A packed MCG crowd was treated to an enthralling day of Test cricket, with 311 runs scored for the loss of six wickets, four of which fell in the final session. For the first time in the series, Australia’s top-order delivered, with debutant Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne registering fifties. However, none of them managed to convert their starts into substantial scores. Steve Smith, unbeaten on 68, will have the opportunity to do so when play resumes tomorrow, alongside skipper Pat Cummins, who is batting on 6.
The pitch had a light covering of grass, offering assistance to the pacers, and it showed its impact in the opening overs as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj began their spells with back-to-back maidens. While there were a few close calls and missed opportunities, the first 30 minutes passed without any wickets and not many runs were scored.
However, it didn’t last long. Konstas turned the tide with an audacious display of stroke-play, scooping and reverse-scooping Bumrah for a boundary and a six off the first two balls of the seventh over. This marked the start of an electrifying batting display from the young debutant. Before the Test, Konstas had spoken about his plans to counter Bumrah, and he executed them brilliantly.
The young batter continued his fearless approach, smashing Bumrah for 18 runs in the bowler’s sixth over—a record for the most runs Bumrah has conceded in a single over in Tests. Konstas carried his momentum forward, reaching his maiden fifty in just 51 balls. This feat made him Australia’s second-youngest Test half-centurion, trailing only Ian Craig, who achieved the milestone at 17 years and 240 days back in 1953.
While there were occasional misses and tense exchanges with players like Siraj, and later on with Virat Kohli, he never wavered. Strategically, Konstas managed to shield Khawaja from Bumrah, limiting the left-hander to just three balls in the pacer’s opening spell. Together, the duo built Australia’s first 50-plus partnership of the game.
As Konstas dominated the pacers, Rohit Sharma turned to spin, bringing Ravindra Jadeja into the attack. The shift unsettled the youngster slightly, and after surviving a close call, Konstas fell to a straight delivery from Jadeja, ending a scintillating debut innings of 60 off 65 balls. Once he got out, India managed to put the brakes on the scoring rate. Two Queenslanders, Khawaja and Labuschagne, got together and carried the innings forward. The former reached his first fifty of the series but was soon dismissed in an unfortunate manner when Bumrah returned to the attack.
Labuschagne was in the zone and hardly looked uncomfortable, apart from taking one or two odd blows. Aside from a couple of deliveries offering some movement, there wasn’t much assistance for the bowlers, and both Labuschagne and Smith capitalised on that.
Runs began to flow more freely after the Tea break. Just when it seemed as if this partnership would remain unbeaten by the end of the day, Labuschagne played a false shot, giving Washington Sundar his first wicket. That breakthrough opened the floodgates for India. Travis Head came in, and Bumrah was reintroduced into the attack. The stage was set: the series’ leading run-scorer facing off against its leading wicket-taker. It took Bumrah just two deliveries to send the in-form Head packing, as a lapse in judgment proved costly for the southpaw.
Mitchell Marsh followed Head shortly after, continuing his poor run with the bat. In just a few overs, Australia lost three crucial wickets, shifting the momentum in India’s favour. Smith joined hands with Alex Carey in an attempt to play out the remaining overs, but the second new ball broke their 53-run partnership with Carey’s dismissal. Akash Deep, who was India’s best bowler of the day, claimed the sixth wicket as India ended the day on a high.