India in Australia, 3rd Test, Day 1 Highlights: Steve Smith Takes Australia to 259/5 at Stumps After Indian Bowlers Shine
Steve Smith's unbeaten 72 after Chris Rogers' 57 and Shane Watson's 52 helped Australia share honours as Indian bowlers enjoyed an eventful day of cricket at the MCG. Catch all the Highlights from the match here.
Mohammed Shami (2/55), Umesh Yadav (2/69), Ravichandran Ashwin (1/60) kept the pressure on Australia on an eventful Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Rogers (57), Watson (52) put up a good fight early on before Steve Smith (72 not out) entered the scene and ensured his side finished Day 1 on par with the visitors. Catch all the highlights here. (Scorecard | Highlights)
12.10 (IST): Another excellent effort from Steve Smith (72 not out) keeps Australia afloat after Indian bowlers enjoyed a good day in the office at the MCG. Regular wickets pegged the hosts back after a 115-run stand between Watson and Rogers but Smith held the innings together towards the end and will eye yet another century on Day 2. As for the visitors, they will be pleased with their effort and hope to strike early on Saturday to make a match of this game. Fascinating Day 2 on our hands tomorrow!
12.04 (IST): Stumps! Australia finish on 259/5 vs India on Day 1.
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11.47 (IST): As always, the turnout at the MCG has been fantastic!
A great crowd of 69,993 at the @MCG to see the action on day one! LIVE: http://t.co/LDINCret7f #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/XwpFDnfRDS
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 26, 2014
11.43 (IST): Smith and Haddin are building a small stand here. They've had to work hard for it but have added 37 off 15 overs. Australia 253/5
11.25 (IST): New ball taken! Ishant Sharma is brought back into the attack. Australia 242/5
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11.06 (IST): Steve Smith is playing yet another gem here. Here's how the Aussie captain has paced his innings so far.
Steve Smith's most recent Test knocks: 97, 162*, 52*, 133, 28 and now this... #ohwhatafeeling https://t.co/SAKW8O5VIj
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 26, 2014
10.45 (IST): OUT! Young Joe Burns is gone! Caught behind by Dhoni off Umesh. Burns attempts a pull short but an under-edge carries to Dhoni. Australia 216/5
10.43 (IST): Smith's Test statistics before this Boxing Day Test:
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10.42 (IST): FIFTY for Steve Smith! His 10th in Tests! Australia 216/4
10.40 (IST): Steve Smith has been in excellent form and is on course for another half-century. What a series he is having. Australia 213/4
10.30 (IST): 200 up for Australia! The hosts need a strong stand between the skipper and the debutant to finish the day on top. India, on the other hand, will believe they can try and wind up the tail. Australia 204/4 ÂÂ
10.25 (IST): FOUR! Joe Burns gets his first international boundary as he steps down and hits one over the top off Ashwin. Australia 199/4
10.12 (IST): Debutant Joe Burns walks out to bat.
10.11 (IST): OUT! Shaun Marsh is gone! Mohammed Shami bowls an excellent delivery, whose bounce takes Marsh by a little surprise. He edges the ball to Dhoni behind the stumps. Much-needed breakthrough for the visitors. Australia 184/4
10.05 (IST): SIX! Ravichandran Ashwin has been tonked for a maximum by Steve Smith. Straight after lunch Smith shows intent as he comes down the track and plays a glorious inside out shot over the extra cover fence. Australia 180/3.
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09.45 (IST): It's tea! Australia reach 174/3 at the close of the second session with Steve Smith (23) and Shaun Marsh (32) in the middle. The fall of Shane Watson (52) and Chris Rogers (57) put the brakes on Australia's run-flow as Ashwin bowled beautifully. After the early exit of Watson and Rogers, Smith and Marsh have got a partnership going. Interesting third session on the cards.
09.25 (IST): Steve Smith (13) and Shaun Marsh (23) are starting to build a stand here. Australia 155/3
09.08 (IST): FOUR! Steve Smith looks to break the shackles and hits one over extra cover for four off Ashwin. Australia 142/3.
08.55 (IST): Interesting passage of play here. Australia have managed just 34 runs off 18 overs in the second session and have lost two crucial wickets. Steve Smith (2 off 30 balls) and Shaun Marsh (5 off 27 balls) are highly cautious and Ashwin has given away just 8 runs off 11 overs.
08.26 (IST): While India aim to trigger an Australian collapse in Melbourne, not very far away in Christchurch, New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has slammed the fastest century by a Kiwi.
08.22 (IST): Another wicket! Ravichandran Ashwin gets rid of Shane Watson for 52. Watson attempted a sweep but missed it completely. Australia 115/3
08.18 (IST): OUT! Mohammed Shami gets rid of Chris Rogers (57) early after lunch. Shami bowled one at a wonderful length and Rogers had no choice but to push at it and the outside edge went straight to Dhoni's hands. Australia 115/2
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08.10 (IST): 93, 120*, 5, 54, 83, 10, 83* and 51* - Shane Watson's scores in 5 Tests in Melbourne.
08.06 (IST): Fifty for Shane Watson! His 23rd in Tests and his first since December 2013. Australia 111/1
08.01 (IST): Here's how Rogers' runs have come today.
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07.55 (IST): Chris Rogers gets his eighth Test fifty, third in a row. Australia 101/1
07.03 (IST): Australia take lunch at 92/1.
06.52 (IST): Sourav Ganguly, in the commentary box, is not pleased with Shami's frustration that followed the dropped catch. The pacer bowled two poor short deliveries, making life easy for Watson just after inducing an outside edge. The session is slowly slipping away from India.
06.48 (IST): DROPPED! Shane Watson edges one off Shami and Shikhar Dhawan puts in a dive from 2nd slip, but fails to hold on to the ball. Reprieve for Watson.
06.33 (IST): Shane Watson last scored a 50-plus score in the Boxing Day Test vs England in 2013. He looks set for another one here.
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06.16 (IST): The runs are starting to flow and both batsmen - Rogers and Watson - have moved into the 30s. India need a wicket to take the honours in the morning session here. (Australia 67/1 in 16 overs)
06.12 (IST): Shami's woeful start continues. 13 runs off his over. Five off six fours off him so far. (Australia 61/1 in 15 overs)
06.10 (IST): Fifty up for Australia! Rogers puts away another poor delivery from Shami. It is also the 50-run stand for the second wicket between Rogers and Watson. (Australia 52/1 in 14.1 overs)
06.07 (IST): Meanwhile, Sri Lankan run-machine Mahela Jayawardene is planning for his 'future.'
I am enjoying the match from my sofa. I am sure I will get use to it ! ??
- Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay) December 26, 2014
06.02 (IST): First hour honours almost completely in India's favour after Umesh removed Warner for a duck. Watson and Rogers have somewhat steadied the ship for the hosts. (Australia 44/0 in 13 overs)
05.51 (IST): STAT: Shane Watson averages just under 30 in 11 innings vs India with one century and three fifties. He has scores of 93, 120*, 54, 83 and 83* in four previous Boxing Day Tests.
05.48 (IST): Pressure on Shami here. He hasn't had the best start after Ishant and Umesh forced the hosts on the backfoot. He needs to keep it simple and not try too many things.
05.47 (IST): Australia reach 39/1 in 10 overs with Rogers (22) and Watson (16) in the middle.
05.43 (IST): Shami comes into the attack and starts off with a full delivery which is straight driven by Chris Rogers for the first boundary of the Aussie innings. Shami finishes the over with a poor delivery - short and wide- and Rogers cuts it for another boundary. (Australia 30/1 in 9 overs)
05.30 (IST): A few numbers from Chris Rogers' career so far. The left-handed opener has a Boxing Day Test ton against England in 2013.
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05.17 (IST): Excellent start for India with Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav bang on target. No runs and a wicket in the first three overs. (Australia 0/1 in 3 overs)
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05.10 (IST): Massive Wicket! Dream start for India! Umesh Yadav removes David Warner for a duck. There was extra bounce for Umesh and his few additional yards of pace did Warner in, who was looking to drop his hands but couldn't get out of the line of the ball. An outside edge just about carried to third slip where Shikhar Dhawan held on to a good, low catch.
View from the @CricketTalkback commentary box. #boxingdaycricket #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Ti9P7e2auh
- Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) December 25, 2014
05.05 (IST): Good start from Ishant Sharma. He is bang on target straightaway as far as line and length is concerned. Chris Rogers is happy to give away a maiden over to him.
05.00 (IST): The players are out in the middle. David Warner and Chris Rogers make their way out to the middle to kick-start the Australian innings in front of a packed crowd at the MCG.
04.45 (IST): Australia XI: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin, Joe Burns, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, Ryan Harris,
04.40 (IST): India XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav
04.35 (IST): Mahendra Singh Dhoni hands KL Rahul his Test cap while Joe Burns gets his baggy green from Bill Lawry.
A special moment as Bill Lawry presented Joe Burns with Baggy Green No.441. WATCH: http://t.co/z2cS6cmThQ #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Vcu6iOjl4C
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 25, 2014
04.30 (IST): Australia win toss, opt to bat vs India. Karnataka batsman KL Rahul gets his Test debut, comes in for Rohit. Mohammed Shami is back in place of Varun Aaron.
KL Rahul getting his Test cap from skipper MS Dhoni ahead of the Boxing Day Test. http://t.co/XD8BWlxtWz pic.twitter.com/x4OSYIqaRN"
- Rhiti Sports (@RhitiSports) December 26, 2014
04.10 (IST): Reports coming in are that KL Rahul will make his Test debut today. He may replace Rohit Sharma in the line-up. Confirmation soon.
04.04 (IST): Big day beckons for Team India as the Boxing Day Test is under an hour away! Will there be changes in the Indian line-up? Raina for Rohit? An extra spinner? Return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar? Debut for KL Rahul? A lot of questions to be answered at the toss, in a short while now.
Indian team must win Melbourne Test against Australia to have hopes of leveling the 4-Test series. (Agency image)
India have had their fair share of problems in what has been an interesting Test series so far despite Australia's twin victories. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was ruled out of the opener after failing to recover in time from a thumb injury while Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the first two matches, recuperating from an ankle problem. The spinners have failed to deliver, picking up only seven of the 28 Aussie wickets to fall so far while the pacers have been impressive only in patches. The batting has revolved around Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli with useful contributions from Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan. However, those innings have not been enough to power India to positions of strength. Rohit Sharma has flopped at number six and the Indian team management could be looking at Suresh Raina as a replacement.
India have also been in the news for the wrong reasons after an Indian daily revealed an apparent fight between Kohli and Dhawan after the latter refused to resume his innings on the fourth morning citing pain from a blow during practice earlier in the morning. However, Dhoni played it down typically, joking about the entire incident. What really is brewing in the Indian team?
Australia, meanwhile, have coped well after Steve Smith took over the captaincy reins from Michael Clarke. Smith has led from the front with the bat and has shown good aptitude on the field, marshaling his resources smartly. David Warner has carried on his enviable form, slamming two hundreds in Adelaide while fellow opener Chris Rogers silenced his critics with a fifty in each of the two innings at the Gabba. Mitchell Johnson, who looked out-of-sorts in the first three innings, bounced back in style, dismantling India with sheer pace in their second innings in Brisbane. Josh Hazlewood was a revelation on debut and Nathan Lyon has been brilliant, snaring 17 wickets from two matches so far. Ryan Harris is set to play, giving the Australian attack some extra teeth. All eyes will of course be on Joe Burns, the debutant, who is set to bat at number six.
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