Twitter Erupts As India Takes Ascendency In The Boxing Day Test After Dismissing Australia For 195

Twitter Erupts As India Takes Ascendency In The Boxing Day Test After Dismissing Australia For 195

Ajinkya Rahane, India
India. (Credits: Twitter)

A brilliant all-round bowling effort led by Jasprit Bumrah [4/56] and Ravichandran Ashwin [3/35] has helped India take an upper-hand in the Boxing Day Test at stumps on day 01 as they knocked over Australia for 195 before finishing the day at 1/36.

Having lost the toss and being forced to field first, India needed their bowlers to be right on the money to ensure that Australia did not run away with the game by posting a bit first innings score.

And, that is exactly what they got from not only their bowlers but also from their captain, who was absolutely outstanding in the way he set-up his fields or rotated his bowlers.

India, Australia
Jasprit Bumrah claimed four wickets [Photo-Twitter]
Jasprit Bumrah consistently bowled full and got the ball to swing and after numerous play and misses he finally got one that kissed the outer blade of Joe Burns bat who once failed to make the most of his opportunity, falling for a 10-ball duck.

Umesh Yadav once again struggled with consistency as he followed up two peaches with four wayward deliveries consistently, this wasting the new ball.

One might have thought that Rahane would bring the debutant Mohammed Siraj in the attack in place of inconsistent Umesh Yadav but instead, he opted to go with his ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The introduction of spin in just the 10th over of the innings on the first morning would have baffled a few but once Ashwin landed a few deliveries, one could clearly realize the reason behind the ploy. With the pitch boasting of moisture underneath, Ashwin got considerable turn and bounce. Rahane had a FSL, silly point, leg slip, conventional slip in place for Ashwin, and for once it looked like the Test match was taking place at Chepauk not Melbourne.

Matthew Wade, who had looked to attack the Indians with his enterprising strokeplay, had a brain fade moment, when he in an attempt to hit Ashwin out of the attack, ran down the wicket, only to get a top-edge with Ravindra Jadeja completing the catch despite a near collision with Shubman Gill.

Marnus Labuschabge, just like the first game, continued to ride his luck as he survived plenty of close LBW calls, including the one against Ashwin where the extra bounce of the track helped him get the on-field call overturned.

India, Australia
Ravichandran Ashwin after dismissing Steve Smith [Photo-Twitter]
Steve Smith, however, wasn’t that lucky as he once again fell to Ashwin, this time giving an easy catch to leg-slip to register his maiden duck in Test cricket since Perth 2016.

With the score reading 3/65 at Lunch, one might have felt that India was on top but Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne’s 114-run-stand for the 4th wicket brought the home side back in the contest.

However, just as it looked that the duo was in for a long haul, Jasprit Bumrah once again came to the party to dismiss Head (38) and trigger a collapse, one that saw Australia lose their last 7 wickets for a mere 71 runs.

India, Australia
Mohammed Siraj celebrates with teammates after dismissing Cameron Green [Photo-Twitter]
Debutant Siraj came to the party big time as he dismissed both Labuschagne and Cameron Green- who was set-up brilliantly by the debutant with a barrage of outswingers followed by a booming inswinger- while Ashwin prized out Tim Paine-who should have been run out in the first place but for a contentious call by the third umpire- before Bumrah back to bounce out Mitchell Starc and trap Nathan Lyon plumb in front to ensure that for once the lower-order did not wag.

Jadeja dismissed Pat Cummins shortly afterward as Australia folded for a mere 195- their fifth-lowest score while batting first in a Boxing Day Test.

India needed to negotiate the initial burst by Australian bowler at the fag end of the day and even though they lost Mayank Agarwal in the very first over, Shubman Gill’s punchy drives and brilliant footwork ensured that they ended the day in the ascendency with the score reading 1/36.

 

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted-

 

 

 

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Yash Mittal

Just a student of this beautiful game called cricket. Writer. Storyteller.

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