Boxing Day Test, Day 2 Highlights: Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara Fight Hard After Steve Smith's 192
After Steve Smith's colossal essay of 192, India worked hard to finish the day on 108/1, still 422 runs behind Australia. Catch all the highlights here.
Steve Smith played a scintillating captain's knock of 192 as Australia posted 530. In reply, India ended on 108/1 at stumps, 422 runs behind the hosts. Catch all the highlights here. (Live Scorecard | Live Updates)
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12.32 (IST): STUMPS! India finish on 108/1 after Steve Smith's 192 guided Australia to 530. Murali Vijay played a patient game and is still unbeaten on 55, with Cheteshwar Pujara (25) for company. India lost Shikhar Dhawan (28) but have fought hard to end the day on a positive note. All that however, would mean nothing unless they sustain the resilience on a crucial Day 3 tomorrow. It will be a huge mountain to climb.
12.20 (IST): FOUR! Murali Vijay charges down the track vs Lyon and hits him over the top to the mid-wicket fence. India 108/1
12.19 (IST): 100 comes up for India! An outside edge off Pujara's bat goes through the slips and runs away to the third man fence. Two overs remaining in the day. India 103/1
12.16 (IST): Fifty for Murali Vijay! He has been in excellent form. He gets his 9th in Tests. India 99/1
12.10 (IST): The crowd of 50,000-plus generating a lot of noise as Mitchell Johnson ran in to bowl to Pujara. A couple of dot balls and there are a few 'oohs and aahs' in disappointment.India 93/1
11.50 (IST): DROPPED! Pujara gets a reprieve. Hazlewood induces an outside edge but Haddin fumbles a straightforward chance after going at it with one hand. India 79/1
11.30 (IST): FOUR! Cheteshwar Pujara welcomes off-spinner Nathan Lyon with a lovely cover drive for four. India 70/1.
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11.05 (IST): OUT! Shikhar Dhawan is gone! Harris has induced an outside edge and Steve Smith takes a good, low catch at second slip. India 55/1
10.57 (IST): 50 up for India! It has come in just 14 overs as both openers Shikhar Dhawan (28) and Murali Vijay (24) have looked good so far.
10.48 (IST): Anil Kumble makes a short assessment of the Test so far. He doesn't seem happy with the Indian bowlers.
Even-Stevan on day 1: Stevan show on day 2!Familiar! #AUDvIND
- Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) December 27, 2014
10.45 (IST): Murali VIjay and Shikhar Dhawan have started briskly here. They have let a few balls go and have played some confident drives too. India 44/0 vs Australia 530.
10.12 (IST): FOUR! A hint of VVS Laxman and Mark Waugh in Murali Vijay's elegant flick to the square leg fence off Johnson. India 18/0 vs Australia 530.
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09.40 (IST): OUT! Steve Smith's scintillating innings has come to an end. He attempts an audacious switch hit and is bowled for 192 by Umesh Yadav. Australia's innings ends on 530.
09.30 (IST): OUT! Nathan Lyon (11) is bowled by Mohammed Shami. Australia 530/9
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09.18 (IST): Smith chases after Ashwin's poor deliveries and gets three fours of his over. He moves on to 188, Australia 515/8
09.15 (IST): Smith is finding the boundary with ease here. He might have the double ton on his mind before declaring. Australia 503//8
09.10 (IST): SIX! Steve Smith dances down the track and launches a massive six over long-on off Ashwin. With that he surpasses his previous best of 163.
09.03 (IST): OUT! Ryan Harris' excellent knock ends. He goes for 75, trapped in front of the stumps by Ashwin. Australia 482/8
Ryan Harris put on a show for cricket fans at the 'G and smashed his highest Test score! #ohwhatafeeling https://t.co/nHQ41YLU98
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 27, 2014
08.55 (IST): Australia are toying with the Indian bowling here. Smith has got his 150 and the last five overs have yielded 31 runs. Australia 470/7
08.37 (IST): FIFTY for Harris! His 3rd in Tests! He gets there off 75 balls. Australia 449/7.
08.23 (IST): Fifty-run stand between Smith and Harris. This is complete domination by the Aussies. Harris has moved into the 40s and Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box reckons he may even get a ton here. Australia 437/7
08.18 (IST): FOUR! Harris plays a peach-of-a-straight-drive off Shami and even holds the final pose for the shutterbugs! Excellent shot from the No. 9. Australia 422/7
08.03 (IST): The second session begins and Australia go past the 400-run mark. Indian bowlers need a wicket or two at the earliest here. (Australia 404/7)
07.10 (IST): LUNCH! Steve Smith takes Australia to 389/7 at the end of first session. Aussies collect 130 runs in the first session with Smith unbeaten on 128 and Haddin getting a much-needed fifty.
06.47 (IST): OUT! India's best bowler of the game gets his 2nd wicket. Mitchell Johnson is gone, stumped by Dhoni off Ashwin. Australia 376/7
06.39 (IST): FACTOID: Michael Clarke enjoyed a Don Bradman-esque year in 2012, scoring 1595 runs (11 Tests, 5 tons, 4 50s). Smith has 1000-plus in 2014 (8 Tests, 5 tons, 4 50s).
06.36 (IST): FOUR! India run the risk of going down the familiar Brisbane road against Mitchell Johnson. Ishant Sharma digs it short but it hardly troubles Johnson who leisurely pulls it to the fine leg boundary. Australia 365/6
06.30 (IST): The Indian pacers have thrown away all their good performance of Day 1 in just over an hour on Day 2. Dhoni turns to Ashwin, who will hope to be as accurate as he was on Friday.
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06.29 (IST): Here's how his innings has been so far.
Another Test, another ton for Steve Smith! #ohwhatafeeling https://t.co/46eD994vGS
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 27, 2014
06.28 (IST): Smith has done well to take the game away from India this morning.
Seven tons in 25 Tests and an average of 50+ now. Not too bad... LIVE: http://t.co/LDINCret7f #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/OlsqByjHIe
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 27, 2014
06.18 (IST): The run-flow has been curtailed to an extent since the fall of Haddin. India have managed to amp up the pressure on Smith and keep Mitchell Johnson in check. Much better line and length from Indian bowlers. Australia 338/6
06.00 (IST): OUT! Brad Haddin is gone! India pick up a wicket against the run of play as a faint edge off Haddin's bat carries to Dhoni. Haddin falls for 55. Australia 326/6
05.55 (IST): Century for Steve Smith! His 7th in Tests, 3rd in as many matches and 5th in 2014! What a year the Aussie skipper is having. Australia 321/5
05.37 (IST): 300 up for Australia! What a start to Day 2 for the hosts. Smith (82) and Haddin (52) are swiftly putting India out of the game.
05.28 (IST): Fifty for Brad Haddin! He gets there off just 77 balls. It's his 18th half-century, first since January 2014. Australia 292/5ÂÂ
05.23 (IST): 12 runs off Mohammed Shami's over! He first digs in short and invites Brad Haddin to play two unorthodox heaves to the deep mid-wicket fence and then a good length ball is handsomely driven through cover-point. Australia 284/5
05.14 (IST): That four also brings up the 50-run stand between Haddin and Smith. India need a breakthrough.
05.11 (IST): The short ball ploy from round the stumps continues against Haddin. The Aussie wicketkeeper doesn't seem in too much trouble as he puts away Shami for a four behind square and gets a single off the next ball. Australia 269/5
05.05 (IST): While India bowlers look for wickets, Trent Boult is tormenting the Sri Lankans. He has three in the first session of play. Sri Lanka are reeling at 20/3 after bowling out the Kiwis for 441.
04.58 (IST): An interesting Day 2 begins! Steve Smith resumes on 72 and looks set for a ton in third Test in a row. Indian bowlers need early wickets to make a match out of this game.
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Australia had chosen to bat after winning the toss in the highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test. Indian bowlers however seized the initiative early when an in-form David Warner fell before scoring a single run. What could have been India's day though was not meant to be as gritty Australians resisted with a couple of half-centuries. (Read: Gavaskar says India blew away early chance)
Shane Watson was one of the highlights on Friday as he helped himself to a fifty. The veteran batsman had been under pressure to perform and he finally came good on his promise and skills. (Read: Watson rues not scoring a century)
Watson though was the only batsman to fall to spin as Ravichandran Ashwin trapped him LBW. On a day when Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav claimed two wickets each, Ashwin showed that there is much on the track for spinners as well. (Read: Shami thanks Ashwin for creating pressure on Aussies | Shami vows to end Australian fight early on Day 2)
The track at MCG may indeed have something for the spinners. Expected to become slower as the days go by, turn can make an impact here. Batting too would become easier which means the need for India to end Australia's first innings' fight is even more important.