Live - Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja fifties drive Australia

6m ago

He's been far from his fluent best this innings or this whole series rather, but what's important is that Marnus Labuschagne has fought it out. A second fifty of the series for him and this one is really hard-fought. He was hit on the crotch at least three times by Mohammed Siraj, but what's important is that he brushed those blows aside and cashed in. A fifty off 114 balls with six fours.

Here's Alex Malcolm adding a bit more flavour from the ground. "It hasn't been a fluent innings from Marnus Labuschagne. Runs are a hard graft for him at the moment. But his thirst for batting has never abated despite his lean patch. And you can feel the warmth of the crowd for his efforts. They know it has been a grind. Some, no doubt, would query his place in the side given what happened to Nathan McSweeney. But there's an appreciation for how hard he works. He continues to grind as only he can. He's certainly benefitted from Sam Konstas today. It was just the second time in his last 15 innings he has walked out with the score at more than 31 for 1. He looks determined to make the most of it."

The top three have all scored a fifty now. The last instance of Australia's top three batters scoring 50-plus runs in a Test innings was in March 2022 in Rawalpindi.

Only 64 runs scored in 28 overs after lunch with Usman Khawaja falling. India will believe they have managed to stay in the game after what was an attritional second session. After Sam Konstas ran riot in the first session, the Indian bowlers came up with a plan post lunch and that was to bowl as close to the wicket as possible. They kept a leg slip for Labuschagne, with Siraj bowling into his body and also hitting him on the crotch multiple times. Jasprit Bumrah was lucky with the wicket of Usman Khawaja who fell for a patient 57 off 121 balls, during a knock where he looked scratchy and unsettled. But, he hung around to score his maiden fifty off the series before falling for the fifth time to Bumrah.

Labushagne also has had his fair share of troubles but is unbeaten on 44 at tea off 109 balls and with him is Steven Smith on 10.

58m ago

India's senior batter Virat Kohli and Australia's latest debutant Sam Konstas had a mid-pitch altercation in the first session of the ongoing MCG Test. The incident occurred after the 10th over of the morning when Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch once the over ended.

Wonder if the entire incident could have been avoided.

Jasprit Bumrah has picked 22 wickets in 7 innings so far in BGT 2024. He will be the first to admit that Usman Khawaja's wicket in the MCG Test was the luckiest. An innocuous short ball at the start of a new spell, which Khawaja toe-ended straight to Rahul at midwicket. But that was reward for Bumrah being at his relentless best.

In the first 12 overs of his spell, he induced a false shot 25 times. He was given a pasting by Konstas upfront, but that didn't affect him and he was at it at all times. The Khawaja wicket might be counted as lucky, but, Bumrah has deserved it.

5 The most times Khawaja has fallen to a single bowler in a Test series. He is 5 for 24 against Bumrah in BGT 2024

1h ago

1h ago

Khawaja will be the first to agree that this was not the most fluent of his innings, but that he reached a half-century - his first of the series - will please him to bits. He has been scratchy, been beaten multiple times, but has hung on. He’s had a control percentage of 73 against Akash Deep, 69 against Siraj and 66 against Bumrah. But, what this doesn’t show is that he’s faced just 15 balls of Bumrah, which included just three early on. This is where Konstas’ innings was so crucial to Khawaja getting back among the runs. The youngster took on Bumrah, which meant Khawaja had to mostly deal with Siraj, which he did well.

There have been a few streaky shots, and a couple of edges that have fallen short, but all in all Khawaja has looked solid. What he would not want to do now is throw away this start. The Indian bowlers are bound to start getting tired in this MCG heat, and this is a golden chance for both Labuschagne and Khawaja to score some runs.

India have managed to retain some control after lunch, but they will want some wickets.

It’s easy to blame the bowlers after the opposition has been off to a flyer. But, it’s not been all poor from India. As Sampath points out: The Australian batters were beaten 40 times in the first 30 overs by the Indian bowlers. Since 2011, only once was a team beaten more often in their first 30 overs while batting first - 44 times by India against New Zealand in Bengaluru earlier this season. South Africa also was beaten 40 times by England in Manchester in 2022.

The post-lunch passage further highlights this point. Both Labuschagne and Khawaja have been circumspect. The first four overs after the break were all maidens before Khawaja broke the shackles with a fierce pull off Akash Deep. But, as was the case in the Brisbane Test, Akash has so far troubled the Australian batters the most without much reward. In the first 45 minutes or so after the break, he’s beaten the bat umpteen times. Induced the outside edge more than once, but to no luck. He’s already induced 15 false shots out of the 60 balls he’s bowled.

In fact, India have induced a total of 55 not-in-control shots in the first 30 overs, the fourth-highest by any team since 2002 which did not produce more than one wicket (as per ESPNcricinfo's BBB logs).

In the eight overs after lunch, Australia have just managed seven runs with both Labuschagne and Khawaja looking all at sea. Five of these have been maidens. What India might look to do a bit more though is bowl a touch fuller and try and induce the edges.

3h ago

Was he pushed too early into Test cricket? Was Nathan McSweeney hard done by? Is a debut on Boxing Day too much to ask for? Sam Konstas came in and has answered all the questions with aplomb. He attempted a scoop off Bumrah the 11th ball he faced in Test cricket, after being beaten five times in the first over. He connected with his third ramp, and once he did, the floodgates opened. It was some of the most sensational ball-striking you will ever see. Konstas finished with 60 off 65 balls:

At the other end, Usman Khawaja was solid and went to lunch unbeaten on 38 with Marnus Labuschagne for company.

3h ago

But what an innings that was. Konstas, all of 19, has smashed the Indian bowlers around finishing with 60 off 65 balls, his innings including six fours and two sixes. He added 89 runs for the opening wicket with Usman Khawaja, which is comfortably the best start for Australia all series. Gets undone by the straight Ravindra Jadeja delivery and is caught in front. He walks off to a standing ovation from his 90,000-strong MCG crowd.

More than anything else, it was Konstas' confidence which stood out. He was revving up the crowd, he was chatting with the bowlers, he was not backing down when Kohli shoulder-barged him. During the drinks break, he spoke to Fox Cricket's flying Fox mic:

How's that for confidence? And now, he's on the sidelines, signing autographs and taking selfies. It is way too early in his career, but Konstas just has all the makings of a superstar. Now to see whether he can back this up.

4h ago

It's all been Konstas this morning and that's in a way helped Usman Khawaja who has been woefully short of runs this series. This is already his highest score this series, and he's looked comfortable, though the conditions have played a role. He has ensured he remains unaffected by the carnage that is going on at the other end, and gone on to score a few crisp boundaries.

Khawaja was 4 for 17 in 71 balls against Bumrah coming into this Test, and what Konstas has done here is shield his partner from Bumrah. Khawaja has just played three balls against Bumrah so far and scored four runs. He has a control percentage of 66 against him and 78 against Siraj, against whom he has looked fairly comfortable.

4h ago

He gets there with a risky two to the on-side, an innings which has been fraught with risk but, oh my word has been exhilarating edge-of-the-seat stuff. Five fours, two sixes and he's smashed India's best bowler around.

Konstas has a control percentage of 57 against Bumrah and 42 against Siraj, but what counts is the runs he's scored. Three-four off 33 balls against Bumrah, which includes four fours and two sixes! And this is a bowler, who has been nigh unplayable all series. Konstas took Bumrah for 18 in the 11th over the innings, the most expensive over that Bumrah has bowled in Test cricket.

Here's Alagappan Muthu: "India are desperate. Less than an hour into the Boxing Day Test, even their great hope, Jasprit Bumrah has abandoned his usual method of trying to hit the deck on a length, pin the batter to the crease, deny him run-scoring opportunities and then take him out. He’s gone bouncer. He’s gone yorker. He’s gone slower ball. He’s been forced into a place where the only thing he can think of to stop Sam Konstas is to take him out.

Those scoop shots have been front and centre of this chaos. He plays them like Jos Buttler. His back leg pushes out into the leg side, creating a kind of imbalance, his head falling away, which in turn helps push his body out of the way of the line of the ball so that he can make contact and generate power with those wrists. Nailing those boundaries behind the wicket forced India to abandon third slip and chuck him over to deep third. They had a long leg as well. And a deep square leg well behind square as well, worried about his scoops. That opened up options in front of the wicket and Konstas went for it. One shot, he middled for six, the other he beat the infield for four.

18 Most runs scored off a Bumrah over in Test cricket

4h ago

Alex Malcolm, who has watched a fair bit of Konstas is as perplexed by this onslaught as any. "The Australian selectors said they wanted to "throw a different look" at India when they dropped Nathan McSweeney and picked Sam Konstas. It's hard to know whether they had this in mind but he has delivered on what they asked for. Aside from one reverse scoop off Akash Deep in the Prime Minister's XI game in Canberra when the score was 50 for 2 in 14th over of a 50-over game, there is little evidence of Konstas doing this in Sheffield Shield cricket. He did try the shot in the last Shield game for NSW against WA but didn't score a boundary. Yet in front of 90,000 at the MCG on Test debut, having been beaten five times in his first 11 deliveries by Jasprit Bumrah, he tried to reverse scoop and missed. He tried again in the following over and missed. But if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

In Bumrah's fourth over he scooped him for six over fine leg, and then reverse scooped for six and four in the same over. It is the first six Bumrah has conceded in Test cricket in nearly four years. He also got third slip moved to deep third and then nicked one to where third slip would have been in Bumrah's fifth over and survived. He then launched down the ground, got in a sledging exchange with Virat Kohli after they bumped shoulders. It has been incredible batting with the crowd on the edge their seats the whole time. What a selection gamble from Australia. They have made a fast start on a 40-degree day having been going nowhere against Bumrah in the previous three Tests."

4h ago

Sampath Bandarupalli with an interesting stat: Third over (at 2.5) is the earliest point of a Test match any batter has tried to play a reverse ramp or a scoop (since 2014 as per ESPNCricinfo's BBB logs). Ben Duckett attempted a reverse sweep off Noman Ali in the recent Rawalpindi Test on the last ball of the 4th over. The previous earliest anyone attempted off a pacer was David Warner, who went for a paddle scoop in the 6th over (on 5.2) against Stuart Broad at the Lord's in 2023.

When Konstas first tried it in the third over, it seemed to be nerves, brought about a few laughs. But this looks a proper gameplan. He tried it again in the next over, which did not come off. Konstas then went for a swish and a hoick against Siraj which were followed by a few verbal volleys. But it's what happened in Bumrah's third over which was incredible.

Here's the sequence. The first ball of the sixth over, Bumrah goes fuller around off stump, Konstas shuffles across and Bumrah over the keeper's head. But, he's not done yet. The next ball, Bumrah goes full again expecting the scoop. Konstas now goes the reverse scoop way and goes all the way over the slips. Then he goes a third time, a reverse scoop again with the ball landing juuuust short of the deep third fence.

As Sampath points out: That was the first six off Jasprit Bumrah in Tests since Cameron Green in Australia's second innings in Sydney in 2021. Overall, only the eighth six hit off Bumrah in Tests. It was also Bumrah's third most expensive over in Tests.

5h ago

5h ago

Six balls from Bumrah to Konstas, and he's beaten the bat five times. No easy sighters, no Christmas presents, Bumrah is on the money, right on! Gets the ball on that awkward length, just outside off. Not a lot of movement, but Bumrah doesn't need all that. Konstas all at sea first up. But, hey, that's expected. To his credit, Konstas didn't really push at the ball or go searching for it.

He is finally off the mark in the second over. Bumrah goes a little straighter and Konstas picks him for two behind square to a huge ovation. And, haaaang on! Let me see if I got this right. The fifth ball of the second over he's faced in Test cricket, and Konstas has gone for a reverse ramp... to Jasprit Bumrah. Wowza! The exuberance of youth and all that. It's woken up the crowd for sure. Khawaja has a smile on his face, so does Bumrah, so does Kohli, so does Pant. Bumrah follows it up with an absolute jaffa, and gives Konstas a long stare.

5h ago

5h ago

Here's Sidharth Monga: Four years ago, in the corresponding Test of that BGT, Shubman Gill made his debut, had some crucial luck early on and then went onto play a significant part in perhaps the greatest upset of all time. Four years later, he finds himself being dropped for the exact same Test.

One of the reasons perhaps is the way he has been getting out. Three innings, two starts of 31 and 28 in the day-night Test, but out to three half-volleys, which is extremely rare for a Test batter. The lengths of the three balls that have got him out are 3.2m, 3.5m and 4.3m. These are proper half-volleys.

Do the team management sense a technical issue with him there? Or do they feel they needed an offie should Travis Head be batting against the old ball, which is when he has really damaged India? India have gone at 5.65 an over at an average of 113 in the 20 overs leading to the new ball. And once they decided they needed an offie, did they decide they didn’t want to lose neither of Jadeja and Reddy because they have been in the runs?

6h ago

Some very interesting calls made by the Indian team. No Shubman Gill at the very venue where he made his Test debut four years back. India have Ravindra Jadeja at No. 6, Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 7 and Washington Sundar at No. 8... that is a lot of faith on three allrounders. Also, Rohit Sharma, who is searching for runs is back at the top of the order. There is a bit of grass on the surface which means Bumrah will be in the game early against Konstas. Plenty of subplots waiting to happen. This should be a good one.

6h ago

The coin has gone in Pat Cummins' favour and Australia will bat. So, that means Sam Konstas will be in early against Bumrah and Co. Good luck to him! The heat is going to be a factor, with temperatures likely to soar as high as 40 degrees on the Celsius scale.

Cummins says, "The pitch looks good. There's a bit of a grass like an old MCG wicket, looks nice and firm. The sun is out, 1-1, which is what everyone wanted to see. It’s been a great series so far." He confirms Konstas' debut and that Scott Boland comes in for Josh Hazlewood.

Rohit Sharma says that he would have batted as well. "We have to bowl well. The series is 1-1 and a lot to play for. We fought really well in that game [Brisbane]." Rohit also confirms that Shubman Gill misses out, and that he will bat at the top of the order. Also India have gone with two spinners, with Washington Sundar coming in.

Playing XIs

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins(capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep

6h ago

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the short answer. India win this Test and they will retain the trophy. Australia will be desperate to not let that happen. How's the pitch going to play? It is likely to have 'pace, bounce and excitement', but what about runs? Alex Malcolm tries to search for an answer.

Then there are also all the talks about India's top order, in particular, the two youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who have been as consistent as they would want to be. Rohit Sharma, though says he doesn't want to 'complicate too many things' for the duo.

Talking about youngsters, we also have a 19-year-old Sam Konstas all set to make his debut at the top of the order for Australia in front of an estimated 90,000 fans. No stress, Sam!

6h ago

There is something about a Boxing Day Test in Australia that just gets you up and running. And when it is India taking on Australia in a series which is all squared up with just two Tests to go... oof! The bane of a five-match series is one team taking the lead nice and early and the other playing catch-up cricket the rest of the time. That has not been the case here. India will be the first to admit they've come up short a lot of the times in these three Tests. So, just the fact that they are heading into MCG 1-1 will rev up their confidence. India have been on the winning side the last two times they were here. Can they make it a hat-trick of wins at the MCG? Can Australia continue their good form and make it 2-1? No matter what the result, the cricket will be exhilarating.