AUS vs IND 4th Test Day 1 Highlights: Australia Takes Control at MCG: The Boxing Day Test between India vs Australia saw a good start at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. On Day 1, Australia ended at 311/6, with strong contributions from their opener and middle order. The first fifty-plus opening stand of the series came from debutant Sam Konstas as he scored with fearless batting at the top, giving a perfect foundation for the rest of the line-up.
Australia takes charge on Day 1 of AUS vs IND Boxing Day Test
On an aggressive 60, he wasted no time unsettling India’s bowling attack. His early partnership with Usman Khawaja set the stage for the rest of the innings and laid a foundation for how Australia approached this innings. Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) created a thick session against the Indian pacers in the middle.
A very measured innings came from Smith, who finished the day unbeaten on a well-built 68 off 111, showcasing his class against an Indian attack probing for weaknesses. Jasprit Bumrah spearheaded the Indian resistance with figures of 3/75. Akash Deep, after toiling hard, picked up Alex Carey (31) with the second new ball.
The surface at the MCG demonstrated its promise of fluctuating between early bounce and swing and slowing as the day wore on. In conjunction, it had enough fire to the pacers, but given its slow character, the edge was lost in carrying, allowing batters like Smith and Khawaja to dig in.
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Four wickets in hand, Australia can look beyond the first innings total of 350 by Day 2. It is important for India, though, to strike early for the hosts to not run away with the advantage. This compelling battle promises to be truly interesting on Day 2 because the pendulum is swaying in the middle. You can expect updates as India bounces back in this important match.
