Live: Boxing Day Test — Australia vs India
12th over – Akash continues to keep a lid on things
Akash continuing, he’s into his sixth over of a very good opening spell.
Rohit’s decision to give him the new ball over Siraj has been an inspired one so far. Akash deserves a wicket.
Starts with one that wraps Labuschagne on the pads and it sparks a brief LBW appeal, but that was definitely going down leg.
Akash has barely bowled a bad ball so far today. Both Marnus and Khawaja not getting any freebies out there.
It’s another tight over, just one off it, a Marnus single.
11th over – Siraj into the attack
Jasprit Bumrah is out of the attack, Mohammed Siraj is in.
Siraj bowls over the wicket to Khawaja who lets a ball go past him and through to the keeper.
Siraj bowls again and Khawaja leaves a ball that is well outside the off stump.
Another ball outside off is left alone.
It is rinse and repeat for Siraj who is not making Khawaja play a shot.
Siraj bowls a little straighter and Khawaja drives to mid-off for no run. That is better from Siraj.
Final ball of the over is defended by Khawaja for no run.
10th over – Akash continues and bowls a maiden to Labuschagne
Akash bowls outside off and Labuschagne leaves the ball alone.
The second ball of the over is straighter and Labuschagne hits to mid-wicket for no run.
Akash continues and bowls a good ball which is left by Labuschagne. That ball went over the top of the off stump.
APPEAL. The ball hits Labuschagne’s pad and India appeals. That ball hit Labuschagne outside off stump.
A shorter ball is defended on the back foot by Labuschagne for no run.
BEATEN. That is a great ball to end the over. Moves off the wicket and beats Labuschagne’s outside edge.
Maiden over from Akash.
9th over – Bumrah continues his spell
Bumrah is around the wicket to Khawaja and bowls outside off. Khawaja leaves it alone.
Khawaja then walks down the wicket and tries to drive, but Bumrah beats his outside edge. Bumrah is bowling magnificently.
Khawaja then defends into the off side for no run.
BEATEN! Again Khawaja bowls down the wicket and again beats the outside edge. He is getting that ball to seam off the wicket.
Khawaja defends and the ball squirts past backward point for a single.
Marnus Labuschagne will face the last ball and works it into the mid-wicket for a single to get off the mark.
8th over – Akash continues
Akash bowls to Khawaja who leaves the first ball of the over.
The next ball is at the stumps and Khawaja gets and inside edge onto his hip for no run.
Khawaja blocks a straight ball for no run.
India has a shot leg, leg gully and deep square leg.
Akash bowls outside off and Khawaja leaves.
Another ball is outside off stump and Khawaja leaves it alone.
The final ball is fended to short cover and Khawaja and Labuschagne take a quick single to end the over.
7th over continues – Marnus Labuschagne is batting
Bumrah bowls to Labuschagne who leaves outside the off stump.
There are two slips and a leg slip in for Labuschagne.
BEATEN. Bumrah gets past the outside edge of Labuschagne’s bat. The Indian star is getting the ball to move off the wicket. He has his tail up.
Labuschagne leaves the final ball of the over, which is outside off stump.
SAM KONSTAS BOWLED BY BUMRAH
Oh, what a ball from Jasprit Bumrah.
He gets the ball to jag back into the opener, it goes through bat and pad, and knocks over the middle stump.
Great ball and he may have exposed an early weakness for the young man. The bat was well away from his body.
“That’s how he’s gonna get out a lot in Test cricket. His defence needs to be tighter. Sam Konstas will be disappointed, but he has lit up this Test match” — Darren Lehmann on ABC Sport.
7th over – Bumrah continues
Bumrah bowls full and Konstas goes for the big drive. He misses the outside edge. The cover region is vacant and Sam wants to take it on.
Bumrah bowls and Konstas leaves outside off. That ball jagged in.
6th over – Akash continues
Akash bowls and hits Konstas’s thigh pad. There is a half-hearted appeal behind the stumps for a catch at gully. But the umpire says no.
Konstas defends the second ball.
BEATEN. Akash got a ball to seam past the outside edge of Konstas’ vertical bat.
FOUR. Akash bowls short and Konstas plays the hook shot. Maybe a hint of a top edge, but it comfortably got to the fine leg boundary.
Konstas guides a ball to third man for a single. I may be generous, it may have been an edge.
Khawaja will face the final ball of the over, who leaves outside off.
5th over – Bumrah continues
Jasprit Bumrah bowls outside off and it swings away from Khawaja who plays and misses.
BEATEN! Similar to the last ball. Bumrah bowls full, hits the seam, and beats the outside edge of Khawaja’s vertical bat.
BEATEN AGAIN! This is terrific bowling from Bumrah. That ball seamed away and narrowly missed the edge of Khawaja’s bat and the off stump.
Bumrah bowls and Khawaja defends with the full face of the bat.
Bumrah attacks the stumps and Khawaja plays to mid-wicket for no run.
FOUR! Bumrah attacks the stumps again, but Khawaja clips off his pads and it goes to the fine leg boundary to end the over.
Konstas is getting strapping to the left arm
The Aussie team doctor has come onto the field.
Sam Konstas has been given a couple of tablets and now has some strapping for his left fore-arm.
Not sure what the issue is, but he appears to be in some discomfort. He was not hit by the ball, we know that much.
4th over – Akash Deep continues
Akash Deep bowls short and wide of off. Usman Khawaja goes for the pull shot but misses.
Akash bowls and gets Khawaja’s edge, but it bounces to gully.
Great shot from Usman. Akash bowls on his pads and the Aussie plays into square leg for two runs.
The fourth ball of the over is outside off and left by Khawaja.
Khawaja drops a ball to short mid-wicket and the Aussie batters scamper for a quick single. Great running from the opening partnership.
EDGE. Drops short of gully. Akash squared-up Konstas and drew the edge. Great ball. Lucky for the young Australian.
Will Australia bat fast?
Try to add 250 to the lead before the end of the day and give India a tough 10-20 overs after tea and all of Day 5 to navigate?
– Watcher
Great thought.
I think that will be the plan.
Australia just needs a good start to the innings.
3rd over — Bumrah continues. Khawaja dropped at leg gully
Bumrah around the wicket bowls outside off and beats Khawaja’s outside edge. In fairness to Usman, he did not have his bat near the ball.
The Indian paceman bowls outside off again, but Khawaja leaves.
Another ball outside off is left by Khawaja.
A shorter ball outside off moves away from Khawaja who gets his bat out of the way, dropping the bat late.
DROPPED! Khawaja plays a leg glance off the middle of the bat, and it goes straight to the leg gully. Jaiswal drops it. It went like a rocket, but it was a big chance.
Konstas faces and defends the final ball of the over.
2nd over – Akash Deep bowling
A change for India. Akash Deep is going to bowl the second over, instead of Mohammed Siraj.
Akash is around the wicket to Khawaja who leaves outside the off stump.
Khawaja then works a straight ball off his pads to fine leg for a single.
Akash bowls to Konstas who defends a straight ball on the front foot.
Three balls left in the over.
BEATEN! Great ball from Akash. It pitched on middle and seamed off the wicket. Beat Konstas’s outside edge. That was a cracker of a delivery.
Konstas gets a wide ball and hits a square drive to deep point for two runs.
BEATEN! A shorter ball squared up Konstas and beat his outside edge again.
1st over – Bumrah bowls to Konstas
Jasprit Bumrah steams in and bowls full. Konstas defends on the front foot and punches into the off side for a single.
Bumrah is around the wicket to the left-handed Khawaja. Bumrah bowls outside off stump and Usman leaves.
Bumrah bowls straight and Khawaja works the ball off his pads to fine leg for a single.
Konstas is on strike and leaves outside the off stump.
Bumrah bowls onto Konstas’s hip and the ball flicks off his hip. Australia run two leg byes.
Bumrah bowls the final ball of the over … KONSTAS CHARGES.
The 19-year-old takes a big swing and the ball misses everything.
End of the over.
Konstas sprints, Khawaja walks out to the middle
The players and umpires are back in the middle.
Usman Khawaja and Sam ‘The Rizzler’ Konstas are at the crease.
Australia has a healthy lead 105 runs.
But India has Jasprit Bumrah.
Konstas now plays with expectation
Australia is preparing for their second-innings and all eyes will be on Sam Konstas.
His breathtaking debut innings of 60 stunned the cricket world. Since then, he has been a fan-favourite.
He has pumped up the crowd, signed every autograph and accepted every selfie. He has added apart to this Test series and made it brilliant.
But now he walks out into the middle of the MCG with something he did not have on day one — the weight of expectation.
This crowd wants him to entertain them.
They want to see the 19-year old stare down the Indian attack, play a ramp shot for six, then look over at Virat Kohli and give him a wink.
That’s what the crowd wants. It is what they expect. But it is not what Australia needs.
Australia needs him and Usman Khawaja to see off the new ball and lay a solid platform for the rest of the order to set up a lead which India cannot chase.
Konstas must have the ability to park the excitement of his debut to one side and score runs. Thirty would probably be a pass mark. But it cannot be an early duck.
If Konstas and the top order fail, India is more than in this game. They will be trying to win the Test and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Who would have been brave enough to predict that a mere 24 hours ago?
Wicket. India all out for 369. Australia leads by 105 runs
That is the end of the innings.
Nitish Kumar Reddy tried to smash Lyon for six, but he hit the ball down the throat of Mitchell Starc at long-off.
India is all out.