India vs Australia Live Cricket Score, 4th Test Day 1 (India National Cricket Team vs Australia National Cricket Team Match Scorecard): Hello and welcome to the live blog of the Boxing Day Test – the fourth fixture of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has opted to bat first after winning the toss. India has made one change to the playing XI from the last match that ended in a draw at The Gabba. All-rounder Washington Sundar has been included in place of Shubman Gill.
During the toss, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that he will open the innings, and Rahul is most likely to take the No. 3 position now.
The rain-affected draw at the Gabba was like a soothing balm for India after the pink-ball Test debacle in Adelaide. But now, India are back at one of their favourite Australian venues where they have remained undefeated in Tests since the 2014 series.
The last two (2018-19 and 2020-21) of the three Tests (the other being 2014-15) resulted in Indian wins where solid batting played its part.
Playing XIs:
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
LIVE FEED
5.2 – Nagging length on off and middle, scrambled across the left-hander, Usman Khawaja stays back and has to get low and jam his bat down a bit to keep this one out.
5.1 – Very full and a fair bit wide of the off stump line, trying to get the ball to swing back into the left-hander but not much shape on this one. Easy leave for Khawaja.
4.6 – Oh, that one nearly snuck through!
4.5 – Hard length around the fifth stump line, nipping away off the deck with some sharp bounce, Konstas gets his bat away from the line of the ball in some Marnus fashion.
4.4 – Immaculate length and in the channel around off, darting back in off the seam, Konstas ends up playing inside the line of this one.
4.3 – That’s a loose shot from Konstas! Floated up full and wide from Bumrah, Konstas brings out that reverse lap again but his feet go nowhere and he misses the connection by a long way.
4.2 – A touch fuller and angled into the batter, straightening a touch as well, Konstas looks to block but gets squared up and gets a leading edge onto the off side.
3.6 – Pitches the ball up around middle, gets it to shape back in a bit as well, Usman Khawaja gets nicely onto the front foot and blocks it off.
Batsman_1 : Usman Khawaja 4(12)
Batsman_2 : Sam Konstas 2(12)
Bowler : Mohammed Siraj 0/4(2)
Over : 4
Run : 4
Wicket : 0
Score : 6/0
3.5 – FOUR! A touch too straight again and Usman Khawaja is able to get off the mark! Floated up a bit full but on leg stump and shapes back in, nice little tickle down to the fine leg fence for the first boundary of the game by Khawaja.
3.3 – Good-length delivery, pushed across the left-hander, Khawaja leaves it alone.
3.4 – Just slides one down the leg side, on a good length as well, Usman Khawaja looks to flick it off the legs but fails to get any bat on it.
3.2 – A huge, huge appeal for LBW but the umpire turns it down. Rohit Sharma has a long think about it and does opt for the review. Mohammed Siraj bowls this one on a good length on off and gets the ball to shape back in, Usman Khawaja walks forward and looks to negate the swing but is caught in front and misses the flick. The ball hits him on the pads but Ball Tracking eventually shows that the ball was just going over the line of off stump and India lose an early review.
3.1 – Nagging length in and around off, angling away naturally from the left-hander, Khawaja shoulders arms at it.
2.6 – Bumrah replies to that attempted reverse lap with a peach of a delivery.
Batsman_1 : Sam Konstas 2(12)
Batsman_2 : Usman Khawaja 0(6)
Bowler : Jasprit Bumrah 0/2(2)
Over : 3
Run : 2
Wicket : 0
Score : 2/0
2.5 – Oh, hello! Good length around the top of off, Sam Konstas brings out the reverse lap but fails to connect and everyone around him has a bit of a chuckle.
Bumrah’s pace partner, Mohammed Siraj to operate from the far end. Siraj gets greeted with a mix of boos and cheers by the crowd. Quite and engaging crowd out there! And that’s what this is all about.
2.4 – On a hard length now and just outside off, good carry on that one as Konstas makes a leave.
2.3 – Pitches this one up on the middle stump line and the ball just starts to nip away, Konstas gets a bit forward and blocks it with a straight bat.
2.2 – First runs of the Boxing Day Test and of Sam Konstas’ Test career as well.
2.1 – Just short of a good length and outside off, seaming away off the deck and Konstas lets it through to the keeper.
1.6 – Maiden to begin with from Siraj as well! Fullish length, pushed wide of the off stump, trying to induce the drive but Khawaja leaves it alone.
Batsman_1 : Usman Khawaja 0(6)
Batsman_2 : Sam Konstas 0(6)
Bowler : Mohammed Siraj 0/0(1)
Over : 2
Run : 0
Wicket : 0
Score : 0/0
1.5 – Pitched up in the channel around off and angling away, Usman Khawaja leaves this one alone.
1.4 – And again! Much fuller on off, starts to shape back in and angles away quickly and zips past the outside edge of Khawaja’s bat yet again.
1.3 – On a length again and close to the off stump line, just angling away, Usman Khawaja is beaten past the outside edge again.
We are just a few moments away from this Boxing Day Test to get underway. But, before that, the two stalwarts of the game, Adam Gilchrist and Irfan Pathan walk out with the shining trophy and carefully place it on the podium. A special mention about match referee Andy Pycroft, who will be officiating in his 100th Test match. Now, the two sets of teams stride out and line up for their respective national anthems followed by the match officials. It will be India’s first, followed by Australia’s national anthem.
1.2 – Absolute peach of a delivery! Good length, around the top of off, seems to shape back into the left-hander but leaves Usman Khawaja late and he is taken completely aback.
1.1 – A bit of a loosener to begin with from Siraj! Floats it up full and wide outside off, almost hugging the tramline as Khawaja makes a leave.
Bumrah’s pace partner, Mohammed Siraj to operate from the far end. Siraj gets greeted with a mix of boos and cheers by the crowd.
0.6 – A maiden to begin with and that was a top over from Jasprit Bumrah! Good-length delivery, in and around off, straightening down the line as well, Konstas looks to block but is beaten again.
Batsman_1 : Sam Konstas 0(6)
Batsman_2 : Usman Khawaja 0(0)
Bowler : Jasprit Bumrah 0/0(1)
Over : 1
Run : 0
Wicket : 0
Score : 0/0
Who will operate from the far end?
We are just a few moments away from this Boxing Day Test to get underway. But, before that, the two stalwarts of the game, Adam Gilchrist and Irfan Pathan walk out with the shining trophy and carefully place it on the podium. A special mention about match referee Andy Pycroft, who will be officiating in his 100th Test match. Now, the two sets of teams stride out and line up for their respective national anthems. It will be India’s first, followed by Australia’s national anthem.