India vs Australia Live Cricket Score, 4th Test Day 2: IND Aim To Take Early Wickets – News18

Hello, everyone! The Boxing Day Test at the illustrious Melbourne Cricket Ground continues and we are here for you with all the coverage of Day 2. The opening day was absolutely action-packed and the spectators had every single penny worth it. The match hangs pretty much in balance after what prevailed on the first day, with the momentum slightly tilted towards hosts. However, the tourists, India pulled back things to balance it out. As a result, out of three sessions played so far, both teams have won one session each, with one being a shared one.

While Australia’s 311 puts them in a solid position, with Steve Smith holding fort on an unbeaten 68, their ambitions of a match-defining 450-plus total now hinge on his ability to marshal the tail. The morning session looms as a critical phase with the new ball that’s still swinging and the odd one getting that extra bite, combined with fresh Indian bowlers hunting in the right areas, could quickly wrap up the Australian innings. Yet if Smith can weather the early storm and find support from the lower order, Australia could well dash India out of the contest. Who will dominate the proceedings on the second day? We will find out together. Stay tuned as the first ball of Day 2 is not far away from now.

One might argue that India’s initial struggles stemmed from bowling a bit too short and wide of the stumps, giving Australian batters free rein. Yet a mid-day adjustment to fuller lengths and stump-focused lines finally brought the some control, significantly curbing the scoring rate, before Steven Smith and Alex Carey formed a solid partnership of 65 runs to give Australia that one more push in the final session which took them beyond the 300-run mark.

While Australia dominated most of the day on a pitch where it had a fair share of something for both batting and bowling, India found their bite in the final session courtesy of a Jasprit Bumrah special. The ace paceman redeemed himself and flipped the script with a devastating spell, that saw Australia stumble from a position of strength at 237/2 to a wobbly 246/5 in just a handful of overs. But it was Washington Sundar who provided the crucial breakthrough, prizing out a well-set Marnus Labuschagne to trigger Australia’s late collapse. The off-spinner’s timely strike opened the floodgates, before Bumrah capitalized with his lethal spell that transformed a day of Australian dominance into a fascinating contest heading into Day 2.

Australia may have finally cracked their opening conundrum, thanks to a dazzling debutant who fears no reputation. Sam Konstas announced himself on the Test stage with a electrifying run-a-ball fifty, bringing a breath of fresh air to Australia’s top order. The newcomer’s audacity was on full display as he took on India’s spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, unfurling several adventurous reverse lap shots that spoke volumes of his confidence. Including him, the top 4 notched up their respective fifties and put the hosts under commanding position.

The third and final session was where things came back to life and a lot happened in it as well. For the first 45 minutes or so, the pair of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith dominated proceedings. All of the top 4 Aussie batters notched up half-centuries but Marnus fell right after the drinks break, triggering a mini-collapse that saw India pick up 3 wickets in the space of 9 runs. But that was as good as it got for the visitors for a while as Smith piled on the runs and Alex Carey gave him good support, playing positive strokes. However, Akash Deep dug in deep and bowled a pearler with the second new ball to Carey, allowing India to get into the Aussie tail before the day ended.

An engrossing and entertaining Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, two big teams playing in front of about 87,000-plus fans at the Colosseum of world cricket that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground – it simply doesn’t get better than this! At the end of the day though, it will be the Aussies who will be the happier of the two sides heading into Day 2 but not by much and will look to put a substantial first-innings score on the board.

Right then, on the surface, it seems like Australia are in command but given the up and down we have seen on Day 1, it isn’t going to be as easy to bat on going forward and India will be eyeing up early wickets on Day 2. If Australia get anywhere close to 400 runs, then India will have to bat out of their skins to even things up but that’s for later. Day 2 will begin on Friday, 27 December at 5 am IST (11.30 pm GMT, the previous day) but you can join us an hour in advance for the build-up. Cheers!

The first session belonged to Australia even after Ravindra Jadeja sent back Konstas for 60 and it was then in the second session that everything just started to slow down. Khawaja raked in a half-century as well but fell after playing a poor shot and India managed to keep the scoring rate to a minimum and got some teeth into the game.

The Boxing Day Test began with a few quiet overs from the Indian pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj but once Usman Khawaja got that first boundary away off Siraj, the 19-year-old debutant, Sam Konstas came into life. He didn’t care for Bumrah’s stature or his excellence and simply took him down, even managing to hit a reverse-lap six off him, a six that Bumrah conceded after 4484 balls in Test cricket.

85.6 – Bumrah fires it straight and full, attacks the stumps. Pat Cummins is watchful in his approach and pushes it firmly back to the bowler. And that will be STUMPS ON DAY 1 AT THE MCG!

Batsman_1 : Pat Cummins 8(17)

Batsman_2 : Steven Smith 68(111)

Bowler : Jasprit Bumrah 3/75(21)

Over : 86

Run : 3

Wicket : 0

Score : 311/6

85.5 – An attempted yorker right in front of the stumps, with a bit of shape in, Pat Cummins jams his bat down in time and the ball goes on the bounce to Jaiswal stationed at short leg. He gets his right hand out to stop but the ball deflects off his fingers to the deep square leg region for a couple of runs.

85.5 – Bangs it short and into the surface, but going down leg. Cummins leaves. Also, a NO BALL called for overstepping.

85.4 – Angles it on the middle and leg stump, on a length. Pat Cummins tucks it across to mid-wicket.

85.3 – Just around off, curving back in a touch on a length. Pat Cummins makes a tight leave for the keeper to collect.

85.2 – Sharp shape into the batter on a length, and on middle. Pat Cummins is watchful and blocks it out off the inner half of the bat.

85.1 – Short of a good length, just outside off, Cummins leaves it alone.

84.6 – Hurls it full and on the stumps, Smith with a firm push to the mid on region to end the over.

Batsman_1 : Steven Smith 68(111)

Batsman_2 : Pat Cummins 6(10)

Bowler : Akash Deep 1/59(19)

Over : 85

Run : 5

Wicket : 0

Score : 308/6

84.5 – Length and just outside off, Cummins opens the bat face and guides it to deep backward point for a single.

84.4 – EDGED AND FOUR! Handy runs for Australia and Cummins! Pitched fuller and around off, Pat Cummins prods ahead for a front foot block, but gets a healthy outside edge. The ball races away to the deep third boundary through the right of the third slip.

84.3 – A bit of shape into the batter, around off on a good length. Pat Cummins lets the ball arrive at him and knocks it to the off side with soft hands.

84.2 – Angling down leg again, on a shorter length. Pat Cummins sways out of the line and lets the ball sail to the keeper.

84.1 – Sliding down the leg side on a length. Cummins misses to work it across and the ball zips through to the keeper.

83.6 – Pitched outside off, on a shorter length, Steven Smith offers no shot at it.

Batsman_1 : Steven Smith 68(110)

Batsman_2 : Pat Cummins 1(5)

Bowler : Jasprit Bumrah 3/72(20)

Over : 84

Run : 3

Wicket : 0

Score : 303/6

83.5 – Back of a length, attacking the off-pole, Steven Smith covers the stumps and knocks it to point with soft hands.

83.4 – Short of a good length, angling in but staying just outside off, Steven Smith shuffles across a bit, checks the delivery and makes a tight leave.

83.3 – Bumrah stretches his length and goes fuller on middle, Pat Cummins bends low and taps it to cover-point for a single.

83.2 – An inswinger again from Bumrah, full and on the pads, Cummins misses to connect and the ball deflects off his front pad and runs away to the fine leg region. They cross for two leg byes.

83.1 – An appeal for LBW, but the umpire is unmoved. Bumrah targets the stumps by swinging the ball into the batter on a fuller length. Pat Cummins misses to flick it away and plays over the line. Wears it on the front pad.