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
Whoa, it’s heating up there! A shoulder bump between Kohli and Konstas as the over concluded. Both have a bit of a verbal and Khawaja converges in between and tries to calm things up a bit. Kohli does not like that one bit, but Konstas is winning the battle here. He has sort of disrupted the line and length of the Indian bowlers.
10.3 – Konstas keeps the aggression going and the 50 is already up for Australia now.
10.2 – Slower delivery, floated up full and on the stumps, dipping as well, Sam Konstas is almost undone by it but manages to get some bat on it.
10.1 – FOUR! That’s been pummeled to the fence and even Jasprit Bumrah will now be rethinking his plans. Fuller delivery on off, Konstas is early to back away and drills the ball between mid off and covers for another boundary.
9.6 – The first proper short ball of the game and this is angled into the batter, Konstas takes it on off the front foot and mistimes the pull in front of deep square leg for a single.
Batsman_1 : Sam Konstas 27(38)
Batsman_2 : Usman Khawaja 16(22)
Bowler : Mohammed Siraj 0/23(5)
Over : 10
Run : 7
Wicket : 0
Score : 44/0
9.5 – FOUR! Sam Konstas with a top shot and now Siraj just has to quietly walk back to the top of his mark.
9.4 – Ouch, that must have stung Siraj and he gives a mouthful back to Konstas, a bit unnecessary though. Full and straight at the stumps, Konstas steps out and smashes the ball back and Siraj gets hit on the body.
9.3 – Beaten! Just on a good length and in the channel around off, this one jags back in sharply off the deck, Konstas looks to play on the up but is well beaten between bat and pad.
Drinks! Well, a nerve-jangling and action-packed first 45 minutes for sure. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj initiated the attack from the Indian side asking all the right questions initially and beating the edges on multiple occasions. However, as per the on-air commentators, the pacers were a tad bit short in their lengths. The two Aussie openers negotiated the first thirty minutes with alert. Konstas then, true to his anticipators, threw caution to the wind and announced himself with some really audacious shots on his debut against one of the best bowlers in the world. Runs have come at a brisk pace after that with the bowlers finding next to little help from the surface from those lengths. India would be desperate enough to get their first breakthrough and the hosts would aim to see through this session going unscathed. Let’s see how the next phase of play pans out. Siraj to continue for the fifth over of his spell.
Drinks! Well, a nerve-jangling and action-packed first 45 minutes for sure. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj initiated the attack from the Indian side asking all the right questions initially and beating the edges on multiple occasions. However, as per the on-air commentators, the pacers were a tad bit short in their lengths. The two Aussie openers negotiated the first thirty minutes with alert. Konstas then, true to his anticipators, threw caution to the wind and announced himself with some really audacious shots on his debut against one of the best bowlers in the world. Runs have come at a brisk pace after that with the bowlers finding next to little help from the surface from those lengths. Let’s see how the next phase of play pans out. Siraj to continue for the fifth over of his spell.
9.2 – Lovely shot! Hard length over off, Sam Konstas just walks forward and stays leg side of the ball before punching it on the up and through covers for a couple of runs.
9.1 – On the money! Pitched-up delivery on off and angling back into middle and leg, Sam Konstas solidly blocks it off.
8.6 – FOUR! A touch of elegance from Usman Khawaja there. Bumrah darts one into the pads, looking for the big outswinger but this one slides on, Khawaja clips it away nicely off his legs and gets it well wide of long leg for a boundary.
Batsman_1 : Usman Khawaja 16(22)
Batsman_2 : Sam Konstas 20(32)
Bowler : Jasprit Bumrah 0/20(5)
Over : 9
Run : 5
Wicket : 0
Score : 37/0
8.5 – Bumrah changes the angle of attack to Khawaja and bowls a brute of a delivery. Bowled full and outside off, drawing the batter forward but gets the ball to nip away with good carry, Khawaja plays and misses.
8.4 – Length ball, in and around off, going across the left-hander, Usman Khawaja leaves it alone.
8.3 – Hard length at the pads, Konstas looks to flick it away but the ball hits the thigh pad and goes towards backward square leg as the batters pick up a leg bye.
8.2 – Oh, a rare edge but just doesn’t carry! Good length, on a tight line around off and nipping away late, Konstas gets squared up and gets an outside edge wide of Virat Kohli at second slip and he makes a good stop in the end.
8.1 – Half a shout for LBW but there seemed to be two noises there. Good length, starting on off and angling back in a mile, Sam Konstas is hurried on and beaten past the inside edge and gets hit on the thigh pads.
7.6 – A couple more and the runs are coming at a brisk pace now for Australia as they are 32/0 at the end of 8 overs. Floated up in the channel around off, Khawaja lets the ball come on and just eases it away behind point for a couple of quick runs.
Batsman_1 : Usman Khawaja 12(19)
Batsman_2 : Sam Konstas 20(29)
Bowler : Mohammed Siraj 0/16(4)
Over : 8
Run : 6
Wicket : 0
Score : 32/0
7.5 – This is bowled quite full and around off, just angling across, Khawaja shoulders arms.
7.4 – A hard-length delivery on off, just cutting back in, Konstas gets forward to block but gets an inside edge down to fine leg and picks up a single.
7.3 – On a dragged length over off, hitting the deck hard, Konstas looks to step out and take it on but ends up miscuing it toward mid on.
7.2 – Siraj drops the length short and over middle and leg, Usman Khawaja leans back and pulls it firmly and just in front of square leg. The fielder has a long chase there and the batters manage to pick up three runs.
7.1 – Length ball around off, angled across the left-hander, Usman Khawaja looks to get forward but ends up leaving it alone.
6.6 – Good length on off, angling in, Sam Konstas with a confident-looking punch off the front foot and hits it straight to short covers. 14 off that over!
Batsman_1 : Sam Konstas 19(27)
Batsman_2 : Usman Khawaja 7(15)
Bowler : Jasprit Bumrah 0/16(4)
Over : 7
Run : 14
Wicket : 0
Score : 26/0
6.5 – FOUR! Sam Konstas is taking down the big gun Jasprit Bumrah in style! Pitched-up delivery, just around off and Konstas pre-meditates a bit and just angles the reverse lap up and over down to deep third for a boundary. That one just bounced into the boundary cushion.
6.4 – On a hard length and outside the line of off stump, left alone by Sam Konstas.
6.3 – Bumrah persists with the fuller length but pushes the ball wide of the off stump, Konstas looks to advance and open up the off side but is well beaten.
6.2 – SIX! UNBELIEVABLE! Sam Konstas is fired up and picks up the first six of the match as well. Bumrah bowls another full one on off, Konstas shows quick hands and brings ut the reverse lap, nailing it over the deep third fence for a biggie.
6.1 – FOUR! Wow, Sam Konstas staying true to his beliefs and does get away with a cheeky boundary! Fuller in length on off and angling in, Konstas walks across the off stump and plays the normal lap shot, high and over the keeper’s head down to fine leg for a boundary.
5.6 – Aggressive again from Konstas and this time, he does get bat on ball.
Batsman_1 : Sam Konstas 5(21)
Batsman_2 : Usman Khawaja 7(15)
Bowler : Mohammed Siraj 0/10(3)
Over : 6
Run : 6
Wicket : 0
Score : 12/0