Konstas’s joyous, impudent 65-ball 60, a debut innings like no other, gave Australia a grip on the game that they may not relinquish. India loosened it slightly during the last session, when they reduced Australia from 237 for 2 to 299 for 6, but overall it was Australia’s day. And it was undeniably Sam Konstas’s day.
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Stumps
86th over: Australia 311-6 (Smith 68, Cummins 6) A swinging yorker from Bumrah is played well by Cummins, who clips it into the leg side for a couple. Those are the last runs of a terrific day’s play, one that will be forever associated with the audacious brilliance of Sam Konstas.
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85th over: Australia 308-6 (Smith 68, Cummins 6) Cummins edges Deep wide of third slip for four. He was worried for a split-second and and snapped his head round to follow the ball, but it bounced well short.
Deep gets a move on to ensure there will be time for one more over.
84th over: Australia 303-6 (Smith 68, Cummins 1) Bumrah swings one back into Cummins and goes up for LBW. Too high, maybe leg side as well. Cummins takes a couple of leg-byes later in the over before pushing a single to get off the mark. That should be Bumrah’s last over of the day; if so he’ll end with slightly unusual figures of 20-7-72-3.
83rd over: Australia 300-6 (Smith 68, Cummins 0) A leg-bye brings up Australia’s 300. They’re still ahead in the game but India have done well to peg them back from 237 for 2. Deep ends an excellent over with a good delivery that Smith edges onto his inner thigh. He felt that.
WICKET! Australia 299-6 (Carey c Pant b Deep 31)
Good lord, that’s unplayable! Akash Deep, given the new ball ahead of Siraj, starts with a monstrous seaming lifter that Carey tickles through to Pant. It’s Deep’s first wicket of the innings, deserved reward for some terrific bowling. He’s arguably been India’s best bowler today, even though Bumrah has three-for.
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82nd over: Australia 299-5 (Smith 68, Carey 31) Bumrah is taking the second new ball now. Two late wickets would make this a pretty good day for India. Carey takes his innings in his hands by running down the track to chip over the leg side. The ball teases mid-on before dropping safely for a couple of runs.
A square drive for two more brings up a busy fifty partnership from 76 balls.
81st over: Australia 292-5 (Smith 68, Carey 24) No he’s not; Reddy is going to continue with the old ball. I’m not sure what happened there because Bumrah looked ready to go. There are suggestions it might be because of the light but then Reddy is a seam bowler and I don’t think the umpires can distinguish between fast-medium and medium.
Anyway, Reddy bowls another uneventful over that yields just a single for Carey.
“A much earlier OBO post enthused about how young Konstas’ knock would be a thrill for the massive Greek community here, especially in my old hometown of Melbourne,” writes Gervase Greene. “It reminded me how remarkable it is that such a huge diaspora here, ridiculously abundant with gifted football and soccer stars, has somehow missed the top cricket tier. For example, even the brilliantly intimidating Marcus Stoinis, I’m fairly sure, has never played an actual Test match. Go figure.”
While I’m all for diversity and brilliantly intimidating cricketers, Stoinis isn’t a Test player, is he?
80th over: Australia 291-5 (Smith 68, Carey 23) A maiden from Washington ends act one of this Test match. The second new ball is available and Jasprit Bumrah, back on the field, is going to take it.
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79th over: Australia 291-5 (Smith 68, Carey 23) We won’t get the full 90 overs in today, probably more like 84 or 85. Jasprit Bumrah is still off the field but you’d imagine Deep and Siraj will take the new ball in his absence.
Reddy has an LBW shout against Carey turned down. It was a nice delivery that jagged back off the seam but Carey got a thick inside edge onto the pad.
78th over: Australia 288-5 (Smith 66, Carey 22) Smith has slowed down slightly since pulling Siraj for six, though it’s unlikely to affect his concentration. It feels like he’s taking a bit of downtime ahead of the second new ball, which will be available in two overs’ time.
77th over: Australia 286-5 (Smith 65, Carey 21) Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has bowled only two overs today, almost strikes with the first ball of a new spell when Smith plays a lazy shot that bounces just over the stumps. That was really close.
76th over: Australia 282-5 (Smith 63, Carey 19) Washington has been tidy without really threatening. The wicket of Labuschagne came from an unforced error. But he is at least holding up an end to get India through to the second new ball.
“I’m going to claim providing Geoff with that Mr Smith Goes to Washington line a few years ago,” writes Ray Murphy. “He even replied at the time giving an ‘elephant stamp’ for creativity.”
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Bumrah had some treatment during the drinks break and is now leaving the field. He’s walking freely but that’s a concern for India; it looks like a calf problem. Might just be cramp.
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75th over: Australia 279-5 (Smith 62, Carey 18) Carey sniffs at a good delivery from Siraj and is beaten. A misfield from Bumrah at long on – not his first of the day – turns one run into two, and there’s another misfield in the covers off the next delivery. Oh dear.
Time for drinks.
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74th over: Australia 276-5 (Smith 62, Carey 15) Carey jumps all over Washington Sundar, slog-sweeping handsomely over wide mid-on for six more. He has quietly had a terrific year with the bat, averaging just shy of 40.
“Packing up the house for a move to the UK,” writes Don. “Not a single box was filled during Konstas’s fab knock. Since then we’ve done ten. I wonder how the cloning boffins at CA are going? A couple of Heads, a couple of Konstases and a handful of Cumminses should just about do it! That’s an Ashes series I’d like to watch.”
Especially if England had a load of Brooks, Roots and Woods.
73rd over: Australia 269-5 (Smith 62, Carey 8) Siraj replaces Bumrah, who took care of business in a short spell of 3-0-14-2. He’ll be back with the second new ball you’d imagine. Smith punches a nice drive for three; the loss of those three wickets has not changed his batting one iota. To prove the point, he pulls the last ball of the over mightily over square leg for six. This is the best I’ve seen him bat in a long time.
A couple of you have mentioned the Mr Smith/Washington line a few overs ago. I can’t take credit for that; Geoff (I think) referenced it during the 2020-21 series and it’s been burned in the memory ever since. Steal from the best and all that.
72nd over: Australia 258-5 (Smith 53, Carey 6) “Packing up the house for a move to the UK,” writes Don. “Not a single box was filled during Konstas’s fab knock. Since then we’ve done ten. I wonder how the cloning boffins at CA are going? A couple of Heads, a couple of Konstases and a handful of Cumminses should just about do it! That’s an Ashes series I’d like to watch.”
That brief innings from Mitch Marsh continued a run of form that is becoming a concern. These are his scores in Tests this year: 54, 5, 21, 10, 40, 0, 0, 80, 6, 47, 9, 5, 2, 4.
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71st over: Australia 254-5 (Smith 50, Carey 5) Bumrah is slightly too straight to the new batter Carey, who is able to work him behind square for a couple of singles. Smith pushes another into the off side to reach a serene, authoritative half-century from 71 balls. He’s looked terrific. A poor over by Bumrah’s standards ends with a wide delivery that Carey cuts for two.
70th over: Australia 248-5 (Smith 48, Carey 1) Carey pushes Washington for a single to get off the mark. I’m surprised Rohit hasn’t gone in for the kill and brought Siraj back at this end. I know the second new ball is due after 80 overs but if necessary you could leave it until the morning; this is the time to strike.
69th over: Australia 246-5 (Smith 47, Carey 0) Since drinks Australia have lose three for 12 in four overs.
WICKET! Australia 246-5 (Marsh c Pant b Bumrah 4)
Smith is squared up by Bumrah and gets a leading edge into the off side for a single. Again, India won’t mind that as it gives Bumrah the chance of five deliveries at Marsh.
That’s all he needs. Marsh drives nicely for four, is hit on the glove by a nasty lifter and then top-edges a lusty pull through to Rishabh Pant. He’s usually so good on the pull but that zipped off the pitch and was on him too quickly. I’m not sure it was short enough for the shot either.
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68th over: Australia 241-4 (Smith 46, Marsh 0) Smith carries on as if nothing has changed, rolling his wrists to collect a single off Washington’s first ball. Marsh defends the rest of the over.
67th over: Australia 240-4 (Smith 45, Marsh 0) Even on a day when he’s been nowhere near his best, Bumrah has taken 2 for 53 and is on the prowl for more.
WICKET! Australia 240-4 (Head b Bumrah 0)
Bumrah returns in the hope of getting Travis Head early. Smith drives his first ball for three, the third run coming after a misfield from Siraj. I wonder if that was deliberate to get Head on strike.
If it was, Siraj is a twisted genius because Head has gone for a duck! He shouldered arms to an immaculate delivery from round the wicket that came back just enough to trim the off bail. Now then.
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66th over: Australia 237-3 (Smith 42, Head 0) The new batter is India’s Kryptonite. But if they can get him early they’ll be back in the contest.
WICKET! Australia 237-3 (Labuschagne c Kohli b Washington 72)
The drinks break has done for Marnus Labuschagne. He charged the first ball of the next over and swished a drive towards mid-off, where Kohli leapt to take a good catch. Labuschagne leaves the field in a manner that almost redefines the phrase “trudging off”; he can’t believe he’s given his wicket away like that.
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65th over: Australia 237-2 (Labuschagne 72, Smith 42) Yikes. Out of nothing, Deep gets one to spit from a length and beat Labuschagne. It straightened a touch as well, which might actually have saved Labuschagne. This has been an impressive old-ball spell from Deep, one that deserves better than figures of 6-1-26-0.
64th over: Australia 233-2 (Labuschagne 69, Smith 41) Mr Smith goes after Washington, charging down the pitch to blast a straight drive for four. This is looking very ominous for India, not just in this game but also ahead of the Sydney Test. Khawaja, Labuschagne and Smith are all in a far better place than they were at the start of the series.
63rd over: Australia 226-2 (Labuschagne 67, Smith 36) Labuschagne and Smith are the most prolific third-wicket partnership in Australian Test history, with around 2350 runs at an average of 60. It’s been a while since their last century stand, though, which was at Lord’s in 2023.
They may rectify that in the next hour. Smith mistimes a pull over midwicket for three to take the partnership to 72.
“Is there any shade on the ground?” says Adam Humphries. “If there is, I’d be parking Bumrah in it and bringing him on late in the day. Seems to be the Aussies’ day, but the visitors might get a bit lucky as the finish of play approaches with a rested strike bowler.”
It must be so difficult to resist the temptation to bowl him, especially when you’re in as much trouble as India are here. I agree, though; I’d be inclined to let him rest until either the second new ball is available or Travis Head arrives at the crease.
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62nd over: Australia 223-2 (Labuschagne 67, Smith 33) Washington appeals unsuccessfully for LBW when Labuschagne misses a reverse sweep. Scratch that, replays show he gloved it. Rohit looked slightly more inclined to review that than the Deep appeal, but not with only one left.
61st over: Australia 221-2 (Labuschagne 66, Smith 32) For the third time in this spell, Deep begs Joel Wilson to give Smith out LBW. It was a good delivery which straightened off the seam to hit Smith on the back leg, but it looked quite high and there’s no chance Rohit Sharma can risk his last review on that. Replays confirm it was bouncing over and was probably going down leg.
A maiden from Deep, perhaps his best over to date, includes a beauty that beats Smith outside off.
60th over: Australia 221-2 (Labuschagne 66, Smith 32) Washington Sundar replces Jadeja, who grazes with figures of 14-2-54-1. Four singles from the over, all taken with minimal risk. It feels like India are entering a world of pain.
59th over: Australia 217-2 (Labuschagne 64, Smith 30) Deep beats Labuschagne with a clever wide outswinger. Given Labuschagne’s recent struggles, it’s odd that India haven’t tempted himwith more deliveries like that.
Runs continue to flow, with 40 in six overs since tea. Labuschagne pulls for three, Smith fences through the slips for three more and then a Bumrah misfield gives Labuschagne a second run.
“Hey Rob, multicultural crowd of over 80,000,” says Ray Murphy. “Is there a better Leviathan-sized ground in the world to watch cricket?”
I’m probably not the best person to ask, but none come to mind.
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58th over: Australia 208-2 (Labuschagne 58, Smith 27) Smith rocks back to cart Jadeja wide of mid-on for four more. That brings up a ruthless fifty partnership from 82 balls; Smith celebrates by mauling the next delivery back over Jadeja’s head for four more.
57th over: Australia 199-2 (Labuschagne 57, Smith 19) I’m not sure Rohit would have reviewed that if the score was, say, 50 for 2. It was on the desperate side of optimistic.
Smith is not out!
Smith shuffled a long way across, missed a flick to leg and was hit on the knee roll. But it was doing too much and would have missed leg stump, so India are down to their last review.
India review for LBW against Smith! Deep has another huge LBW shout turned down, but this time Rohit goes upstairs. My hunch is umpire’s call on line, though it’s really close.
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56th over: Australia 197-2 (Labuschagne 56, Smith 19) Labuschagne, who is batting with increasing fluency, glides Jadeja for two and then spanks an inside-out drive to the extra-cover boundary. Lovely batting. India have got problems.
55th over: Australia 190-2 (Labuschagne 50, Smith 18) Akash Deep, on for Bumrah, has a big LBW shout against Smith first ball. It’s turned down by Joel Wilson and Rohit Sharma declines a review because of height. It was pretty close, mind, and would have been umpire’s call had they gone upstairs.
Smith takes seven from two deliveries later in the over, flicking to fine leg and driving three more through extra cover. Labuschagne fiddles a couple through the slips to reach a vital, hard-fought fifty from 114 balls. Australia are in such a good position here.
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54th over: Australia 181-2 (Labuschagne 48, Smith 11) Labuschagne sets the agenda for the evening session by running down the track to slap Jadeja over mid-on for four. While it’s too early to be talking about a 12th Test hundred, he does look comfortable out there.
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The players are back out there. It’ll be an extended evening session, with 37 overs still to be bowled. Ravindra Jadeja will take care of the first.
Teatime reading
A cracking piece here from Jack Snape on a debut innings like no other.
More than anything, Konstas had belied expectation. On debut, against Bumrah, in the first session on Boxing Day, it should be not be possible to play the way Konstas did. He charged down the pitch to Siraj short of a length, cut a middle stump-bound yorker for four, and produced more ramps than Arisa Trew’s backyard.
Tea
53rd over: Australia 176-2 (Labuschagne 44, Smith 10) Finally, on the stroke of tea, Washington Sundar comes on to bowl. He starts around the wicket with a slip, leg slip and short leg. Labuschagne is beaten by a good delivery that zips across him from round the wicket, then strides forward to drive classily to the long-off boundary.
That’s the end of a good session for Australia, who consolidated the work of Sam Konstas by scoring 64 runs in 28 overs for the loss of Usman Khawaja. India’s tiring bowlers are facing the prospect of a Headache in the evening session.
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52nd over: Australia 171-2 (Labuschagne 40, Smith 9) It feels like Australia have weathered the brief storm that followed Khawaja’s unexpected dismissal. Jadeja, who is bowling accurately but with little help from the pitch, is milked for three singles.
51st over: Australia 168-2 (Labuschagne 39, Smith 7) Labuschagne and Smith are taking no risks against Bumrah, unlike Sam Konstas earlier in the day. I’m wary of recency bias but all but we’ll surely reflect on that as one of the most audacious debut innings ever played.
Kevin Pietersen dumping Glenn McGrath back over his head for six comes to mind, but he was 25, not 19. Ashton Agar’s 98 was awesome in a different way.
50th over: Australia 165-2 (Labuschagne 38, Smith 6) Smith mistimes a pull off Jadeja but it beats Sundar at mid-on and runs away for four. Just under ten minutes to go until tea; as things stand it’s Australia’s session.
49th over: Australia 161-2 (Labuschagne 38, Smith 2) Bumrah snaps an absolute jaffa past Labuschagne’s outside edge. Kohli appealed from slip but nobody else was interested.
This is a good spell for India, who are building some pressure, and Australia will be happy to get to tea without losing any more wickets.
A yorker from wide on the crease is jabbed into the ground and over gully for a couple by Labuschagne, who flicks two more behind square to end the over.
48th over: Australia 157-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 2) Smith drives Jadeja for a couple to get off the mark.
“Always love the almost poetic description we get from you,” writes Mark in Cleveland, though I should stress he’s talking about Geoff rather than me. “This piece from earlier only needed a tweak to become a first innings Haiku.
Khawaja this time. Stretching for a ball, to slip? Again, Deep sorrow.
47th over: Australia 155-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 0) Bumrah tries an elaborate off-break that is defended by Labuschagne, then walks back to his mark smiling at anything and everything. Geniuses are rarely as happy-go-lucky as Bumrah. Another maiden ends with Labuschagne edging a good one short of slip.
Labuschagne has slowed down as his innings has progressed: 21 from the first 43 balls, 13 from the next 47.
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46th over: Australia 155-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 0) Jadeja is bowling very straight to the right-handers as usual, with a slip and short leg in place. Labuschagne waves a quick single to mid-off and Smith defends the last two balls.
45th over: Australia 154-2 (Labuschagne 33, Smith 0) That’s such a bonus for India, especially as Bumrah is at the start of his spell and could do some game-changing damage. The new batter Steve Smith nicks his fourth ball on the bounce to second slip, a lovely delivery that squared him up. A wicket maiden.
“T20 has ruined Test cricket,” writes Simon T. “Should’ve seen off the new ball with solid defensives or (preferably) studious leaves. Good luck to the young fella but I’ve hardly settled in to my salmon sarnies & Chardonnay…”
WICKET! Australia 154-2 (Khawaja c Rahul b Bumrah 57)
Jasprit Bumrah strikes with the first ball of a new spell! It was a rancid delivery, short on leg stump, but Khawaja was through his pull shot too early and toe-ended it in slow motion to midwicket. Bumrah puts his hands over his face in mock-embarrassment. All those snorters he bowled this morning and he gets a wicket with that.
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44th over: Australia 154-1 (Khawaja 57, Labuschagne 33) Labuschagne dances down to Jadeja, is nowhere near the pitch and switches to a defensive stroke. A maiden.
43rd over: Australia 154-1 (Khawaja 57, Labuschagne 33) Labuschagne times Siraj sweetly through mid-off, the first boundary in eight overs, anf dollows up with a clip through midwicket for three. Australia are in such a good position, one that would have been unimaginable this morning when seven of the first 10 deliveries went past the outside edge.
42nd over: Australia 146-1 (Khawaja 56, Labuschagne 26) Labuschagne waves Jadeja inside out for a couple to extend this methodical second-wicket partnership to 57. This is such a great opportunity for Australia to take control of the match and series. Perth is starting to seem forever ago.
41st over: Australia 143-1 (Khawaja 55, Labuschagne 24) Khawaja, who is back in his bubble after three difficult Tests, flicks Siraj for another single. Labuschagne drops another on the off side and Khawaja flicks a third to fine leg.,
Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, ostensibly picked as bowling allrounders, have bowled two overs between them. If India lose this series they will lament some peculiar selections. That said, they are desperately missing Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami.
“A decade or so ago there was a lot of online action around watermelon boy,” writes Pete. “Has there been another fruit-based crowd hero since? I’ll be on the lookout from my couch today.”
He’s not among the crowd but Sam Konstas blew a few raspberries in India’s direction.
40th over: Australia 140-1 (Khawaja 53, Labuschagne 23) Jadeja spits one past Labuschagne, who was beaten more by the bounce than the turn as he tried to cut. He decides to take precisely no risks for the remainder of the over.
“Christmas Day here in North Carolina,” write Alex and Katelyn. “The first time I told my half-Swedish, half-American partner I loved her was during an Australia-Pakistan match last year and we are freshly engaged sitting down to watch a spot of today’s action. No sound on, as a compromise.”
That’s really rather lovely. Congratulations!
39th over: Australia 140-1 (Khawaja 53, Labuschagne 23) Khawaja flicks Siraj through square leg for a single; Labuschagne steals another on the off side. You never know with such things but it does feel like Konstas deserves an assist for some of these runs; from an Australian batting perspective, his innings has changed the mood of the whole series.
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Thanks Geoff, hello everyone. Any chance we can pause this match and relive Sam Konstas’s knock again? There have been something like 91,515 innings played in Test cricket; few, if any, were as eye-catchingly unique as Konstas’s 60.
38th over: Australia 138-1 (Khawaja 52, Labuschagne 22) The medium mediums of Nitish Kumar Reddy frighten nobody, especially when he bowls a bouncer that Labuschagne happily ducks, genuflecting.
Wendy Cowling has finished off dinner recently. “Mixture of fruity and nutty Christmas pudding with top-quality vanilla ice cream - was a great success, although a brother-in-law poked at his serving after the first spoonful and in a suspicious voice said: ‘I think this has spices in it.’”
Mystifies me how some people live their lives afraid of any food that isn’t a petrol station sausage roll.
Drinks break. From here, your guide will be Rob Smyth. Please direct to him your emails, and hopefully he’s not blocked from his inbox by a rogue workplace router.
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37th over: Australia 137-1 (Khawaja 51, Labuschagne 22) Siraj again, flying down the leg side. It feels like with Konstas having made the runs, these two can just squash the life out of India’s fast bowlers, then the rest can come in and profit. Trouble looming for India if they don’t break this pairing soon. Siraj settles for trying to break Labuschagne’s pair, again zeroing in on the testicles. If only someone hung a box on middle stump, Siraj might bowl full enough to hit it.
36th over: Australia 136-1 (Khawaja 50, Labuschagne 22) Very late in the piece, India’s fourth seamer has a shot. Innocuous first offering in the 120s.
35th over: Australia 134-1 (Khawaja 50, Labuschagne 21) Struck again by Siraj is Labuschagne, though this time mercifully it misses the box and hits more thigh. It draws an error to follow, a top-edged hook shot that lands safe and picks up four runs fine. It’s all going Australia’s way today, aside from the nut shots. Then a couple to square, and another near collision as Labuschagne dashes a single and clips Siraj, who gives him a long look.
“Is Marnus channeling Wally Grout here?” asks Greg Wood. “Don’t rub em, just count ‘em?”
Half century! USman Khawaja 50 from 103 balls
34th over: Australia 123-1 (Khawaja 50, Labuschagne 14) Khawaja moves again, a lovely on drive from a rare overpitched Deep delivery. Rather more streaky as he reaches for a rising ball and slices it between slip and gully. Konstas reached fifty in 52 balls, Khawaja in almost twice as many.
Neil Brandom is far from Melbourne. “It’s Christmas afternoon in Orange County, California. We get the sketchy Fox coverage through Willow. More importantly, your OBO alerts me to sneak away from our Christmas gathering (who know nothing of cricket) to watch highlights.”
Tactical, I like it.
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33rd over: Australia 119-1 (Khawaja 42, Labuschagne 14) Straight in the bowl of Jatz crackers there from Siraj, who is booed as he starts a new spell. Labuschagne the unlucky wearer of the contact, and he makes it two on two the next ball! This time he’s down for longer, on his knees on the pitch. He looks up to Siraj with a rueful smile, as if to say, would you mind aiming somewhere else? Good inward movement from Siraj, but if I may repeat a point, the length isn’t threatening the stumps. It’s only threatening a length.
Labuschagne needs a physio visit after the second blow, really just to give him time for a drink and a breather while he pretends to have a chat.
32nd over: Australia 119-1 (Khawaja 42, Labuschagne 14) The nicks aren’t carrying. Khawaja this time, stretching for a ball, short of slip. Again, Deep sorrow.
31st over: Australia 118-1 (Khawaja 42, Labuschagne 13) An overstep for Bumrah in the over, his first of those today, though his rhythm is still good enough to get an edge from Labuschagne from a different ball. It doesn’t carry to slip though.
“Slumped in front of the telly is the only way to spend Boxing Day. The swirling heat outside makes it even better, though that’s tempered by the thought of those facing a fire threat in western Victoria,” writes David Meiklejohn. “Question: is Kohli in trouble? Or are the conspiracy theorists (ICC=BCCI) right and he’ll get off with a light slap on the wrist?”
Well, it’s not a conspiracy theory when it’s demonstrably true, as that contention is. The Indian board sets terms at ICC meetings and the others are financially obliged to accede. So, the chance of Kohli being suspended is non-existent. If he were to be, India would probably refuse to play in Sydney and CA would be out millions of dollars. He might get some demerit points.
30th over: Australia 116-1 (Khawaja 42, Labuschagne 12) Runs at last! Four of them, Khawaja getting a full piece of a pull shot off a fast bowler for the first time today. Out through midwicket. Thoroughly beaten on the next two balls though, trying to drive. Deep is coming around the wicket and seaming the ball away. Gosh, he’s been an unlucky bowler in this series. Beats Khawaja a third time, again forcing the rabbit hop on the crease. I can’t fathom how that movement helps the batter control a shot. Any batting coaches out there, drop us a line.
29th over: Australia 112-1 (Khawaja 38, Labuschagne 12) Four maidens in a row. Labuschagne handles Bumrah watchfully but without any alarms in this over, trying to defend incoming balls to leg, trying to leave outside off.
28th over: Australia 112-1 (Khawaja 38, Labuschagne 12) Deep is giving Khawaja a hard time. Another ball that beats him, another jumping fend at it. There is still enough there for the bowlers, but India can’t break through. Three overs since lunch, no run.
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27th over: Australia 112-1 (Khawaja 38, Labuschagne 12) Bumrah from the Shane Warne Stand End. Rides his little imaginary horse up to the crease, then catapults. Labuschagne gets one off the gloves trying to glance, then one towards gully trying to press. Another appeal for a leg-side catch but nobody except Bumrah thinks there was a touch. In fact that was miles from the glove. Rohit pretends to review and then pulls out, laughing.
26th over: Australia 112-1 (Khawaja 38, Labuschagne 12) We’re back with Akash Deep, and it’s another maiden, in that groove outside Khawaja’s off stump. The opener is still playing on his toes a lot of the time.
Trying to catch up on a few emails. One from Ibby Usman, before the break. “That’s absolutely embarrassing from Kohli. 35 years old, tens of thousands of runs, however many centuries, and he’s shoulder barging a 19 year old, then playing the victim. Never thought I’d say this, but I wish Warner was out there when that happened.”
I generally try not to make assumptions about what players are thinking, rather than doing, but it’s hard to see how Kohli could have been genuinely surprised by the contact after walking towards the other player.
We’re about to resume after lunch. It’s still hot and still cloudy in Melbourne. India need to find a way to get some equilibrium back after that break.
Shiona Biswas is feeling upbeat. “It’s a working holiday season for me albeit while also spending time with old friends. Having grown up on the other side of the world in India, tuning in to the Boxing Day test brings me extra cheer today.”
Glad to hear that.
Lunch - Australia 112 for 1
What a session. A hundred runs in it, Australia already on top, and it came from an injection of what could be deemed audacity or foolishness, depending on your view, that was undeniably allied with a lot of skill. Sam Konstas said that he would take on Bumrah and take on India, and he did: scooping, ramping, reversing, charging, all of the above. It won’t always work, and it very nearly didn’t work a number of times here, but it got him a score and it got Australia the impetus. Now they have a big advantage on which to build a lead.
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25th over: Australia 112-1 (Khawaja 38, Labuschagne 12) Two more for Khawaja off the outside edge, he’s building a handy score here. He needs one, and it needs to be bigger than this. It’s still cloudy at the G, as Bumrah gets bounce and Khawaja fends it away, lucky that it goes to ground. The clock ticks past lunch time. Khawaja glances a run. Bumrah appeals for a leg-side catch from Labuschagne, but no dice. And that’s that.
24th over: Australia 109-1 (Khawaja 35, Labuschagne 12) Deep rolls back in, Labuschagne wristing two runs through midwicket. Khawaja drives what should be one but Siraj misfields at mid off, conceding three.
“In all of the Konstas hype, can we not add that he is debuting in the city with the largest Greek population outside Greece, and about the sixth or seventh largest with Greece included? I hope everyone is raising a spanakopita to him in Melissa’s Cafe, Smith Street, my first stop every time I am in Melbourne.”
We can add that, Peter Salmon, this is an open forum. Wait, that’s Roman. Lucky I’m not agora phobic. We did a homemade spanakopita for Christmas lunch, it was top notch.
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23rd over: Australia 103-1 (Khawaja 32, Labuschagne 9) Bumrah back for a quick burst before lunch, maybe two overs, and he’s nasty immediately. Two balls in a row leaping at Khawaja’s gloves, played off the handle almost as the batter flinches. Then pad, but via an inside edge. No run from the over.
Sam Konstas is down at the edge of the player’s race signing shirts and taking selfies. Why not? The crowd wave is circling the ground. Atmosphere here is top notch.
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22nd over: Australia 103-1 (Khawaja 32, Labuschagne 9) Jadeja to Labuschagne, a deft late cut brings four runs. Next ball, another one, finer! Bumping up the scoreboard close to lunch.
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I’ve finally worked out how to route some emails off my phone through about three other intermediaries to have them show up as text messages. Every other website at the MCG is blocked, somehow. Anyway, here’s an expert on my opening subject: his name is Russell Yule.
“My great-great grandfather emigrated from a Scandinavian state a while back to England before my great grandfather emigrated to Queensland in the early 1900s. Our family name was changed to ‘Yule’ because the original ‘Juïlle’ wasn’t, ahem, gaining traction, so great granddad went with a phonetic spelling.
My understanding is that the Yule log was a large log that had been chosen based on its ability to burn for a long time. This was to celebrate a Pagan winter solstice celebration in the long hall where the party would last as long as the log was burning. Generally it was considered poor form if the log burnt out in less than 8 days. If you’re snowbound for a while, you might as well enjoy it…
There are some sacrifices to be made. The Yule Goat (or reindeer buck) was a big part of the celebration in order to safeguard the New Year harvest. There was also a pig sacrifice as well but since the wet blankets at head office decided that sacrificing live animals was not okay, sacrifices were made. Smaller Yule Goat ornaments are now made from straw, (and apparently available from Ikea!), which burns well. It is a common game to try to sneak a Yule Goat ornament under a neighbouring friend or family Yule tree. Once discovered the game is to sneak it on to someone else’s Yule tree. Oh those wacky Scandos!
The Yule ‘Pigs’ are now often made from the corn meal from the last ear of corn from the previous harvest. A pig head is baked from the cornmeal and rather than being even is broken up and spread over the corn field to promote a prosperous harvest.
There is also a Yule Cat that decides, based on whether children get new clothes or not, if children have been good/worthy of presents. The thinking being that only good children would get new clothes. There’s a thought that bad children would then be offered to the Yule Cat who would spirit them away. Possibly based on the very real fact that children who didn’t get new clothes wouldn’t survive the winter.”
21st over: Australia 92-1 (Khawaja 29, Labuschagne 1) Some leaving, a run, a leg bye, another quiet Deep over. Super weird seeing players just carry on like the game is normal, after that opening stand. It’s like the awkward resumption of conversation after a fight at family Christmas when the offending parties have been ushered outside.
20th over: Australia 90-1 (Khawaja 28, Labuschagne 1) Normal service resumes, then, with two of Australia’s regulars in the middle.
WICKET! Konstas lbw Jadeja 60, Australia 89-1
Oh, what a piece of bowling from Jadeja! Just as I was thinking about Australian tons on debut, about Ponting’s 96, and all that stuff. Around the wicket, down the line of the stumps, drawing a big forward defensive lunge from Konstas. The ball straightens just enough to beat the edge and strikes his back leg. Konstas doesn’t bother reviewing.
Immense ovation for the young player as he walks off though, and the MCG gives you a long runway to keep soaking up that applause. He was chancy, he was dramatic, and he found his own unique way to nullify the threat of a Bumrah opening spell.
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19th over: Australia 89-0 (Konstas 60, Khawaja 28) Three more for Konstas, driving Deep at the top of the bounce out through cover.
“Are middle aged men allowed to swoon?” a friend messages me.
18th over: Australia 86-0 (Konstas 57, Khawaja 28) Jadeja goes through Konstas, past the bat, but the ball is just too far down leg. Umpire says no and it’s a good call. Jadeja agrees, eventually, and that’s a good call too. Konstas drives a run, then gets the strike back, and drives another. Seems to have settled down from his early adrenaline rush.
17th over: Australia 83-0 (Konstas 55, Khawaja 27) Another drinks break, in the heat. India have been thoroughly disconcerted, it must be said. You could see Kohli speaking to teammates after that collision complaining the Konstas had put a shoulder into him, miming a big shoulder movement coming forward. But Kohli is the one who made a beeline close to the other player. I’m sure there’ll be much more about that later. Konstas does the remote camera interview at the drinks break, but won’t say anything about the bump when asked.
Akash Deep resumes after the break, and gets through a maiden over in the channel outside Khawaja’s off stump. Three overs for five runs, he has. Siraj meanwhile has gone at 4.8 an over, and Bumrah at 6.3.
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16th over: Australia 83-0 (Konstas 55, Khawaja 27) Spin, at last. Jadeja to Khawaja though, I want to see what Konstas does against slow bowling. Presumably he’ll try to murder it. No need though, as Khawaja pulls the second ball for four. It wasn’t short, but Khawaja gets down very low with a straight front leg to manufacture the length and get power through his shot. Punches one off the back foot.
15th over: Australia 78-0 (Konstas 55, Khawaja 22) Again, Deep makes things slow down a bit. Bowls most of the over to Khawaja. One run from a top edged pull.
Half century! Sam Konstas 50 off 52 balls
14th over: Australia 77-0 (Konstas 55, Khawaja 21) A remarkable morning. It’s not even midday yet, and the kid has 50 at almost a run a ball. He’s taken down the biggest threat by treating him like a T20 bowler. Gets there with an inside squeeze to leg, and he makes Khawaja work those twilight-of-a-career legs to race back for two.
Salutes the crowd, then follows up by slotting Siraj for a monster pull shot over the longest part of the ground. Just lands inside the rope. He’s done that a lot today.
Hopefully the memory of that gives him some solace as he gets his box crushed next ball.
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13th over: Australia 65-0 (Konstas 48, Khawaja 20) We get a brief pause for breath, as Konstas faces four balls from Akash Deep but elects to have a little look at him before trying anything.
12th over: Australia 65-0 (Konstas 47, Khawaja 17) More Siraj. Try a spinner, surely? Khawaja tucks one, Konstas flays a cut shot to deep third for two. Misses a hook shot at a bouncer.
11th over: Australia 62-0 (Konstas 45, Khawaja 16) It’s official, Konstas is winning the battle. He’s got Bumrah into a sixth over in this heat, he’s just had an earful from Kohli, and he smokes an off drive for four! Finally a normal shot, and an imposing one.
Feeling good about that, he smacks one over long on for six!
Reaches for it outside off stump, again the length is fuller, and he gets the length to land it on the rope just around from the old Bay 13.
Four more! T20 shot again, backs away and squirts the full straight ball away through backward point this time.
Then opens his stance again and tries to pound more over long off, this one mistimed for two runs.
This is absolutely extraordinary. He’s taken 18 off that Bumrah over after 14 off an over earlier.
Nathan McSweeney would have done the same.
10th over: Australia 44-0 (Konstas 27, Khawaja 16) Early drinks break. Apologies I haven’t got to any emails, the internet connection at the ground has somehow torpedoed access to that server while allowing everything else. I’ll just have to believe that they were witty, erudite, and insightful. I can imagine a bunch of confused late-night English readers trying to work out how Zak Crawley is playing for Australia: tall, right-handed, and throwing the bat without concern.
Konstas plays through cover for a couple, then charges Siraj and belts back a drive that hits the bowler. Again Siraj has a few words and the crowd get on his back. Kohli doesn’t say anything, skipping down level with the batter to field, but looks at him with what I would interpret as contempt. Konstas doesnt’ mind, charging again to belt a cut shot for four!
Then pulls, splices, high over the leg side for one, into a gap.
Huh, now Kohli really is getting into Konstas. They bump shoulders at the end of the over, Kohli walking beside the pitch towards Siraj. Kohli moves his line partly but not enough, perhaps expecting Konstas to do the same. They clip quite forcefully, then Kohli turns to give the young player an earful. Khawaja comes up and shoos Kohli away, Umpire Gough gets involved as well. Boiling over.
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9th over: Australia 37-0 (Konstas 20, Khawaja 16) Change in the field for the bouncer, Bumrah to Konstas. Deep square leg, deep fine leg, deep third set quite fine. Two slips, gully, point. Konstas is clueless to the ball cutting in, but it goes too far to leg before hitting his pad. Then he edges on just short of slip! Kohli diving across can’t get it. Skews a single through square leg and gets off strike.
Bumrah’s first crack at Khawaja and he immediately goes past the left-hander’s edge. But Khawaja gets the last ball of the over off his pads for four, behind square. Nicely timed.
8th over: Australia 32-0 (Konstas 20, Khawaja 12) Still digesting this. Bumrah’s over went for 14. It’s not like he was collared though. I wouldn’t say that Konstas hit any of those scoop shots flush, or that it seems a viable long-term strategy. But he’s shaken things up.
Khawaja pulls three more from Siraj, Konstas gets one off an inside edge, Khawaja drives two. Runs flowing.
7th over: Australia 26-0 (Konstas 19, Khawaja 7) Finally, Konstas connects with his scoop shot! Not completely cleanly, it takes the inside portion and goes much straighter than intended, over the keeper more than fine leg. And it trickles to the rope rather than racing. But he does get four.
And goes again! For six! That one is cleaner, and it’s a reverse. Absurd shot. Bumrah has had enough and goes for the yorker. It’s a pretty good one, tailing in at off stump. But Konstas is either expecting it, or is fast enough to adapt. He gets in position, has the bat down for the full pitch, then seeing the line, falls with his body towards the leg side rather than continuing to the off, and opens the face to hit it very fine over deep third. It carries the rope by a few inches.
Third ball, charges and tries to flat bat through cover, misses. Fourth ball, leaves.
Fifth ball, plays the same reverse scoop to another full ball, and it lands just short of the rope. Replay says four, not six.
This is utterly absurd.
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6th over: Australia 12-0 (Konstas 5, Khawaja 7) Siraj to Khawaja, across him. It’s been a tale of two battles so far, all of Khawaja down one end and Konstas down the other. Khawaja has soft hands as he runs one into the gully, no score. Finally the ends change, as Khawaja pulls without timing it, clunking three through square, and Kinstas will face Siraj for the first time. Smashes his pad first ball. Was there an inside edge? Guess not, the ball lands with the cordon. Konstas follows up with a huge charge and swing! Baseball style, aimed nowhere and everywhere, and fresh air again. Siraj doesn’t much enjoy that audacity, and has some words. The big screen flashes a close-up of him speaking and the crowd immediately razzes him. But Konstas gets a score to follow, three runs through square leg on the flick. Australia double their score that over.
5th over: Australia 6-0 (Konstas 2, Khawaja 4) The Bumrah-Konstas show resumes, and the new guy tries the scoop again! This ball was even less the one for it, fuller but wide of the off stump. The bat is nowhere near it. Rohit chuckles, Kohli just shakes his head in mild disapproval. You can’t bat like that after two career runs, buddy, he seems to be thinking. Bumrah ends the over by nearly bursting through, taking a sliver of bat onto the other player’s foot.
4th over: Australia 6-0 (Konstas 2, Khawaja 4) What do you know – an incorrect review with Siraj’s encouragement. The ball does bend in to the left-hander and smash Khawaja on the pad, but it’s near the knee roll and he’s on the march towards the bowler. Always going over, but India burn one early to see the green light. Siraj at least turned to the umpire eventually, after running down level with the batsman first.
Then swings one down leg side, and Khawaja gets a little inside feather on it to fine leg for four.
3rd over: Australia 2-0 (Konstas 2, Khawaja 0) Huge ovation for Konstas with his first Test runs, getting a straighter ball from Bumrah that he can stab off his pads through square leg for two. Then plays a very clunky forward defence and gets bat on ball again. Bumrah could be bowling fuller, everything so far is over the stumps. He’s enjoying the contest though, smiling at Konstas every couple of balls, as if to say, I can work you out, young feller.
So Konstas plays the scoop! Eleventh ball of his Test career, against the best quick in the world. And misses. The ball goes over his off bail. A bit fuller…
Bumrah walks back chuckling and shaking his head. And last ball of the over, beats him again!
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2nd over: Australia 0-0 (Konstas 0, Khawaja 0) Now then, India need quality from the other end. Some support for Bumrah. It did start to come in Brisbane, before the last-day rain. Siraj with the new Kooka, and he does beat Khawaja with a good one, Khawaja playing on the top as he has done so often while getting out this series. And again, fourth ball, sparring, kangaroo style, bounce and movement. Khawaja survives the over.
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Konstas 0, Khawaja 0) There’s a real good lip curl from Konstas on the close-up cam, waiting for Bumrah. The crowd hushes in anticipation… and sighs as he leaves the ball. A big jerky action, shouldering arms over the top of the ball and pulling his bat around to face back down the pitch.
Plays and misses at the next one, a pearler that goes away off the pitch. Bumrah doing heaps early. Draws another leave third ball, but the fourth and the fifth are lovely. Beaten, beaten again, both times drawing Konstas into the defensive shot before seaming past the edge. Perfect seam position, upright then scrambling away.
And the sixth ball same again! Just misses the edge. Bumrah excited, but doesn’t go through with his appeal. Didn’t bowl an in-ducker in that over, I wonder if he’s going for an extended setup.
Konstas beats Khawaja to the middle by about 150 metres. Runs out there and regards the pitch. The young and the old.
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Anthems go around the ground. We’re not full yet, but well on the way to full. Mitch Starc has had a haircut. Boland has too. Marsh and Konstas have not, by the looks. The Torres Strait and Aboriginal flags fly on poles between the larger Australian and Indian national flags, which are held flat like bedsheets ready to be folded. Done, away we go.
Teams
And a big piece of news about India’s XI. I wasn’t expecting this. Gill is out so they can play two spinners, with Jadeja at six. Rohit goes up to three.
Australia
Usman Khawaja
Sam Konstas
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Mitch Marsh
Alex Carey
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Scott Boland
India
Yashasvi Jaiswal
KL Rahul
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Rishabh Pant
Ravindra Jadeja
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Washington Sundar
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Siraj
Akash Deep
Weather report from the ground: it is already hot out there, but it’s currently cloudy. So that’s some measure of relief at least. I suspect it will burn away soon, although there’s also a chance of rain in the forecast and a cool change later. The whole Melbourne grab-bag. I’ll tell you what is certain: Indian support. My word, the crowd outside is at least half wearing blue India shirts. Huge lines on the way in.
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Australia win the toss and will bat
Huge toss to win! No surprises there, with the heat and the gusty winds blowing across Melbourne.
Drop us a post-Christmas cheerio
Tell us about your day, whether you’re at the end of it on one half of the planet, or it is already yesterday on the other. Who ate what? Who annoyed who? Who is filled with seasonal cheer? Get salty, get schmaltzy, get smoochy – whatever you like. The email line is open.
Here’s our lead-in piece on Konstas and his forerunner, Ricky Ponting.
The biggest news for Australia is the debut of young sensation Sam Konstas to open the batting. Huge challenge for him, especially if he’s called upon immediately. Although that would give him less time to get nervous, I suppose. He seems pretty confident, but walking out in front of 90,000 would have to challenge any teenage bravado.
Scott Boland is coming back for Australia replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood. Not sure what India will do yet, they always play their cards close and always seem to make a change somewhere along the line.
Preamble
Happy tidings of the Yule. Now that I think about it, I’ve never thought to check what Yule means. Yuletide could be the guy from The King and I doing an album of Vance Joy covers. Regardless, what with all of those logs and whatnot, I’m going to assume that most people had a festive time. In most of Australia, Christmas was stinking hot, in the UK it’s been cold and bleh to a moderate sort of level, and wherever else you were in the world, it was something else. Or still is something else, for those on the negative side of Greenwich Mean.
Whatever the case, it is Boxing Day in Melbourne, and that means one thing. We are about to send 13 players and two umpires into the middle of the MCG to suffer in ridiculous heat all day. In Melbourne the temperature didn’t drop out of the 20s all night, it will be into the 30s by the time the toss takes place, and it will be up towards 40 degrees by the end of the afternoon. The following days will cool off.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure the ICC doesn’t have an extreme heat policy, even though the world is getting hotter. Cricket Australia does have one, where something called the Heat Stress Risk Index can be calculated to theoretically suspend games if it gets hot enough. But at this level of heat they usually just have extra drink breaks.
So, on we go. Safe to say this is a bat-first day, even though the MCG has become the best bowling pitch in the country after they renovated it for being too flat.
