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Scores
4th Test, IND tour of AUS
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
India trail by 363 runs
Day 2, Sess 3
IND trail by
363 runs
Action
Scorecard
AUS 474
IND 111/2*
AUS 474
Best AUS Batters
R
B
4s
6s
SR
S. Smith
140
197
13
3
71.1
M. Labuschagne
72
145
7
0
49.7
Best IND Bowlers
O
M
R
W
Econ
J. Bumrah
28.4
9
99
4
3.5
R. Jadeja
23
4
78
3
3.4
Innings Break
So the monumental Australian innings comes to a close! They took a little over four sessions to pile up an enormous 474 runs on that board. It did not take India too long to go through the Aussie tail after the lunch break. Only 20 runs were possible from Australia in the second session. But let's not forget how Smith and Konstas dominated the Indian bowlers. They have made them toil hard on the field but the surface has flattened out a bit further since yesterday. It is a good wicket to bat on which means that there will be life for the Indian batters once they walk out to bat. However, the surface is offering a little bit of turn which could bring Lyon into the game as the day progresses. We will be right back after the short break!
Over 123: 2 runs, 1 wicket (AUS 474)
0
2
0
W
Bumrah to Lyon, Boland
Over 122: 0 runs, 0 wickets (AUS 472/9)
0
0
0
0
0
0
Jadeja to Boland, Lyon
Over 121: 6 runs, 0 wickets (AUS 472/9)
0
1
0
0
1
4
Siraj to Lyon, Boland
Over 120: 1 run, 0 wickets (AUS 466/9)
1
0
0
0
0
0
Jadeja to Lyon, Boland
Over 119: 1 run, 0 wickets (AUS 465/9)
1
0
0
0
0
0
Siraj to Lyon, Boland
Over 118: 3 runs, 0 wickets (AUS 464/9)
0
1
0
0
0
2
Jadeja to Lyon, Boland
Over 117: 5 runs, 0 wickets (AUS 461/9)
1
1
0
1
2
0
Deep to Lyon, Boland
Over 116: 1 run, 0 wickets (AUS 456/9)
1
0
0
0
0
0
Jadeja to Lyon, Boland
Over 115: 0 runs, 1 wicket (AUS 455/9)
W
0
0
0
0
0
Deep to Smith, Lyon, Boland
Over 114: 1 run, 1 wicket (AUS 455/8)
0
1
W
0
0
0
Jadeja to Smith, Starc, Lyon
Match starts at 11:30 PM
Wed, Dec 25, 2024
Right then, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been brought out to the middle by former cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Irfan Pathan. Following the two, the umpires and the players are making their way out to the middle for the national anthems. It will be India's anthem first followed by that of Australia. Live action is moments away.
Pitch report: The bowlers should enjoy the first few hours since there is a lot of grass on the pitch, but as the day goes on with the sun shining brightly today in Melbourne, the surface should flatten out and get better for batting.
So, Australia have won the toss and decided to bat first. They have made a couple of changes for this game with Sam Konstas making his debut and Scott Boland coming in for Nathan McSweeney and Josh Hazlewood. For India, Washington Sunder comes in for Shubhman Gill.
With the WTC 2023-25 finals spot on the line and the series leveled 1-1, the Boxing Day Test is shaping up to be another spectacular contest. If India manages to win this Test, they will certainly not lose this series and also manage to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Meanwhile, if Australia wins the game, they certainly won't lose the series as well of course but they will have a chance of snatching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that has been eluding them for quite some time now in the following Test. Stay tuned for toss and team news which will be updated shortly.
After a resounding victory in Perth, India were handed a crushing defeat in the Pink Ball Test at the Adelaide Oval and lost momentum. Coming into the third Test, India bowling first, did well initially but as the conditions flattened out in Brisbane, they took a tapping from their nemesis Head and Smith who found some form as well. They bundled out the Aussies eventually but the damage was done. In reply, they had a horror start as their top order was blown away soon but contributions from Rahul and Jadeja as well as a vital 47-run last-wicket partnership between Bumrah and Deep ensured that India avoided a follow-on. Bowling for the second time on Day 5, they did a great job of claiming seven wickets for just 89 runs before Australia declared. India came on to bat again just before the final session of the match but rains interrupted proceedings and their chase never resumed from there.
Rain was the clear victor in the previous Test in Brisbane last week. We did manage to get some playtime in between and Australia clearly were on top. Unfortunately, the weather just played against them. After being asked to bat first in the previous Test on an overcast morning, Australian openers looked good for the 13.2 overs possible on Day 1 as rains came in later and we never resumed. We got a full day's worth of action on Day 2 and Australian batters Head and Smith bossed the Indians and helped their side post 445 runs on the board. With the ball, the Aussies really managed to put a stranglehold on the visitors. Yet the Indian innings dragged on for over a couple of days due to rain. The Aussies tried to make a match out of this on the final day but rains ultimately had their final say and the game ended in a draw.
Seasons greetings everyone and a warm welcome to Tribe for live coverage of the Boxing Day Test from the iconic MCG where the hosts Australia take on India in the all-important 4th Test of the series. The winner of this contest will not only gain the upper hand heading into the New Year's Test but also gain some crucial points which will better their chances of playing the WTC Final next year. I'm Navjeevan Rajput, and along with Datrim Singha Ray, we will bring you everything that unfolds throughout the opening day of this Test.