammate Shubman Gill with a widish and fuller delivery that tempted the batsman to play the drive only to find the thick outside edge for the keeper to take.
India had managed to fold Australia for 195 on day 1, their second-lowest first-innings score in a Boxing Day Test with Jasprit Bumrah finishing with four wickets while R Ashwin picked three. A gritty Gill then added 28 on the board, surviving the fiery Australian pace attack and after the eraly dismissal of Mayank Agarwal, while being ably assisted bu Pujara
