India has claimed the honours after day one of the Boxing Day Test, bowling Australia out for 195 before closing play at 1-36.
India’s Shubman Gill (28) and Cheteshwar Pujara (7) were unbeaten at stumps, backing up the strong work of bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Ashwin and Mohammed Shami.
Australia struck early through Mitchell Starc, who bowled beautifully with the new ball, but remains in some trouble after a disappointing opening day.
Tim Paine won the toss on a sunny Melbourne morning, and though the pitch offered some life for the bowlers, it was their own skill that quickly put the Australian batsmen under pressure.
Joe Burns continued his lean run by edging behind off the bowling of Bumrah for a duck, while partner Matt Wade’s promising start came to a premature end when he went a little too hard at an Ashwin delivery, skying it to midwicket. Ravi Jadeja eventually held the catch despite colliding with the onrushing Shubman Gill.
A solid first session soon turned into an excellent one for India when Steve Smith departed without scoring, the victim of a clever piece of Ashwin bowling that coerced him into an inside edge to leg slip.
With lunch still some way away, Australia desperately needed a partnership and despite some early jitters, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head provided it. Solid batting made turned into more expansive strokeplay, and Australia reached the first break having consolidated somewhat.
Batting looked easier for a while after lunch, with both Head and Labuschagne approaching half-centuries with relative comfort. But that comfort did not last for long.
Bumrah claimed Head in familiar fashion, with the left-hander nibbling outside his off stump and edging to gully for 38. Debutant Mohammed Siraj took care of Labuschagne, who was caught at leg slip for 48.
From there, Australia had little fight left. Cam Green and Tim Paine were combative at the crease but brought undone by Siraj and Ashwin respectively, before the bowlers came out for one last dip.
Starc slogged a couple but was caught at fine leg, Nathan Lyon did likewise before being trapped LBW and Cummins was caught at midwicket, ending Australia’s innings well before the close of play on Boxing Day.
With ball in hand Starc was far more effective though, trapping Mayank Agarwal in front at the end of a sensational first over.
But Gill and Pujara remained resolute, the former scoring confidently while safely navigating their team to a commanding position at stumps.
See how the day unfolded in our live blog.
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Pinned
By Simon Smale
STUMPS! India 1-36 (Pujara 7, Gill 28). Australia 195
So, India’s day, trailing Australia by just 159 with nine wickets in hand the batsmen settling after they survived that initial blast from the fast bowlers, helped by a dropped catch by Marnus Labuschagne.
The Australian bowling was good, but a lovely counter attack from 21-year-old Ranji Shield star from the Punjab, Shubman Gill, who looked every inch the Test match opener India has been looking for with an assured display punctuated by some nice shots to the boundary and some stoic defence, matched by that of Cheteshwar Pujara.
India’s bowlers were excellent earlier, restricting and tormenting the Australia batsmen, who did not do themselves too many favours.
Russell Jackson’s wrap will be up and available for you to read at some point this evening, while myself and Dean will be back tomorrow morning to bring you all the action from day two.
Enjoy the rest of your Boxing Day and we’ll see you in the morning.
Audience comment by StevoR
Reckon India will be a lot happier with this 36 than their last inns of 36! 😉
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
11th over – Hazlewood will bowl what should be the last over of the day
He’ll have Pujara (6 from 22) in his sights.
Bit of seam movement off the pitch as Pujara fends into the off side – oh a mix up! No, the throw is wayward and they’ll get a run off the misfield. Bad cricket all round.
Wow that was a brave leave, the ball just missing off stump after seaming back a fair way.
Gill leaves that one on length, and there was no movement off the deck in any case. Gill did flinch towards it, but held himself back wisely.
Gill jumps and fends into the off side, no run, a big, clear shout illustrating that fact.
Hazlewood gets the ball to nip back again, Gill fends past bat pad, takes off but then stays where he is to face the final ball of the day.
Gill defends into the off side – a good little session for India, who finish at 1-36 after surviving that initial blast from the pace twins of Starc and Cummins.
By Simon Smale
10th over – GOAT to Gill
You ask for the goat and here he comes, Nathan Lyon to Gill.
Gill defends the first, then the second back to Lyon, who shaped to throw down the stumps after Gill walked down the pitch.
Nice shot from Gill! Two steps and an off drive to dye for all the way along the deck for a four.
Gill is watchful and forward, defending out the over.
By Simon Smale
Played better without Kohli.
-Paul
There’s a long way to go, Paul, but yes.
Audience comment by Mike
By Simon Smale
9th over – Hazlewood to Pujara
Leg side from Hazlewood, Pujara looked interested momentarily, but just watched it sail past in the end.
Pujara was keen for a single, dropping the ball into the off side, but a high-pitched scream of “NO!” stops him in his tracks and he scampers back to safety.
BIG SHOUT! Looked leggy to me… They don’t challenge, although that’s no indicator with this Australia team… Nope, drifting down leg.
That one was outside off and a beauty, had Pujara fending away at a fullish ball that just beat the outside edge of the bat.
Solid defence from Pujara as one arrows into the stumps.
Well pitched and well defended by Pujara to finish. Nope, it was a no ball, so Hazlewood will have to get rid of his hat again and steam in again.
As you were, a stoic, solid defensive shot for no run.
By Simon Smale
8th over – Cummins to Pujara
I think Pujara has been enjoying this little counter attack from Gill, so he tucks the first ball away off Cummins for a single.
Gill opens the face, deliberately looking to play the ball through gully, where Green fields.
Solid forward defence there from Gill, a nice shot reminiscent of Pujara up the other end, which is the best compliment I think I can pay a defensive shot…
A push into the off side, they’ll have a run, the timing is exceptional. Wade is back on the field and he stops that just before the boundary with a little bit of a tip toe. Does well in the end to save one run – they ran three – although he is limping…
Bouncer from Cummins, 143kph, and Pujara ducks under it.
Pujara, up on his toes, fends away for a single into the off side.
Wade is hobbling back off the field… Not sure why he came back on to be honest – but he’s off again now.
This is how he did it.
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
7th over – Starc to Gill
Oh my, Starc entices a little waft of the bat from Gill, pushing the ball at in excess of 140kph across the body.
Well outside off stump next from Starc, a waste? Or a set up?
He fends a straighter ball out into the off side next up, high elbow showing off a very nice technique.
SHOT! Gill slaps the ball away forward of square on the leg side from a short-ish ball by Starc. Wow, that was quite something. Four runs.
A wideish yorker from Starc is fended into the off side. No run.
More runs, just tucks the ball from his legs down to fine leg for another four runs.
By Simon Smale
6th over – Cummins to Pujara
Defensive from Pujara – would you expect anything else.
A bit leg side but Pujara edges, then gets the hand off the bat pretty sharpish as if the ball jumped up at him. No run.
That defensive shot is a work of art, just so compact, tidy. Very nice.
A bit of an inside edge, to bat pad but safely along the ground. No run.
Shot! That’s a lovely push down the ground, a straight on drive for four.
He leaves the next ball that rises outside off.
There’s a tick over 20 minutes left of play today.
Audience comment by Rob
Gill has style and talent.
By Simon Smale
5th over – Starc to Gill
SHOT! Cut away to the square cover boundary! Nice.
Gill has been given some confidence from that dropped catch, playing some aggressive shots, including that one, cut with an angled bat to cover. No run.
Edged, but through gully for another couple of runs.
Oh that one fizzes past the outside edge, squaring Gill up after straightening off the pitch. 146kph. Spicy.
Very wide to end the over, and nothing happening.
By Simon Smale
4th over – Cummins to Gill
Gill gets everything behind that ball as Cummins goes full.
Beaten the outside edge! A bit of movement off the pitch and Tim Paine has a big smile on his face, while Steve Smith looks anguished.
Edged, short of Green at gully!
There’s just a feel that every ball could bring a wicket at the moment. Part of that is a hangover from Adelaide, but there’s genuine threat being flung down with these deliveries.
Shot! Pushed down the ground with an exquisite off drive and that’s four! India and Gill off the mark!
Gill averages 68.78 in the Ranji Trophy – the second highest of anyone, ever. He’s a good player.
He defends the next.
DROPPED! Oh no! Gill squared up and Labuschagne drops a dolly at second slip. Oh dear. They run a single.
Matthew Wade has also left the field with what looks like an ankle injury, he twisted it after he chased that Gill boundary.
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
3rd over – Starc to Pujara
India still yet to score, one wicket down.
Full, wide of off stump and Pujara fends into the off side.
Starc sends one across the face of Pujara’s bat – fizzing past the outside edge.
Pujara defends on that off stump line.
Bit too short there from Starc, as Pujara just lets that one fly through, hands and bat well out the way of the line.
Starc, fuller, straighter, and Pujara protectively bends over his forward defensive stroke. No run, this is about survival at the moment.
Oh wow, squared up final ball, a lovely pill that just flew past the outside edge.
Over, maiden.
By Simon Smale
Bold Prediction. India will be 3 down by stumps
-PW
I’m not sure that’s even too bold, PW.
By Simon Smale
2nd over – Cummins to Gill
Pujara comes in, under pressure, it has to be said after a disappointing first Test performance.
He’s not on strike yet though, it’s the debutant Shubman Gill.
Shape from Cummins, but shaping away from off stump and Gill leaves.
Oh my! That was close to the outside edge, a tentative waft from Gill as Cummins teases that outside edge.
Gill all at sea here, that ball raps him on the pads, going down leg though and any appeal is stifled…
Great carry, 140kph from Cummins, the ball flies past the outside edge with a fair bit of movement off the seam.
Fuller, same result – whizzing past the outside edge and Gill could be in trouble here if Cummins gets that line just a little bit tighter…
Gill gets bat on ball to end the over – and that’s a stunning over from Cummins.
We could be seeing plenty of wickets in this tricky spell I think!
