Ravichandran Ashwin emerged once again as India’s most successful bowler after Australia won the toss and chose to hit first on Day 1 of the Boxing Day test match at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ashwin secured two important wickets, including Steve Smith’s, to give India the initial lead of the second round.
There was a lot of talk about how Ashwin fired Smith with a slider in Adelaide’s first inning and chances are there will be more talk this time after he knocked out Smith by a duck, his first against India in Tests, on Saturday.
IND vs AUS 2nd Test Day live
Unlike Adelaide, where Ashwin delivered an outstanding delivery, this time it was more about collective planning. India set a trap on the side of the leg, with a short leg back and forth and Smith fell directly into it. He got an inside advantage and Cheteshwar Pujara on the leg slide lunged to his left to take a strong catch.
Read also | ‘You’ve earned it’: Ashwin presents test hat to Siraj, gives elegant speech
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said Smith was perhaps more eager to get off the mark and that was why he went to push and got the inside lead.
“First of all, I am quite surprised by the fact that on day 1 there are a lot of spins for the Indian spinners. He’s been playing straight, he’s been playing in the middle and down the leg, it’s been more or less a plan to try and prevent hitters from playing any shots to the outside side. If you look at the firing of Smith because maybe he was at zero, he wanted to go off the mark, he couldn’t control it. On the other hand, there were a couple of deliveries when Labuschagne was playing and he put his arms on his shoulder, Smith could have done that too, but I’m not complaining, ”Gavaskar told 7 cricket.
LOOK: Jadeja avoids collision with rookie Gill to catch a brilliant
This was only the fifth duck for Steve Smith in test cricket. Ashwin has fired him five times: twice in Australia and three in India.
Ashwin, who was led on the attack in the eleventh over by reserve captain Ajinkya Rahane, struck in his second over eliminating Matthew Wade by 30.
Earlier, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah gave the tourists a good start as starter Joe Burns was caught behind for an awkward 10-ball duck on his second over.
It was an exquisite delivery that worked for Burns, cutting the seam and tickling an edge on the way to the remembered Rishabh Pant wicket.
Makeshift starter Wade survived an early hit on Umesh Yadav’s slips and kept Indian bowlers at bay for the first hour.
.
