In the previous Test at Adelaide, Kohli-led Indian team had suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat.
India skipper Virat Kohli, who has returned back to the country for the birth of his first child, heaped praise on Ajinkya Rahane-led side's performance on the first day of the Boxing Day Test at MCG. Kohli took it to Twitter to laud India's impressive bowling show in Melbourne.
The Indian bowling unit, led by Jasprit Bumrah, bundled out the hosts for a modest total of 195 in the first innings. While Bumrah picked up four wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin plucked three to put the touring party in a commanding position. Debutant Mohammed Siraj also sparkled and picked up two wickets including the prized scalp of Marnus Labuschagne.
In response, India ended the day on 36/1 after losing Mayank Agarwal on a duck in the first over. After suffering an early blow, debutant Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara steadied India's innings and stuck to the crease till stumps. India currently trail by 159 runs, with Gill (28) and Pujara (7) unbeaten in the middle.
Kohli showered praise on Indian bowlers by tweeting, "Top day 1 for us. Great display from the bowlers and a solid finish too."
In the previous Test at Adelaide, Kohli-led Indian team had suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat -- a game where the world witnessed a spectacular batting collapse. India had recorded their lowest innings total in Test history after posting 36/9 on the board with No.11 Mohammed Shami getting retired hurt.
Along with Kohli, Shane Warne and VVS Laxman also showered praise on the Indian team's performance on Day 1 of the Boxing Day clash.
"What a terrific day of cricket at the MCG today. Congrats to the ground staff on preparing the best wicket at the MCG for a long time. More of these type of pitches, please! The Indian bowlers were outstanding too & very well lead by @ajinkyarahane88! Can India bat all day?" wrote Warne.
Laxman, pointing out India's recovery from Adelaide horror and praising Rahane's leadership, tweeted, "Excellent days play for India. Bowlers were once again sensational, both the debutants looked confident, Rahane captained the side really well but most importantly they didn’t carry the baggage of the loss from Adelaide."
