Australia reached 5/259 at stumps on day 1 of the third test in Melbourne on Boxing Day. A steady flow of wickets and a much more reserved batting approach from the Australian’s has the match evenly poised after the first day.
Three batsmen posted half-centuries and the captain remains on 72 heading in to day two at the MCG, but India have taken five wickets and will be looking to wrap up the Aussie tail cheaply for the first time this tour.
Winning the toss, Steve Smith elected to bat on what looked like a belter of a ‘drop-in’ MCG pitch. The Indian bowlers proved that there was plenty in it for the new ball removing David Warner early.
Warner played a tentative defensive stroke and was beaten by pace and slight movement across his body. The in-form batsman was caught down low in third slip by Dharwan for a 6th ball duck.
Shane Watson joined Chris Rogers out in the middle and the two rallied to post a century partnership. Both played patiently and resisted the urge to slash at balls wide of the off stump early in their innings. Watson personally averaging 83.33 at the MCG, looked intent on keeping this figure well fed.
Mohammad Shami bowled with some surprising bursts of pace that were helped by the firm wicket. Rogers was caught behind after one of these zippy deliveries got through him, knicking the underside of his blade on 57.
A shame for what looked certain to be a big innings for Rogers who has now scored three half-centuries in his last three innings.
Watson followed soon after, sweeping an Ravi Ashwin off-spin delivery that was dubiously adjudged to be on line and LBW. Replays show that while the ball pitched outside the line of off stump, it was most definitely hitting the stumps.
It was a bizarre shot by Watson, who had shown some welcomed discipline in his batting up to this point.
“I don’t know why he was trying to sweep anyway, he probably should have been playing straight… the ball wasn’t spinning that much,” commented Australian coach Darren Lehman to Channel Ten’s Adam Gilchrist.
Watson’s wicket in the 38th over brought stand-in captain Steve Smith to the crease. One of the most in form batsmen in the world at the moment, he too began his innings with great concentration.
Smith hit only a few runs from his first 30 deliveries, but was soon picking off singles and slapping boundaries to once again re-establish his sides position in the match.
Combining well together, Smith and Shaun Marsh knocked up a 69-run partnership. Again it was the extra pace from Shami that did the damage, removing Marsh for 32 as he tried to belt the ball square and was bunched up by a sniping delivery, edging to Dhoni behind the stumps.
Debutant Queensland all-rounder Joe Burns jogged out to the middle, keen to impress on such a personally momentous day and significant day on the Australian test cricket calendar before just under 70,000 people at the MCG.
Another faint tickle on the bat again showed the promise in the pitch for the bowlers and Burns was gone for 13. Burns was looking comfortable and was unlucky to edge such a good ball. Yadav did the damage this time for India and M.S. Dhoni took his third catch of the innings.
Smith and Brad Haddin steadied the ship for the home side, surviving the new ball and even a couple of body blows to the Australian wicket-keeper. Smith remains on 72 and Haddin 23 in a partnership of 43*.
The Aussies will be looking to post 350 plus runs in their first innings and hoping that Haddin and Smith can get all of these as play resumes on day 2.
