It was a repetition of what has been the story of India’s show in the ongoing test match series at Australia as the home team piled on a huge total in the first innings of the Boxing Day test match at the MCG. At the end of second day’s play it’s advantage Australia once again.
Photo: NDTV
The day started with the Australian score reading 259/5. Steve Smith and Brad Haddin were the overnight not out batsmen. India’s target was to bowl out Australia within 350. And as Haddin got out with Australia’s runs were around the 320-run mark, it seemed that the Indians might just have their target fulfilled. But that was not to be. India’s bowling was way off target and the Aussie tail-enders just ran away with the game. Mitchell Johnson scored 24 while Ryan Harris scored a brilliant 74. They were well guided by their young captain Steve Smith at the other end. Smith played yet another gem of an innings taking Australia’s score to 530. When he got out on 192 while trying to play a scoop on the leg side he had already ensured that the Indians need to score 330 to make the home team bat again. Amongst the Indian bowlers, Mohammad Shami picked up 4 wickets but he was way off his best. Ashwin and Yadav picked up 3 wickets each but like Shami gave away more than hundred runs. Ishant Sharma went wicket less but conceded more than 100 runs.
Photo: ZEE news
Coming on to bat, India made one of the better starts before Shikhar Dhawan succumbing to some accurate bowling from the Australian bowlers. Ryan Harris got him while he tried to run one down to the third man ending up edging it to the third slip. Steve Smith took a diving catch to complete the whole thing. But except that Indians have batted well, especially Murali Vijay who scored yet another half century his fourth on the tour. Cheteshwar Pujara was also looking good during his stay at the crease though he was once dropped by Brad Haddin behind the stumps when he was on 12.
Going by the current situation with India’s score reading 108/1, it can be said that India have batted well. But they need to be careful next morning and make sure that they just don’t throw it away. The wicket is good for batting as per the experts’ comments are concerned. So what is needed is responsible batting from the middle order. And if that happens, who knows, we might just be able to witness a repeat of the 1981-match where India beat Australia at the MCG for the first time.
Tags: 3rd test Australia vs India MCG Murali Vijay Steve Smith
