All is not well in the Indian team&rsquo;s dressing room after leaked team talks have been a subject of huge debate according to several media reports. Adding fuel to the fire was former pacer Irfan Pathan, who on Wednesday (Jan 1) took to X stating all is not well in the Indian team. Looking at Pathan&rsquo;s post, it is likely that players in the Indian team are not on the same page including coach Gautam Gambhir.
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What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room!
&mdash; Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrfanPathan/status/1874339653798813807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pathan calls for action</h2>
&ldquo;What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room!&rdquo; Pathan posted on his X handle.
According to reports, Gambhir was against several selections for the ongoing Australia tour and&nbsp; wanting to include Cheteshwar Pujara in the side. According to an Indian Express report, Gambhir, captain Rohit Sharma and the selectors panel led by Ajit Agarkar were not on the same page during the selection meeting.
On the other hand, Gambhir was also furious at a few players for not sticking to the plan and wanting to do out-of-plan things. However, these talks were leaked which has not gone well with the team management, especially after India&rsquo;s 184-run defeat in the Boxing Day contest in Melbourne.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-rankings-jasprit-bumrah-cements-top-spot-after-dazzling-bgt-show-kohli-rohit-take-massive-hit-8582861" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">ALSO READ | </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-rankings-jasprit-bumrah-cements-top-spot-after-dazzling-bgt-show-kohli-rohit-take-massive-hit-8582861" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">ICC rankings: Jasprit Bumrah cements top spot after dazzling BGT show</a>
India lost the match and now trail the series 1-2, leaving their World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification fate hanging in balance. While South Africa are already in the final after their win against Pakistan, Australia need to win just one of their next three remaining matches.
On the other hand, pressure is mounting on coach Gambhir. He has been on the receiving end after poor results in recent months since his appointment. India failed to win an ODI in 2024 while they lost 0-3 to New Zealand in a Test series for the first time at home.

Sports, Cricket: According to reports, Gambhir was against several selections for the ongoing Australia tour while wanting to include Cheteshwar Pujara in the side.

All is not well in the Indian team’s dressing room after leaked team talks have been a subject of huge debate according to several media reports. Adding fuel to the fire was former pacer Irfan Pathan, who on Wednesday (Jan 1) took to X stating all is not well in the Indian team. Looking at Pathan’s post, it is likely that players in the Indian team are not on the same page including coach Gautam Gambhir. What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room! — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 1, 2025 Pathan calls for action “What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room!” Pathan posted on his X handle. According to reports, Gambhir was against several selections for the ongoing Australia tour and wanting to include Cheteshwar Pujara in the side. According to an Indian Express report, Gambhir, captain Rohit Sharma and the selectors panel led by Ajit Agarkar were not on the same page during the selection meeting. On the other hand, Gambhir was also furious at a few players for not sticking to the plan and wanting to do out-of-plan things. However, these talks were leaked which has not gone well with the team management, especially after India’s 184-run defeat in the Boxing Day contest in Melbourne. ALSO READ | ICC rankings: Jasprit Bumrah cements top spot after dazzling BGT show India lost the match and now trail the series 1-2, leaving their World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification fate hanging in balance. While South Africa are already in the final after their win against Pakistan, Australia need to win just one of their next three remaining matches. On the other hand, pressure is mounting on coach Gambhir. He has been on the receiving end after poor results in recent months since his appointment. India failed to win an ODI in 2024 while they lost 0-3 to New Zealand in a Test series for the first time at home.

BGT 2024/25: Irfan Pathan furious over leaked team talks

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar shared his take on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's Test future after India's MCG Test defeat versus Australia, on Monday (Dec 30), in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). India lost the fourth and penultimate Test by 184 runs, in pursuit of 340 on Day 5, as Rohit and Kohli's poor run continued.&nbsp;
Both Rohit and Kohli have struggled for runs in the ongoing India-Australia series. While Kohli scored a hundred in the series opener, the right-hander has four single-digit scores and not a single half-century. For Rohit, he has scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9 in the series. Thus, Gavaskar opined on their red-ball future and feels it is the selectors' call whether they want Rohit-Kohli to carry on.
"It actually all depends on the selectors. I'm not a good reader of the crystal ball, because in Indian cricket, nobody can read a crystal ball. That is a fact. But the contributions which were expected have not come. I don't think it's a lower-order problem. It's the top order that has to contribute. So, I mean, the seniors have not really made the contribution that they should have and all that they had to do was to bat out today and live to fight another day in Sydney," Gavaskar said to India Today.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-rohit-sharmas-retirement-rumours-catch-fire-after-langers-body-language-remark-8578916" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BGT - Rohit's retirement rumours catch fire after Langer&rsquo;s &lsquo;body language&rsquo; remark</a>
Talking about the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, in Melbourne, Rohit-led India opted to bowl first. Riding on Steve Smith's 140, the fifties from debutant Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and valuable contributions from the lower-order, Australia posted 474. In reply, India were tottering at 221-7 before Nitish Reddy's 114 propelled the visitors to 369.
With a lead of 105, Australia got dismissed for 234 in their second innings, despite being reduced to 91-6 at one stage. Setting a target of 340 on the final day, Australia dismissed India for 155.&nbsp;
Aussie skipper Pat Cummins was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match for a six-wicket match haul and 49 and 41 runs with the bat.
Australia lead the 2024-25 BGT 2-1 with the final Test commencing in Sydney on Jan 3 (Friday).&nbsp;

Cricket, Sports | Border-Gavaskar Trophy: 'Nobody can read a crystal ball,' Sunil Gavaskar shares his take on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's Test future

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar shared his take on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's Test future after India's MCG Test defeat versus Australia, on Monday (Dec 30), in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). India lost the fourth and penultimate Test by 184 runs, in pursuit of 340 on Day 5, as Rohit and Kohli's poor run continued. Both Rohit and Kohli have struggled for runs in the ongoing India-Australia series. While Kohli scored a hundred in the series opener, the right-hander has four single-digit scores and not a single half-century. For Rohit, he has scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9 in the series. Thus, Gavaskar opined on their red-ball future and feels it is the selectors' call whether they want Rohit-Kohli to carry on. "It actually all depends on the selectors. I'm not a good reader of the crystal ball, because in Indian cricket, nobody can read a crystal ball. That is a fact. But the contributions which were expected have not come. I don't think it's a lower-order problem. It's the top order that has to contribute. So, I mean, the seniors have not really made the contribution that they should have and all that they had to do was to bat out today and live to fight another day in Sydney," Gavaskar said to India Today. Also read: BGT - Rohit's retirement rumours catch fire after Langer’s ‘body language’ remark Talking about the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, in Melbourne, Rohit-led India opted to bowl first. Riding on Steve Smith's 140, the fifties from debutant Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and valuable contributions from the lower-order, Australia posted 474. In reply, India were tottering at 221-7 before Nitish Reddy's 114 propelled the visitors to 369. With a lead of 105, Australia got dismissed for 234 in their second innings, despite being reduced to 91-6 at one stage. Setting a target of 340 on the final day, Australia dismissed India for 155. Aussie skipper Pat Cummins was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match for a six-wicket match haul and 49 and 41 runs with the bat. Australia lead the 2024-25 BGT 2-1 with the final Test commencing in Sydney on Jan 3 (Friday).

BGT: 'Nobody can....', Sunil Gavaskar shares his take on Rohit and Kohli's Test future

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has made headlines lately for all bad reasons. As if his poor run with the bat in hand wasn&rsquo;t enough, his tactical changes on the field baffled a whole fan base worldwide. After India lost the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs, conceding a one-nil lead after the series opener in Perth, Rohit finds himself in a tight spot, with talk of his potential Test retirement looming.
Although social media is flooded with expert advice on what the batting veterans&mdash;Rohit and Virat Kohli&mdash;should do given their poor run of form in this series, the former Australian coach Justin Langer&rsquo;s latest remarks on Rohit&rsquo;s &lsquo;tired body language&rsquo; have fuelled up that conversation again.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/coach-conrad-unapologetic-about-south-africas-easy-route-to-wtc-final-2025-8578778" rel="dofollow">Coach Conrad unapologetic about South Africa's easy route to WTC Final</a>
During the post-match presser, Rohit stressed trying to do more rights than wrongs in the Sydney Test in the quest to keep India's WTC Final 2025 hopes alive; with that, he indicated on retaining his place in the XI for the final Test despite scoring just 31 runs across five innings on this tour thus far.
Even during Australia&rsquo;s second innings, when Jasprit Bumrah reduced them to 91 for six, picking three wickets in 11 balls after lunch, Rohit&rsquo;s defensive tactics helped the hosts gain momentum, eventually ending the day with their heads held high. A 50-plus run stand for the tenth wicket exposed Rohit&rsquo;s strategies, which looked tired and out of place, just like his body language.
"Rohit Sharma looks very tired to me. I saw him quite emotional on the field yesterday. That's unusual for us to see Rohit like that. He's usually so calm, so chilled out. But he was showing his emotions; he looks tired,&rdquo; Langer said after Australia clinched their first Test against India at the MCG since 2011.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's understandable because, as a cricketer, when you're not making runs, that's all that stays on your mind. And as captain, if you're not making runs and your team is not winning, the stress starts to come into the game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Whether he can get up for Sydney, that's up to him. It's a big challenge. India need him to get up to speed in Sydney," Langer continued, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
<h2>Langer on Virat</h2>
Keeping aside his famous hundred at the Optus Stadium in the BGT opener, Kohli has been short of runs since, with his dismissals&nbsp; in similar manner across innings (outside the off stump) adding salt to injury.
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Edged and caught behind the wicket, all of Virat Kohli's dismissals this series have had a common theme <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/5mz5SGcAbh">pic.twitter.com/5mz5SGcAbh</a>
&mdash; 7Cricket (@7Cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/7Cricket/status/1873544972500410662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
Langer, however, believes Kohli&rsquo;s fitness and hunger for runs will return sooner.
"With Virat, I agree [with Shastri]. He looked excellent in that first innings. Maybe the run out [of Jaiswal] did ruffle him, but we were surprised to see him get out the way he did. He is still a great player, is in outstanding physical condition, and all Indians would be hoping he comes good," Langer noted.
Meanwhile, Australia now lead the five-match series 2-1, with the final match scheduled in Sydney for the January 3 start.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket: Although social media is flooded with advice on what the batting veterans Rohit and Virat Kohli should do, Langer’s latest remarks on Rohit’s ‘body language’ fuelled the conversation again. 

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has made headlines lately for all bad reasons. As if his poor run with the bat in hand wasn’t enough, his tactical changes on the field baffled a whole fan base worldwide. After India lost the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs, conceding a one-nil lead after the series opener in Perth, Rohit finds himself in a tight spot, with talk of his potential Test retirement looming. Although social media is flooded with expert advice on what the batting veterans—Rohit and Virat Kohli—should do given their poor run of form in this series, the former Australian coach Justin Langer’s latest remarks on Rohit’s ‘tired body language’ have fuelled up that conversation again. Also read | Coach Conrad unapologetic about South Africa's easy route to WTC Final During the post-match presser, Rohit stressed trying to do more rights than wrongs in the Sydney Test in the quest to keep India's WTC Final 2025 hopes alive; with that, he indicated on retaining his place in the XI for the final Test despite scoring just 31 runs across five innings on this tour thus far. Even during Australia’s second innings, when Jasprit Bumrah reduced them to 91 for six, picking three wickets in 11 balls after lunch, Rohit’s defensive tactics helped the hosts gain momentum, eventually ending the day with their heads held high. A 50-plus run stand for the tenth wicket exposed Rohit’s strategies, which looked tired and out of place, just like his body language. "Rohit Sharma looks very tired to me. I saw him quite emotional on the field yesterday. That's unusual for us to see Rohit like that. He's usually so calm, so chilled out. But he was showing his emotions; he looks tired,” Langer said after Australia clinched their first Test against India at the MCG since 2011. “It's understandable because, as a cricketer, when you're not making runs, that's all that stays on your mind. And as captain, if you're not making runs and your team is not winning, the stress starts to come into the game. “Whether he can get up for Sydney, that's up to him. It's a big challenge. India need him to get up to speed in Sydney," Langer continued, as quoted by Hindustan Times. Langer on Virat Keeping aside his famous hundred at the Optus Stadium in the BGT opener, Kohli has been short of runs since, with his dismissals in similar manner across innings (outside the off stump) adding salt to injury. Edged and caught behind the wicket, all of Virat Kohli's dismissals this series have had a common theme #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/5mz5SGcAbh — 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 30, 2024 Langer, however, believes Kohli’s fitness and hunger for runs will return sooner. "With Virat, I agree [with Shastri]. He looked excellent in that first innings. Maybe the run out [of Jaiswal] did ruffle him, but we were surprised to see him get out the way he did. He is still a great player, is in outstanding physical condition, and all Indians would be hoping he comes good," Langer noted. Meanwhile, Australia now lead the five-match series 2-1, with the final match scheduled in Sydney for the January 3 start. (With inputs from agencies)

BGT - Rohit's retirement rumours get more fuel after Langer’s ‘body language’ remark

South African coach Shukri Conrad brushed off criticism about the uneven scheduling of the World Test Championship after his team qualified for the final.<o:p></o:p>
South Africa beat Pakistan in a dramatic two-wicket win in Centurion on Sunday to earn their sixth successive Test win.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-but-because-he-is-the-captain-irfan-pathans-honest-assessment-of-rohit-sharmas-place-in-team-after-mcg-test-debacle-8578745" rel="dofollow">BGT - Irfan Pathan reveals reason behind Rohit Sharma's selection amid form worry</a>
On the average points system used for the championship, the South Africans are guaranteed a place in the final next June, even if they lose their last match, the second Test against Pakistan, starting in Cape Town on Friday.<o:p></o:p>
"People abroad will be shouting that we had an easy draw. Well, I'm not going to apologise for that. We're just thrilled that we can be at Lord's next year," Conrad said after the victory against Pakistan.<o:p></o:p>
Australia's win against India in Melbourne on Monday put them in pole position to join South Africa at Lord's, although they still have to play a fifth Test against India and two matches away against Sri Lanka.<o:p></o:p>
South Africa's path to the final illustrated the imbalance in the quantity and quality of the fixtures for the nine teams contesting the World Test Championship (WTC), a fact highlighted by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who called for a revamp of the format.<o:p></o:p>
"At the moment every team plays a wildly different number of games, and that just does not create a balanced outcome or totally fair league table," Vaughan wrote in a column for British daily The Telegraph.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Different teams, different schedule</h2>
South Africa&rsquo;s programme consisted of just 12 matches, the joint lowest number together with Bangladesh.<o:p></o:p>
England played 22 Tests, and Australia and India, the other members of cricket&rsquo;s 'big three', had 19 fixtures each.<o:p></o:p>
South Africa had six series, all of only two matches. They shared a series against India 1-1 but did not play against Australia or England.<o:p></o:p>
Australia, India, and England, by contrast, played each other in a five-match 'marquee' series.<o:p></o:p>
With no team dominating, they all shed points, affecting their average points standings.<o:p></o:p>
After sharing the honours against India, South Africa effectively forfeited a series in New Zealand because their governing body prioritised a Twenty20 tournament.<o:p></o:p>
Conrad could not select any players contracted by the T20 franchises, which ruled out most of his first-choice players.<o:p></o:p>
Since then, though, South Africa have won away series in the West Indies and Bangladesh and beaten Sri Lanka at home before scraping home against Pakistan.<o:p></o:p>
Conrad admitted that his team were far from their best at Centurion, needing an unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 51 between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada to secure the win.<o:p></o:p>
"The WTC weighs on you, you really want to get to the final, but we need to be a lot more resilient and clinical. We saw what pressure did to some of our players, but they will grow enormously from the experience."<o:p></o:p>
"We are so much better than we showed in this match, but we want this team to never know when they are beaten, and we want the opposition to know that too," said Conrad.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Cricket: Conrad admitted that his team were far from their best at Centurion, needing an unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 51 between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada to secure the win.

South African coach Shukri Conrad brushed off criticism about the uneven scheduling of the World Test Championship after his team qualified for the final. South Africa beat Pakistan in a dramatic two-wicket win in Centurion on Sunday to earn their sixth successive Test win. Also read | BGT - Irfan Pathan reveals reason behind Rohit Sharma's selection amid form worry On the average points system used for the championship, the South Africans are guaranteed a place in the final next June, even if they lose their last match, the second Test against Pakistan, starting in Cape Town on Friday. "People abroad will be shouting that we had an easy draw. Well, I'm not going to apologise for that. We're just thrilled that we can be at Lord's next year," Conrad said after the victory against Pakistan. Australia's win against India in Melbourne on Monday put them in pole position to join South Africa at Lord's, although they still have to play a fifth Test against India and two matches away against Sri Lanka. South Africa's path to the final illustrated the imbalance in the quantity and quality of the fixtures for the nine teams contesting the World Test Championship (WTC), a fact highlighted by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who called for a revamp of the format. "At the moment every team plays a wildly different number of games, and that just does not create a balanced outcome or totally fair league table," Vaughan wrote in a column for British daily The Telegraph. Different teams, different schedule South Africa’s programme consisted of just 12 matches, the joint lowest number together with Bangladesh. England played 22 Tests, and Australia and India, the other members of cricket’s 'big three', had 19 fixtures each. South Africa had six series, all of only two matches. They shared a series against India 1-1 but did not play against Australia or England. Australia, India, and England, by contrast, played each other in a five-match 'marquee' series. With no team dominating, they all shed points, affecting their average points standings. After sharing the honours against India, South Africa effectively forfeited a series in New Zealand because their governing body prioritised a Twenty20 tournament. Conrad could not select any players contracted by the T20 franchises, which ruled out most of his first-choice players. Since then, though, South Africa have won away series in the West Indies and Bangladesh and beaten Sri Lanka at home before scraping home against Pakistan. Conrad admitted that his team were far from their best at Centurion, needing an unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 51 between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada to secure the win. "The WTC weighs on you, you really want to get to the final, but we need to be a lot more resilient and clinical. We saw what pressure did to some of our players, but they will grow enormously from the experience." "We are so much better than we showed in this match, but we want this team to never know when they are beaten, and we want the opposition to know that too," said Conrad. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Coach Conrad unapologetic about South Africa's easy route to WTC Final

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is under massive scrutiny for his below-par performance in the ongoing BGT Down Under. Having failed with the bat since his return to the Test side, Rohit&rsquo;s future in the whites has started to look gloomy, with Irfan Pathan saying that wearing the captain&rsquo;s hat has been saving his place in the Test team.
India lost the fourth Test at the MCG by 184 runs, conceding the lead they took with a staggering win in the series opener in Perth, where Rohit remained absent for personal reasons and ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah captained in his place. Rohit, however, returned to the XI from the second game at the Adelaide Oval, where Australia won by ten wickets.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5b6e65j-jbqscx7p-xfudxat0">
LYON DOES IT! What a remarkable win for Australia! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/SGbA3R797X">pic.twitter.com/SGbA3R797X</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1873617184385077618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
India was on the back foot in the next two matches at the Gabba and MCG, respectively. Though the third Test ended in a draw, thanks to several rain interruptions, the hosts beat India at the &lsquo;G&rsquo; for the first time since 2011, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-awards-2024-jasprit-bumrah-nominated-for-sir-garfield-sobers-trophy-for-mens-cricketer-of-the-year-8578356" rel="dofollow">Bumrah rewarded with twin ICC Awards nominations for a staggering 2024</a>
Besides the results, Rohit&rsquo;s poor performance across five innings has been no short of an embarrassment; having scored just 31 runs on this tour, Rohit not finding his groove at all is a worrying point for the veteran batter and the team management.
Amidst reports of the selectors contemplating Rohit&rsquo;s future in the longer format beyond the fifth and final BGT Test at the SCG, starting January 3, the right-handed batter will continue as the captain and an opener in Sydney.&nbsp;
Pathan, a cricketer-turned-broadcaster, explains what, despite his horrible show with the bat, helped Rohit retain his place in the XI.
<h2>What&rsquo;s going wrong with Rohit&rsquo;s form?</h2>
&ldquo;A player who has made about 20,000 runs&mdash;yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all,&rdquo; Pathan said on Star Sports following the MCG Test loss.
&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team. K.L. Rahul would have been playing at the top, Jaiswal would have been there, and Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
Now, with Rohit back at the top after a few failures down the order, KL Rahul is demoted to number three, with Shubman Gill out of the XI. Considering India has to win the next Test in Sydney to give them any chance of qualifying for the WTC Final 2025, they might press the panic button, bringing in Gill and continuing playing Bumrah despite fearing burnout.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But because he is the captain, and you want to win the next match to draw the series, he stays in the team.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But his form is so poor. Even in India, even before coming here, he wasn&rsquo;t scoring runs, and he still hasn&rsquo;t scored runs. This is a very disappointing scene when I see Rohit Sharma batting.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Because whenever I see Rohit Sharma batting, I always want to see him bat, whether it is Test cricket or one-day cricket. But now, his form, the way he is going forward, whether it is his mindset or the coordination with his body, I can&rsquo;t see that at all,&rdquo; he added.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket: Having scored just 31 runs on this tour thus far, Rohit Sharma not finding his groove at all is a worrying point for the veteran batter and the team management.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is under massive scrutiny for his below-par performance in the ongoing BGT Down Under. Having failed with the bat since his return to the Test side, Rohit’s future in the whites has started to look gloomy, with Irfan Pathan saying that wearing the captain’s hat has been saving his place in the Test team. India lost the fourth Test at the MCG by 184 runs, conceding the lead they took with a staggering win in the series opener in Perth, where Rohit remained absent for personal reasons and ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah captained in his place. Rohit, however, returned to the XI from the second game at the Adelaide Oval, where Australia won by ten wickets. LYON DOES IT! What a remarkable win for Australia! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/SGbA3R797X — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2024 India was on the back foot in the next two matches at the Gabba and MCG, respectively. Though the third Test ended in a draw, thanks to several rain interruptions, the hosts beat India at the ‘G’ for the first time since 2011, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Also read | Bumrah rewarded with twin ICC Awards nominations for a staggering 2024 Besides the results, Rohit’s poor performance across five innings has been no short of an embarrassment; having scored just 31 runs on this tour, Rohit not finding his groove at all is a worrying point for the veteran batter and the team management. Amidst reports of the selectors contemplating Rohit’s future in the longer format beyond the fifth and final BGT Test at the SCG, starting January 3, the right-handed batter will continue as the captain and an opener in Sydney. Pathan, a cricketer-turned-broadcaster, explains what, despite his horrible show with the bat, helped Rohit retain his place in the XI. What’s going wrong with Rohit’s form? “A player who has made about 20,000 runs—yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all,” Pathan said on Star Sports following the MCG Test loss. “What’s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team. K.L. Rahul would have been playing at the top, Jaiswal would have been there, and Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI,” he continued. Now, with Rohit back at the top after a few failures down the order, KL Rahul is demoted to number three, with Shubman Gill out of the XI. Considering India has to win the next Test in Sydney to give them any chance of qualifying for the WTC Final 2025, they might press the panic button, bringing in Gill and continuing playing Bumrah despite fearing burnout. “But because he is the captain, and you want to win the next match to draw the series, he stays in the team. “But his form is so poor. Even in India, even before coming here, he wasn’t scoring runs, and he still hasn’t scored runs. This is a very disappointing scene when I see Rohit Sharma batting.” “Because whenever I see Rohit Sharma batting, I always want to see him bat, whether it is Test cricket or one-day cricket. But now, his form, the way he is going forward, whether it is his mindset or the coordination with his body, I can’t see that at all,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

BGT - Irfan Pathan reveals reason behind Rohit Sharma's selection amid form worry

India lost the MCG Test to Australia by 184 runs on Day 5 in Melbourne on Monday (Dec 30). With this, Pat Cummins-led hosts took an unassailable 2-1 lead and have a chance to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) with a win, or draw, in the series finale in Sydney. Chasing 340, India were never in the hunt but Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal led to their eventual downfall. Jaiswal was controversially out for 84, when side on replays showed he hit a delivery, off Cummins, with the gloves but Real Time Snickometer (RTS) showed no spike.
Eventually, the visual evidence helped the third umpire overturn the initial call and adjudge Jaiswal out. In the post-match presser, Indian captain Rohit Sharma shared his take on his opening partner's dismissal.
<h2>'He did touch the ball...'</h2>
Rohit said, "In all fairness, I think he did touch the ball. The technology is not always 100 per cent. More often than not, we are the ones falling on the wrong side of it (decision-making by DRS). I believe it was a little unfortunate."
&ldquo;He showed great character and a lot of fight, batting there in the middle. I just hope he goes from strength to strength. There is a lot more to look forward to from him," he added.
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/border-gavaskar-trophy-2024-25-australia-beat-india-by-184-runs-in-melbourne-test-to-take-unassailable-2-1-lead-in-series-8576888" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BGT: Australia beat India by 184 runs in MCG Test to take unassailable 2-1 lead</a>
India had a lot of chances in the fourth and penultimate Test, i.e. the Boxing Day match, but eventually lost by a big margin. Opting to bowl first, India conceded 474 with Steve Smith (140) and other Aussie batters chipping in with valuable knocks. In reply, India's famed batters fell flat but Nitish Reddy's 114 took visitors to 369, conceding a 105-run lead.
In the third innings, India reduced Australia to 91-6 but Marnus Labuschagne's 70 and 41 apiece from Cummins and Nathan Lyon took the hosts to 234 all-out on Day 5, setting a 340-run target.&nbsp;
India's flop batting show and fielding errors, dropping three catches on Day 4, cost them dearly at the MCG, Melbourne.
Hitman added, "We had our chances but didn&rsquo;t take them. I know things can get difficult, but that is what we are here for."
India will now look for a 2-2 scoreline with a win in the SCG Test whereas Australia will be desperate to regain the BGT with a 3-1 margin and also keep their hopes alive of playing the WTC final, where South Africa have booked a slot. The finale is scheduled for mid-June, 2025.

Cricket, Sports | Border-Gavaskar Trophy: 'I think he did...', Rohit Sharma on Yashasvi Jaiswal's controversial dismissal after India's MCG Test loss vs Australia

India lost the MCG Test to Australia by 184 runs on Day 5 in Melbourne on Monday (Dec 30). With this, Pat Cummins-led hosts took an unassailable 2-1 lead and have a chance to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) with a win, or draw, in the series finale in Sydney. Chasing 340, India were never in the hunt but Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal led to their eventual downfall. Jaiswal was controversially out for 84, when side on replays showed he hit a delivery, off Cummins, with the gloves but Real Time Snickometer (RTS) showed no spike. Eventually, the visual evidence helped the third umpire overturn the initial call and adjudge Jaiswal out. In the post-match presser, Indian captain Rohit Sharma shared his take on his opening partner's dismissal. 'He did touch the ball...' Rohit said, "In all fairness, I think he did touch the ball. The technology is not always 100 per cent. More often than not, we are the ones falling on the wrong side of it (decision-making by DRS). I believe it was a little unfortunate." “He showed great character and a lot of fight, batting there in the middle. I just hope he goes from strength to strength. There is a lot more to look forward to from him," he added. Also read: BGT: Australia beat India by 184 runs in MCG Test to take unassailable 2-1 lead India had a lot of chances in the fourth and penultimate Test, i.e. the Boxing Day match, but eventually lost by a big margin. Opting to bowl first, India conceded 474 with Steve Smith (140) and other Aussie batters chipping in with valuable knocks. In reply, India's famed batters fell flat but Nitish Reddy's 114 took visitors to 369, conceding a 105-run lead. In the third innings, India reduced Australia to 91-6 but Marnus Labuschagne's 70 and 41 apiece from Cummins and Nathan Lyon took the hosts to 234 all-out on Day 5, setting a 340-run target. India's flop batting show and fielding errors, dropping three catches on Day 4, cost them dearly at the MCG, Melbourne. Hitman added, "We had our chances but didn’t take them. I know things can get difficult, but that is what we are here for." India will now look for a 2-2 scoreline with a win in the SCG Test whereas Australia will be desperate to regain the BGT with a 3-1 margin and also keep their hopes alive of playing the WTC final, where South Africa have booked a slot. The finale is scheduled for mid-June, 2025.

'I think he did...', Rohit on Jaiswal's controversial dismissal after India's MCG Test loss vs Australia

Melbourne,&nbsp;Australia:&nbsp; The blockbuster clash against India on Monday became the best attended&nbsp;Test&nbsp;in Australia's history as fans flocked to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the final day.&nbsp;
Early on day five of the fourth&nbsp;Test, a bumper crowd of 51,371 had swelled the total number of spectators since the start of the match on Boxing Day to 350,700, with still more expected through the gates.
That beat the previous record of 350,534 at the same ground during the 1936-37 Ashes series against England, when Donald Bradman ruled the sport and Tests were played over six days.
"Thank you, Melbourne. An Australian cricketing record, an&nbsp;MCG&nbsp;record and history made," Cricket Australia tweeted.
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Thank you, Melbourne. An Australian cricketing record, an MCG record and history made ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/VVvfwKWd6J">pic.twitter.com/VVvfwKWd6J</a>
&mdash; Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1873539536367869992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-kohli-can-play-3-to-4-more-years-for-rohit-shastri-on-indian-duos-test-future-after-flop-show-in-mcg-test-8576550" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BGT: 'Kohli can play 3 to 4 more years, for Rohit....' - Shastri on Indian duo's Test future after flop show in MCG Test</a>
In terms of Boxing Day Tests, the previous record was 271,865 during the 2013-14 Ashes.
"I think what's been particularly special about this series is the number of India fans, from not just India but all around the world," Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley told reporters during the&nbsp;Test.
"I have met fans from the UK, from Canada, from the US.
"Obviously it is a fantastic time of year but it talks to the&nbsp;MCG&nbsp;has almost got this spiritual place in cricketing folklore."
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.
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Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: UNBELIEVABLE! Bumper crowd flock to witness Australia-India MCG Test in Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia: The blockbuster clash against India on Monday became the best attended Test in Australia's history as fans flocked to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the final day. Early on day five of the fourth Test, a bumper crowd of 51,371 had swelled the total number of spectators since the start of the match on Boxing Day to 350,700, with still more expected through the gates. That beat the previous record of 350,534 at the same ground during the 1936-37 Ashes series against England, when Donald Bradman ruled the sport and Tests were played over six days. "Thank you, Melbourne. An Australian cricketing record, an MCG record and history made," Cricket Australia tweeted. Thank you, Melbourne. An Australian cricketing record, an MCG record and history made ❤️ #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/VVvfwKWd6J — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 30, 2024 Also read: BGT: 'Kohli can play 3 to 4 more years, for Rohit....' - Shastri on Indian duo's Test future after flop show in MCG Test In terms of Boxing Day Tests, the previous record was 271,865 during the 2013-14 Ashes. "I think what's been particularly special about this series is the number of India fans, from not just India but all around the world," Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley told reporters during the Test. "I have met fans from the UK, from Canada, from the US. "Obviously it is a fantastic time of year but it talks to the MCG has almost got this spiritual place in cricketing folklore." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

BGT: UNBELIEVABLE! Bumper crowd flock to witness Australia-India MCG Test

India all-rounder and first-inning centurion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/nitish-kumar-reddy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nitish Kumar</a> says that India need to go 'instinctively' on the fifth day of the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bgt" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT)</a> Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Boxing Day Test has one day left, and Australia lead by 330+ plus runs with their last wicket still standing.
&ldquo;If you ask me, everyone is capable of playing on this pitch," said Nitish to reporters after the end of play on the fourth day (Sunday, Dec 29). He was India's last wicket to fall earlier in the morning after scoring 114 runs.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bumrah-vs-konstas-bumrah-celebration-on-konstas-wicket-video-mcg-boxing-day-test-day-4-bgt-india-vs-australia-8575527">BGT 2024-25: Bumrah mimes like Konstas after bowling him out</a>
&ldquo;We'll come back strong, we'll rectify the mistakes we made in the first innings. We have to first take the last wicket and then bat accordingly,&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;I feel like you need to get one or two good partnerships. From the first day, we knew the movement was there, the pitch is doing something.
&ldquo;Later on, on the fourth day, it was doing a bit more. We don't need to put more pressure (on ourselves). We need to go instinctively, according to the situation,&rdquo; further said India's first-inning centurion.
<h2>Bumrah brings India back in contest</h2>
India were <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-mcg-test-jasprit-bumrah-strikes-double-blow-on-day-4-to-complete-200-test-wickets-watch-8574484" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">brought back into the game by Jasprit Bumrah</a> after the visitors were bowled out for 369 in the first innings - conceding a 104-run lead. Australia were sitting pretty at 80/2 in the second innings when Mohammed Siraj got Steve Smith to play a rash shot and get the game open.
Bumrah then delivered a breathtaking spell, taking three wickets in 18 balls as Australia went from 80/3 to 91/6 in no time. A 57-run partnership between Marnus Labuschagne (70) and Pat Cummins (41) took Australia's lead past 250. Siraj then trapped Labuschagne LBW to break the partnership.
A run-out and a good catch by Rohit Sharma in the slips brought Australia to nine wickets down before Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland added unbeaten 55 runs for the 10th wicket. Australia finished the day at 228/9 and a lead of 333 runs, with the final day promising to be a cracker.&nbsp;

Sports Cricket: India's Nitish Kumar says 'instinctive' is the way to go on fifth day of Boxing Day Test in BGT after Australia took their lead past 300 on the penultimate day.

India all-rounder and first-inning centurion Nitish Kumar says that India need to go 'instinctively' on the fifth day of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Boxing Day Test has one day left, and Australia lead by 330+ plus runs with their last wicket still standing. “If you ask me, everyone is capable of playing on this pitch," said Nitish to reporters after the end of play on the fourth day (Sunday, Dec 29). He was India's last wicket to fall earlier in the morning after scoring 114 runs. Also Watch: BGT 2024-25: Bumrah mimes like Konstas after bowling him out “We'll come back strong, we'll rectify the mistakes we made in the first innings. We have to first take the last wicket and then bat accordingly,” he added. “I feel like you need to get one or two good partnerships. From the first day, we knew the movement was there, the pitch is doing something. “Later on, on the fourth day, it was doing a bit more. We don't need to put more pressure (on ourselves). We need to go instinctively, according to the situation,” further said India's first-inning centurion. Bumrah brings India back in contest India were brought back into the game by Jasprit Bumrah after the visitors were bowled out for 369 in the first innings - conceding a 104-run lead. Australia were sitting pretty at 80/2 in the second innings when Mohammed Siraj got Steve Smith to play a rash shot and get the game open. Bumrah then delivered a breathtaking spell, taking three wickets in 18 balls as Australia went from 80/3 to 91/6 in no time. A 57-run partnership between Marnus Labuschagne (70) and Pat Cummins (41) took Australia's lead past 250. Siraj then trapped Labuschagne LBW to break the partnership. A run-out and a good catch by Rohit Sharma in the slips brought Australia to nine wickets down before Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland added unbeaten 55 runs for the 10th wicket. Australia finished the day at 228/9 and a lead of 333 runs, with the final day promising to be a cracker.

BGT: Nitish Reddy says best way is 'to go instinctively' on MCG Day 5

India's World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 qualification chances took a severe hit after South Africa beat Pakistan on Sunday (Dec 29) to become the first finalist. India, looking for their third consecutive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wtc-final-2025" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">WTC Final</a>, will now have to win the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 3-1 to stay independent of other results.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/wtc-final-scenarios-2025-south-africa-enter-final-after-win-over-pakistan-india-australia-in-contention-8575588">WTC 2025: South Africa enter final with thrilling win over Pakistan</a>
<h2>India's Chances for WTC Final Scenarios</h2>
India were firmly in control of their own fate, but a 0-3 loss at home vs New Zealand before BGT left them with too many fires to douse. The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-pink-ball-test-australia-level-series-in-adelaide-after-cummins-starc-heroics-782394" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">loss in the second BGT Test in Adelaide</a> also added fuel to those fires, and India now stare at a huge task ahead of them to make it to the WTC Final. Here's how India can make it to the WTC Final 2025:
<h3>India Beat Australia 3-1 in BGT</h3>
The fourth Test of the series at MCG has one day left, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-mcg-test-aussie-tail-frustrates-india-after-jasprit-bumrahs-heroic-spell-on-day-4-8574972" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australia lead by 330+ plus runs</a>. India would have to produce a chase for the history to win the game before the series, tied at 1-1, goes to Sydney.
If India somehow manages to win both Melbourne and Sydney ties, they'll face South Africa in the WTC Final 2025.
<h3>India Beat Australia 2-1 in BGT</h3>
If India draw the ongoing Melbourne game and win the fifth Test in Sydney to take the series 2-1, then Australia would need to win their upcoming away two-Test series against Sri Lanka 2-0. If Australia fail to win their series in Sri Lanka, India take the second spot in the final.
<h3>India Draw BGT 2-2 vs Australia</h3>
In case Australia win the Melbourne Test and then lose the Sydney one or vice-versa, Australia will then have to lose their series against Sri Lanka at least 0-1. Any other result will see Australia taking the second WTC Final 2025 spot alongside South Africa.
<h3>India Draw BGT 1-1 vs Australia</h3>
If India and Australia play the ongoing Test and next one in Sydney as draw then Australia would have to lose the series 0-1 or draw for India to qualify.
In case Sri Lanka win the series 2-0 vs Australia after BGT ends in 1-1 draw, then both India and Australia would be knocked out, and Sri Lanka will play the WTC 2025 Final.

Sports Cricket: India's World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 qualification chances took a severe hit after South Africa beat Pakistan to become the first finalist.

India's World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 qualification chances took a severe hit after South Africa beat Pakistan on Sunday (Dec 29) to become the first finalist. India, looking for their third consecutive WTC Final, will now have to win the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 3-1 to stay independent of other results. Also Read: WTC 2025: South Africa enter final with thrilling win over Pakistan India's Chances for WTC Final Scenarios India were firmly in control of their own fate, but a 0-3 loss at home vs New Zealand before BGT left them with too many fires to douse. The loss in the second BGT Test in Adelaide also added fuel to those fires, and India now stare at a huge task ahead of them to make it to the WTC Final. Here's how India can make it to the WTC Final 2025: India Beat Australia 3-1 in BGT The fourth Test of the series at MCG has one day left, and Australia lead by 330+ plus runs. India would have to produce a chase for the history to win the game before the series, tied at 1-1, goes to Sydney. If India somehow manages to win both Melbourne and Sydney ties, they'll face South Africa in the WTC Final 2025. India Beat Australia 2-1 in BGT If India draw the ongoing Melbourne game and win the fifth Test in Sydney to take the series 2-1, then Australia would need to win their upcoming away two-Test series against Sri Lanka 2-0. If Australia fail to win their series in Sri Lanka, India take the second spot in the final. India Draw BGT 2-2 vs Australia In case Australia win the Melbourne Test and then lose the Sydney one or vice-versa, Australia will then have to lose their series against Sri Lanka at least 0-1. Any other result will see Australia taking the second WTC Final 2025 spot alongside South Africa. India Draw BGT 1-1 vs Australia If India and Australia play the ongoing Test and next one in Sydney as draw then Australia would have to lose the series 0-1 or draw for India to qualify. In case Sri Lanka win the series 2-0 vs Australia after BGT ends in 1-1 draw, then both India and Australia would be knocked out, and Sri Lanka will play the WTC 2025 Final.

WTC Final 2025: India's qualification chances and scenarios | Read

An unbeaten 55-run stand between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland for the tenth wicket frustrated India as Australia scored 228 for nine at stumps (in their second innings) on day four at the MCG, leading by 333. Despite getting reduced to 91 for six at one stage, having lost four wickets for 21 balls, the hosts recovered to give themselves a chance of winning the Boxing Day Test.
Bumrah floored Australia post lunch with three quick wickets, four in total, including bagging his 200th Test wicket &ndash; the fastest for an Indian pacer, besides doing at an average of 19.56, again the best-ever.
Meanwhile, day four began with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, with the pair adding just 11 runs to the overnight tally before Lyon removed Reddy on 114 to wrap up India&rsquo;s innings on 369.&nbsp;
With a lead of 105, Australia was ahead in the game; however, not for long. Bumrah accounted for opener Sam Konstas, who bowled on eight before Siraj removed his partner Usman Khawaja on 21 off 65 balls.&nbsp;
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MIDDLE STUMP! Jasprit Bumrah gets Sam Konstas with a pearler. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeliveredWithSpeed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeliveredWithSpeed</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/NBN_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBN_Australia</a> <a href="https://t.co/A1BzrcHJB8">pic.twitter.com/A1BzrcHJB8</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1873158270518468857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith played through lunch, only for Siraj to return and send Smith packing shortly after.&nbsp;
His dismissal, however, triggered a middle-order collapse, with Bumrah, in the first over of his second spell, removing Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh.
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Jasprit Bumrah takes his 200th Test wicket and follows it up with 201 just moments later!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilestoneMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilestoneMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/NpiXDBaVDI">pic.twitter.com/NpiXDBaVDI</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1873203596919025985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
In his next over, he cleaned bowled gloveman Alex Carey to put Australia&rsquo;s back against the wall.&nbsp;
A situation like that could panic most teams when much more than just a win is on the line, but Captain Pat Cummins and Marnus showed nerves of steel to bail them out of trouble. The pair added 57 runs for the seventh wicket before Siraj got Marnus&rsquo; number, leaving the skipper with the tail.
Later, a huge mix-up led to Mitchell Starc&rsquo;s run out, bringing Lyon to the crease. Cummins departed soon after on 41, scoring 90 runs across both innings in this Test.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-mark-waugh-voices-for-next-australias-andrew-symonds-to-replace-under-fire-mitchell-marsh-in-scg-test-8575226" rel="dofollow">Also read: BGT: Mark Waugh voices for Australia's next &lsquo;Symonds&rsquo; to replace Marsh in SCG Test</a>
<h2>Tail frustrates India</h2>
Lyon and Boland had plenty riding on their shoulders, with the earliest aim being to add as many runs as possible.
In an attempt to curb Australia&rsquo;s ticking run rate, Rohit kept throwing the ball to Bumrah, tiring the Indian pacer after another decisive day at work. Nothing worked.
The pair completed the 50-plus run stand only to save the best for the last over of the day.
After India took the new ball in the penultimate over, Bumrah bowled the last, finding the edge off Lyon, caught in the slips only for him to overstep on that delivery. However, Lyon hitting a four off the last ball was like the final nail in the coffin for India, as the lead now reads 333.
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In the last over of Day Four, Jasprit Bumrah thought he taken the final wicket. But it was called a no-ball. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yc9kjO3bVc">pic.twitter.com/Yc9kjO3bVc</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1873264849716650238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
With just one day left in the game, all results are possible.&nbsp;

Despite getting reduced to 91 for six at one stage, having lost four wickets for 21 balls, the hosts recovered to give themselves a chance of winning the Boxing Day Test. 

An unbeaten 55-run stand between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland for the tenth wicket frustrated India as Australia scored 228 for nine at stumps (in their second innings) on day four at the MCG, leading by 333. Despite getting reduced to 91 for six at one stage, having lost four wickets for 21 balls, the hosts recovered to give themselves a chance of winning the Boxing Day Test. Bumrah floored Australia post lunch with three quick wickets, four in total, including bagging his 200th Test wicket – the fastest for an Indian pacer, besides doing at an average of 19.56, again the best-ever. Meanwhile, day four began with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, with the pair adding just 11 runs to the overnight tally before Lyon removed Reddy on 114 to wrap up India’s innings on 369. With a lead of 105, Australia was ahead in the game; however, not for long. Bumrah accounted for opener Sam Konstas, who bowled on eight before Siraj removed his partner Usman Khawaja on 21 off 65 balls. MIDDLE STUMP! Jasprit Bumrah gets Sam Konstas with a pearler. #AUSvIND | #DeliveredWithSpeed | @NBN_Australia pic.twitter.com/A1BzrcHJB8 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2024 Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith played through lunch, only for Siraj to return and send Smith packing shortly after. His dismissal, however, triggered a middle-order collapse, with Bumrah, in the first over of his second spell, removing Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. Jasprit Bumrah takes his 200th Test wicket and follows it up with 201 just moments later!#AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/NpiXDBaVDI — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2024 In his next over, he cleaned bowled gloveman Alex Carey to put Australia’s back against the wall. A situation like that could panic most teams when much more than just a win is on the line, but Captain Pat Cummins and Marnus showed nerves of steel to bail them out of trouble. The pair added 57 runs for the seventh wicket before Siraj got Marnus’ number, leaving the skipper with the tail. Later, a huge mix-up led to Mitchell Starc’s run out, bringing Lyon to the crease. Cummins departed soon after on 41, scoring 90 runs across both innings in this Test. Also read: BGT: Mark Waugh voices for Australia's next ‘Symonds’ to replace Marsh in SCG Test Tail frustrates India Lyon and Boland had plenty riding on their shoulders, with the earliest aim being to add as many runs as possible. In an attempt to curb Australia’s ticking run rate, Rohit kept throwing the ball to Bumrah, tiring the Indian pacer after another decisive day at work. Nothing worked. The pair completed the 50-plus run stand only to save the best for the last over of the day. After India took the new ball in the penultimate over, Bumrah bowled the last, finding the edge off Lyon, caught in the slips only for him to overstep on that delivery. However, Lyon hitting a four off the last ball was like the final nail in the coffin for India, as the lead now reads 333. In the last over of Day Four, Jasprit Bumrah thought he taken the final wicket. But it was called a no-ball. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Yc9kjO3bVc — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2024 With just one day left in the game, all results are possible.

BGT, MCG Test: Aussie tail frustrates India after Bumrah’s heroic spell on day 4

Nitish Kumar Reddy broke the internet with his maiden Test hundred at the MCG against Australia. His 105* (at stumps on day three) in the Boxing Day Test made headlines worldwide, with the rookie all-rounder realising his dream in front of his family sitting in the stands. His father, Mutyala Reddy, was in tears watching his son hammer the best bowling quartet, saving India&rsquo;s grace.
However, the best moment came when his father met Sunil Gavaskar on the sidelines.
Emotional over his son&rsquo;s achievement, which even made the man the series is named after (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) super proud, Reddy&rsquo;s father touched Sunil Gavaskar's feet in the most heartwarming moment of the day.
In a video doing rounds on the internet, Reddy&rsquo;s family met Gavaskar, with his father and sister touching Gavaskar&rsquo;s feet while his mother greeted the Indian legend from a distance. Gavaskar reciprocated with similar generosity.
"We know how much he has sacrificed. He has struggled a lot. Because of you, I am tearing up. Because of you, India has got a diamond, Indian cricket has got a diamond," Gavaskar said to Reddy&rsquo;s father during the meetup.
<h3>Watch the Video &ndash;</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m599egvm-iawjy7jr-4m20msig">
Nitish Kumar Reddy&rsquo;s family meet the great Sunil Gavaskar <a href="https://twitter.com/abcsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/hUBOghxM2e">pic.twitter.com/hUBOghxM2e</a>
&mdash; Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenCameron23/status/1873185643112869900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<h2>Reddy&rsquo;s rise and father&rsquo;s sacrifice</h2>
Nitish Reddy made his Test debut during the BGT series opener in Perth and played all four games since. Though he impressed everyone with his temperament and handy knocks in the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, his 114 at MCG earned him praises from all quarters.&nbsp;
After India got reduced to 191 for six following Pant&rsquo;s dismissal, Reddy entered the scene and made the whole day about himself. He stitched a 100-plus stand for the eighth wicket with Washington Sundar, completing his maiden Test century soon after and carrying the bat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m599f3dz-wnjh1hyx-remxahve">
Nitish Kumar Reddy&rsquo;s family meet the great Sunil Gavaskar <a href="https://twitter.com/abcsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/hUBOghxM2e">pic.twitter.com/hUBOghxM2e</a>
&mdash; Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenCameron23/status/1873185643112869900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
The Indian all-rounder got out on 114 early on day four, with India scoring 369 in their first innings.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Nitish shed light on how his father&rsquo;s sacrifice led to him standing at the MCG.
"My father left his job for me, and there has been a lot of sacrifice behind my story. One day, I saw him crying because of the financial problems we were facing, and I was like, 'this is not how you can be'. Then I got serious. " I gave my first jersey to him and saw the happiness in his face," Nitish said in a video posted by the BCCI.
(With inputs from agencies)

Emotional over his son’s achievement, which even Gavaskar was super proud of, Reddy’s father touched his feet in the most heartwarming moment of the day.

Nitish Kumar Reddy broke the internet with his maiden Test hundred at the MCG against Australia. His 105* (at stumps on day three) in the Boxing Day Test made headlines worldwide, with the rookie all-rounder realising his dream in front of his family sitting in the stands. His father, Mutyala Reddy, was in tears watching his son hammer the best bowling quartet, saving India’s grace. However, the best moment came when his father met Sunil Gavaskar on the sidelines. Emotional over his son’s achievement, which even made the man the series is named after (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) super proud, Reddy’s father touched Sunil Gavaskar's feet in the most heartwarming moment of the day. In a video doing rounds on the internet, Reddy’s family met Gavaskar, with his father and sister touching Gavaskar’s feet while his mother greeted the Indian legend from a distance. Gavaskar reciprocated with similar generosity. "We know how much he has sacrificed. He has struggled a lot. Because of you, I am tearing up. Because of you, India has got a diamond, Indian cricket has got a diamond," Gavaskar said to Reddy’s father during the meetup. Watch the Video – Nitish Kumar Reddy’s family meet the great Sunil Gavaskar @abcsport #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/hUBOghxM2e — Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) December 29, 2024 Reddy’s rise and father’s sacrifice Nitish Reddy made his Test debut during the BGT series opener in Perth and played all four games since. Though he impressed everyone with his temperament and handy knocks in the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, his 114 at MCG earned him praises from all quarters. After India got reduced to 191 for six following Pant’s dismissal, Reddy entered the scene and made the whole day about himself. He stitched a 100-plus stand for the eighth wicket with Washington Sundar, completing his maiden Test century soon after and carrying the bat. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s family meet the great Sunil Gavaskar @abcsport #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/hUBOghxM2e — Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) December 29, 2024 The Indian all-rounder got out on 114 early on day four, with India scoring 369 in their first innings. Meanwhile, Nitish shed light on how his father’s sacrifice led to him standing at the MCG. "My father left his job for me, and there has been a lot of sacrifice behind my story. One day, I saw him crying because of the financial problems we were facing, and I was like, 'this is not how you can be'. Then I got serious. " I gave my first jersey to him and saw the happiness in his face," Nitish said in a video posted by the BCCI. (With inputs from agencies)

BGT: Nitish Reddy’s father touching Gavaskar’s feet wins internet - WATCH

Jasprit Bumrah can do no wrong; as a matter of fact, he hasn&rsquo;t done much wrong in his career thus far. On Sunday (Dec 29), day four of the ongoing Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Bumrah broke Australia&rsquo;s back with four wickets in the second innings, including picking three of just 11 balls in his second spell. Bumrah completed his 200 Test wickets &ndash; the quickest by an Indian and fourth overall regarding balls bowled (8484).
The ace Indian quick began proceedings with Sam Konstas&rsquo; wicket early in the innings, bowled him on eight before returning to wreak havoc in the first over of his second spell, picking two wickets of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh.&nbsp;
Having dismissed Head for a duck earlier in the first innings, Bumrah removed him again on just one, unlocking the milestone of picking 200 wickets in this format. Head&rsquo;s wicket saw him accomplish this feat at the lowest average recorded for a bowler (19.56), creating history.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m594bpm7-tbuqfrb3-cumzcmx8">
Jasprit Bumrah takes his 200th Test wicket and follows it up with 201 just moments later!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilestoneMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilestoneMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/NpiXDBaVDI">pic.twitter.com/NpiXDBaVDI</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1873203596919025985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-mcg-test-jasprit-bumrah-strikes-double-blow-on-day-4-to-complete-200-test-wickets-watch-8574484" rel="dofollow">BGT, MCG Test: Bumrah becomes quickest Indian to 200 Test wickets</a>
Social media went berserk over Bumrah&rsquo;s incredible feat, with fans and former cricketers going to a limit to call him perhaps the best pacer of all time.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Bumrah wasn&rsquo;t done with those two wickets, as he got rid of keeper-batter Alex Carey in his next over to complete a four-for thus far in the second innings. Australia lost four wickets in 21 balls post lunch, with Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj (picked up Steve Smith) sharing honours.
From 80 for two at one stage, Australia got reduced to 91 for six and at tea on day four, their scorecard read 135 for six, with Marnus Labuschagne and captain Pat Cummins at the crease.
Check out social media reactions to Bumrah&rsquo;s incredible feat -
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m594cdmr-qrir1rkv-4w5782w6">
200 sticks at 19.56. Unreal. What a bowler. Mind-boggling stuff. Well done Boom Boom. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaspritbumrah93?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jaspritbumrah93</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bumrah?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bumrah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZTtjkUuTga">pic.twitter.com/ZTtjkUuTga</a>
&mdash; Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaviShastriOfc/status/1873203093153956082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m594dd69-47czcehk-glk6oksi">
We only believe in Jassi bhai 😎 200 Test Wickets for Boom Boom Bumrah 🔥🔥 He brings up this milestone with the big wicket of Travis Head.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaspritbumrah93?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jaspritbumrah93</a> <a href="https://t.co/QiiyaCi7BX">pic.twitter.com/QiiyaCi7BX</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1873202014798397870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m594dnl8-y319ejzs-a03ezbpo">
Best Bowling average after 200th Test wicket Jasprit Bumrah - 19.56 Joel Garner - 20.34 Shaun Pollock - 20.39 Waqar Younis - 20.60 or 20.61
&mdash; Krishna Kumar (@KrishnaKRM) <a href="https://twitter.com/KrishnaKRM/status/1873201729204043873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Jasprit Bumrah the first bowler in Test history to take his 200th wicket with an average under 20. Best bowler of this generation. Best bowler ever. And not just in terms of numbers <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusvInd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusvInd</a>
&mdash; Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) <a href="https://twitter.com/beastieboy07/status/1873201725827690505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m594en0s-qykdecc6-fq5wsoxi">
Bumrah, Best bowler in the world atm
&mdash; Darren Lehmann (@darren_lehmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/darren_lehmann/status/1873206630969688313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Long after I am done with this game, I will remember Bumrah's opening bursts in this series and smile. Truly, it has been a master at work.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/1873167504203497917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Yeah, Bumrah&rsquo;s the best I&rsquo;ve seen.
&mdash; Neal 🇦🇺 (@NealGardner_) <a href="https://twitter.com/NealGardner_/status/1873202745370657018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m594q5nm-1tvz865x-trggbj6f">
JASPRIT BUMRAH in Tests 🔹 First ever player to reach 200 wickets at an average under 20 🔹 Fewest balls by Indian bowler to 200 wickets (8484) 🔹 Fewest matches by Indian pacer to 200 wickets (44)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/a8QaGQAc8R">pic.twitter.com/a8QaGQAc8R</a>
&mdash; Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaustats/status/1873227574836642007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
Australia's lead crossed 240 with four wickets remaining at the time of publishing this article.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Having dismissed Head for a duck earlier in the first innings, Bumrah removed him again on just one, unlocking the milestone of picking 200 wickets in this format.

Jasprit Bumrah can do no wrong; as a matter of fact, he hasn’t done much wrong in his career thus far. On Sunday (Dec 29), day four of the ongoing Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Bumrah broke Australia’s back with four wickets in the second innings, including picking three of just 11 balls in his second spell. Bumrah completed his 200 Test wickets – the quickest by an Indian and fourth overall regarding balls bowled (8484). The ace Indian quick began proceedings with Sam Konstas’ wicket early in the innings, bowled him on eight before returning to wreak havoc in the first over of his second spell, picking two wickets of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. Having dismissed Head for a duck earlier in the first innings, Bumrah removed him again on just one, unlocking the milestone of picking 200 wickets in this format. Head’s wicket saw him accomplish this feat at the lowest average recorded for a bowler (19.56), creating history. Jasprit Bumrah takes his 200th Test wicket and follows it up with 201 just moments later!#AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/NpiXDBaVDI — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2024 Also read | BGT, MCG Test: Bumrah becomes quickest Indian to 200 Test wickets Social media went berserk over Bumrah’s incredible feat, with fans and former cricketers going to a limit to call him perhaps the best pacer of all time. Meanwhile, Bumrah wasn’t done with those two wickets, as he got rid of keeper-batter Alex Carey in his next over to complete a four-for thus far in the second innings. Australia lost four wickets in 21 balls post lunch, with Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj (picked up Steve Smith) sharing honours. From 80 for two at one stage, Australia got reduced to 91 for six and at tea on day four, their scorecard read 135 for six, with Marnus Labuschagne and captain Pat Cummins at the crease. Check out social media reactions to Bumrah’s incredible feat - 200 sticks at 19.56. Unreal. What a bowler. Mind-boggling stuff. Well done Boom Boom. @Jaspritbumrah93 #AUSvIND #Bumrah #BGT pic.twitter.com/ZTtjkUuTga — Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) December 29, 2024 We only believe in Jassi bhai 😎 200 Test Wickets for Boom Boom Bumrah 🔥🔥 He brings up this milestone with the big wicket of Travis Head.#TeamIndia #AUSvIND @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/QiiyaCi7BX — BCCI (@BCCI) December 29, 2024 Best Bowling average after 200th Test wicket Jasprit Bumrah - 19.56 Joel Garner - 20.34 Shaun Pollock - 20.39 Waqar Younis - 20.60 or 20.61 — Krishna Kumar (@KrishnaKRM) December 29, 2024 Jasprit Bumrah the first bowler in Test history to take his 200th wicket with an average under 20. Best bowler of this generation. Best bowler ever. And not just in terms of numbers #AusvInd — Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) December 29, 2024 Bumrah, Best bowler in the world atm — Darren Lehmann (@darren_lehmann) December 29, 2024 Long after I am done with this game, I will remember Bumrah's opening bursts in this series and smile. Truly, it has been a master at work. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 29, 2024 Yeah, Bumrah’s the best I’ve seen. — Neal 🇦🇺 (@NealGardner_) December 29, 2024 JASPRIT BUMRAH in Tests 🔹 First ever player to reach 200 wickets at an average under 20 🔹 Fewest balls by Indian bowler to 200 wickets (8484) 🔹 Fewest matches by Indian pacer to 200 wickets (44)#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/a8QaGQAc8R — Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) December 29, 2024 Australia's lead crossed 240 with four wickets remaining at the time of publishing this article. (With inputs from agencies)

BGT - Social media in awe of Jasprit Bumrah’s Test milestone at MCG

The Melbourne Test match between India and Australia is hanging in the balance as both sides push for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June 2025. With India running out of games and in a do-or-die situation, it is a desperate time for Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s men if they are to dream of a third consecutive final. However, considering the state of the MCG Test, a draw is more likely result as we enter the decisive phase. So here is the scenario of things if the MCG Test match ends in a draw at the MCG.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What is the current WTC standing?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Entering the Boxing Day Test, India sit third in the WTC standings with a win percentage (PCT) of 55.88 while Australia occupy the second spot with 58.89 PCT. On the other hand, South Africa are top of the standings with 63.33 and are likely to seal a top-two berth in the WTC standings if they beat Pakistan in the Centurion Test. Despite sitting below New Zealand in the standings, Sri Lanka are still in with a chance to reach the WTC final as they have two matches in hand.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What happens if Boxing Day Test ends in draw?<o:p></o:p></h2>
In case the Boxing Day Test ends in a draw, both India and Australia will drop points in the WTC standings meaning the former&rsquo;s chances of making the final will hang in balance. India will have a PCT of 54.63 and will sit third while Australia will remain second with a PCT of 57.29. In this case, India&rsquo;s fate of reaching the WTC final will be out of their hands with them needing to win the Sydney Test and other results going their way.
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-scott-boland-backs-tough-guy-mitchell-starc-for-mcg-cracker-despite-injury-scare-8573327" aria-label="BGT &ndash; Boland backs 'tough guy' Starc for MCG cracker despite injury scare">BGT &ndash; Boland backs 'tough guy' Starc for MCG cracker despite injury scare</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What needs to happen for India if they are to play in the WTC final after the MCG draw?<o:p></o:p></h2>
In case the MCG contest ends in a draw, the Indian team will have no option but to go for a win in the Sydney Test. If India win the Sydney Test, they will be second in the WTC standings and Australia will have to win 2-0 against Sri Lanka when they tour the island nation in January. Even a 1-0 win for Australia against Sri Lanka will see India qualify for the WTC final. <o:p></o:p>
However, if India draw the Sydney Test, then Rohit and Co will need a helping hand from Sri Lanka to reach the summit clash. Sri Lanka should either win the two-match series against Australia 1-0 or the series should end in a draw (0-0 or 1-1). Any other result will see the result will see either Sri Lanka or Australia qualify for the final. <o:p></o:p>
In case India lose the Sydney Test after the MCG draw, they will be eliminated from the race to qualify for the WTC standings. <o:p></o:p>
Note: All assumptions made considering there is no drop of points due to slow overate.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Cricket: Entering the Boxing Day Test, India sit third in the WTC standings with a win percentage (PCT) of 55.88 while Australia occupy the second spot with 58.89 PCT. 

The Melbourne Test match between India and Australia is hanging in the balance as both sides push for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June 2025. With India running out of games and in a do-or-die situation, it is a desperate time for Rohit Sharma’s men if they are to dream of a third consecutive final. However, considering the state of the MCG Test, a draw is more likely result as we enter the decisive phase. So here is the scenario of things if the MCG Test match ends in a draw at the MCG. What is the current WTC standing? Entering the Boxing Day Test, India sit third in the WTC standings with a win percentage (PCT) of 55.88 while Australia occupy the second spot with 58.89 PCT. On the other hand, South Africa are top of the standings with 63.33 and are likely to seal a top-two berth in the WTC standings if they beat Pakistan in the Centurion Test. Despite sitting below New Zealand in the standings, Sri Lanka are still in with a chance to reach the WTC final as they have two matches in hand. What happens if Boxing Day Test ends in draw? In case the Boxing Day Test ends in a draw, both India and Australia will drop points in the WTC standings meaning the former’s chances of making the final will hang in balance. India will have a PCT of 54.63 and will sit third while Australia will remain second with a PCT of 57.29. In this case, India’s fate of reaching the WTC final will be out of their hands with them needing to win the Sydney Test and other results going their way. ALSO READ | BGT – Boland backs 'tough guy' Starc for MCG cracker despite injury scare What needs to happen for India if they are to play in the WTC final after the MCG draw? In case the MCG contest ends in a draw, the Indian team will have no option but to go for a win in the Sydney Test. If India win the Sydney Test, they will be second in the WTC standings and Australia will have to win 2-0 against Sri Lanka when they tour the island nation in January. Even a 1-0 win for Australia against Sri Lanka will see India qualify for the WTC final. However, if India draw the Sydney Test, then Rohit and Co will need a helping hand from Sri Lanka to reach the summit clash. Sri Lanka should either win the two-match series against Australia 1-0 or the series should end in a draw (0-0 or 1-1). Any other result will see the result will see either Sri Lanka or Australia qualify for the final. In case India lose the Sydney Test after the MCG draw, they will be eliminated from the race to qualify for the WTC standings. Note: All assumptions made considering there is no drop of points due to slow overate.

BGT: Here's how WTC standings will look like if MCG Test ends in a draw

Australia pacer Scott Boland has backed his side to come good on Day 4 of the ongoing Melbourne Test against India as the match hangs in balance. Playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), India&rsquo;s Nitish Kumar Reddy stole the headlines despite some good bowling by Australia as he ended the day with an unbeaten 105 before the stumps were called. According to Boland Australia are in a good position in the match and can consolidate if they can pick India&rsquo;s last wicket. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Boland backs strong Australia<o:p></o:p></h2>
"We're leading by 115 (116) runs, so we are in a pretty strong position," Boland said after the day's play. "Obviously it could have been better, but I think that's how Test match cricket ebbs and flows. Hopefully tomorrow morning we get that first wicket and then put on a really nice lead and see how the game plays after that."<o:p></o:p>
India having started at 164/5 lost four wickets on a rain-merged day with Nitish Reddy scoring his maiden Test ton. Australian bowlers on the other hand had India on 191/6 and still trailing by a massive 283 runs. However, a 127-run stand between Washington Sundar and Reddy rescued India before the stumps were called.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Sundar was dismissed immediately after he scored his fifty, but justified his selection in the Playing XI, having replaced Shubman Gill. <o:p></o:p>
India ended the day at 358/9 with Reddy and Mohammed Siraj (2) in the middle for the visitors. India still trail Australia by 116 runs in the first innings and will look to narrow the deposit before the second innings begins.
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pm-narendra-modi-meets-d-gukesh-after-world-chess-championship-triumph-hails-achievement-in-interaction-8573788" aria-label="PM Narendra Modi meets D Gukesh after World Chess Championship triumph">PM Narendra Modi meets D Gukesh after World Chess Championship triumph</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">WTC qualification hangs in balance<o:p></o:p></h2>
With India needing to win at least one match of the remaining two Tests in the BGT, their quest for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final hangs in balance. With India likely to concede the lead in the first innings, their chances of winning the MCG contest are slim. In case the Test ends in a draw, India will have to win the Sydney Test and hope other results go their way to qualify for the WTC final in June 2025.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Cricket: Australia pacer Scott Boland has backed his side to come good on Day 4 of the ongoing Melbourne Test against India as the match hangs in balance.

Australia pacer Scott Boland has backed his side to come good on Day 4 of the ongoing Melbourne Test against India as the match hangs in balance. Playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy stole the headlines despite some good bowling by Australia as he ended the day with an unbeaten 105 before the stumps were called. According to Boland Australia are in a good position in the match and can consolidate if they can pick India’s last wicket. Boland backs strong Australia "We're leading by 115 (116) runs, so we are in a pretty strong position," Boland said after the day's play. "Obviously it could have been better, but I think that's how Test match cricket ebbs and flows. Hopefully tomorrow morning we get that first wicket and then put on a really nice lead and see how the game plays after that." India having started at 164/5 lost four wickets on a rain-merged day with Nitish Reddy scoring his maiden Test ton. Australian bowlers on the other hand had India on 191/6 and still trailing by a massive 283 runs. However, a 127-run stand between Washington Sundar and Reddy rescued India before the stumps were called. Sundar was dismissed immediately after he scored his fifty, but justified his selection in the Playing XI, having replaced Shubman Gill. India ended the day at 358/9 with Reddy and Mohammed Siraj (2) in the middle for the visitors. India still trail Australia by 116 runs in the first innings and will look to narrow the deposit before the second innings begins. ALSO READ | PM Narendra Modi meets D Gukesh after World Chess Championship triumph WTC qualification hangs in balance With India needing to win at least one match of the remaining two Tests in the BGT, their quest for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final hangs in balance. With India likely to concede the lead in the first innings, their chances of winning the MCG contest are slim. In case the Test ends in a draw, India will have to win the Sydney Test and hope other results go their way to qualify for the WTC final in June 2025.

BGT 2024/25: Scott Boland backs Australia to come good on Day 4

Australia debutant Sam Konstas is certainly enjoying his first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) both with the bat and on the field. After scoring a quick-fire 60 in his maiden Test innings Konstas, while fielding, mimicked Virat Kohli's shoulder push on the field.
The batter had his face towards the fans and moved his right shoulder, recreating the same one he got from Kohli on day 1 while batting. Have a look at the video below:
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After the altercation on day 1, the match referee also fined Kohli 20 percent of his match fees.
<h2>Nitish Reddy saves India on day 3</h2>
As for the match, the visitors still trail by 116 runs in the first innings but with rain predicted for next two days - India may have done enough to escape with a draw at the MCG. India were 358/9 before rain forced an early end of the day with Reddy unbeaten on 105 and Siraj on the other end.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-nitish-kumar-reddy-news-hundred-record-third-youngest-in-australia-india-vs-australia-boxing-day-test-8573009">BGT 2024-25: Nitish Reddy achieves historic feat with maiden Test ton</a>
After starting the day from the overnight score of 164/5, India were in a pickle at 221/7 before Nitish Kumar Reddy took the charge with fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar. The duo added 127 runs for the eighth wicket - the second highest ever for India in Australia and third joint-highest overall between two countries for the last three wickets.
The partnership was broken when Nathan Lyon got Sundar caught at slips after the all-rounder reached his 50. Reddy, who was batting at 97 at the time, had a scare of not reaching his ton as Jasprit Bumrah was also taken out with only one wicket remaining in the innings.&nbsp;
Mohammed Siraj, however, stood his ground which gave Reddy opportunity to reach his maiden Test ton. The youngster has 275 runs in the series as of now - highest for India and second highest overall behind Travis Head's 409.
The five-Test series currently stands equal at 1-1 with one more Test to go after the ongoing Boxing Day Test.

Cricket Sports News Kohli vs Konstas: The Aussie had his face towards the fans and moved his right shoulder, recreating the same one he got from Kohli on day 1 while batting.

Australia debutant Sam Konstas is certainly enjoying his first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) both with the bat and on the field. After scoring a quick-fire 60 in his maiden Test innings Konstas, while fielding, mimicked Virat Kohli's shoulder push on the field. The batter had his face towards the fans and moved his right shoulder, recreating the same one he got from Kohli on day 1 while batting. Have a look at the video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by The 28 Year Old Male (@the28yearoldmale) After the altercation on day 1, the match referee also fined Kohli 20 percent of his match fees. Nitish Reddy saves India on day 3 As for the match, the visitors still trail by 116 runs in the first innings but with rain predicted for next two days - India may have done enough to escape with a draw at the MCG. India were 358/9 before rain forced an early end of the day with Reddy unbeaten on 105 and Siraj on the other end. Also Read: BGT 2024-25: Nitish Reddy achieves historic feat with maiden Test ton After starting the day from the overnight score of 164/5, India were in a pickle at 221/7 before Nitish Kumar Reddy took the charge with fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar. The duo added 127 runs for the eighth wicket - the second highest ever for India in Australia and third joint-highest overall between two countries for the last three wickets. The partnership was broken when Nathan Lyon got Sundar caught at slips after the all-rounder reached his 50. Reddy, who was batting at 97 at the time, had a scare of not reaching his ton as Jasprit Bumrah was also taken out with only one wicket remaining in the innings. Mohammed Siraj, however, stood his ground which gave Reddy opportunity to reach his maiden Test ton. The youngster has 275 runs in the series as of now - highest for India and second highest overall behind Travis Head's 409. The five-Test series currently stands equal at 1-1 with one more Test to go after the ongoing Boxing Day Test.

BGT 2024-25: WATCH | Sam Konstas mimics Virat Kohli in Boxing Day Test

Nitish Kumar Reddy entered the record books with his unbeaten century on day 3 (Saturday, Dec 28) of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Melbourne. Reddy is now the third youngest batter to score his maiden Test ton in Australia behind legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant.
Sachin had scored his first Test hundred in Australia at the age of 18 years and 256 days in 1992 while Pant had done so aged 21 years and 92 days in Sydney in 2019. Reddy, who is still unbeaten, is 21 years and 216 days old.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/border-gavaskar-trophy-bgt-sunil-gavaskar-statement-rishabh-pant-shot-on-day-3-mcg-india-vs-australia-bgt-2024-boxing-day-test-8572816">BGT 2024-25: Gavaskar livid with 'terrible selection' of Rishabh Pant</a>
<h2>Nitish Kumar Reddy recues India along with Wasington Sundar</h2>
India were staring at a huge first innings deficit at 221/7 when Reddy took the charge with fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar. The duo added 127 runs for the eighth wicket - the second highest ever for India in Australia and third joint-highest overall between two countries for the last three wickets.
The partnership was broken when Nathan Lyon got Sundar caught at slips after the all-rounder reached his 50. Reddy, who was batting at 97 at the time, had a scare of not reaching his ton as Jasprit Bumrah was also taken out with only one wicket remaining in the innings.&nbsp;
Mohammed Siraj, however, stood his ground which gave Reddy opportunity to reach his maiden Test ton. The youngster has 275 runs in the series as of now - highest for India and second highest overall behind Travis Head's 409.
India were 358/9 before rain forced an early end of the day with Reddy unbeaten on 105 with Siraj on the other end. The visitors still trail by 116 runs in the first innings but with rain predicted for next two days - India may have done enough to escape with a draw at the MCG.
The five-Test series currently stands equal at 1-1 with one more Test to go after the ongoing Boxing Day Test.

Sports Cricket Nitish Kumar Reddy is now the third youngest batter to score his maiden Test ton in Australia behind legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant.

Nitish Kumar Reddy entered the record books with his unbeaten century on day 3 (Saturday, Dec 28) of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Melbourne. Reddy is now the third youngest batter to score his maiden Test ton in Australia behind legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant. Sachin had scored his first Test hundred in Australia at the age of 18 years and 256 days in 1992 while Pant had done so aged 21 years and 92 days in Sydney in 2019. Reddy, who is still unbeaten, is 21 years and 216 days old. Also Read: BGT 2024-25: Gavaskar livid with 'terrible selection' of Rishabh Pant Nitish Kumar Reddy recues India along with Wasington Sundar India were staring at a huge first innings deficit at 221/7 when Reddy took the charge with fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar. The duo added 127 runs for the eighth wicket - the second highest ever for India in Australia and third joint-highest overall between two countries for the last three wickets. The partnership was broken when Nathan Lyon got Sundar caught at slips after the all-rounder reached his 50. Reddy, who was batting at 97 at the time, had a scare of not reaching his ton as Jasprit Bumrah was also taken out with only one wicket remaining in the innings. Mohammed Siraj, however, stood his ground which gave Reddy opportunity to reach his maiden Test ton. The youngster has 275 runs in the series as of now - highest for India and second highest overall behind Travis Head's 409. India were 358/9 before rain forced an early end of the day with Reddy unbeaten on 105 with Siraj on the other end. The visitors still trail by 116 runs in the first innings but with rain predicted for next two days - India may have done enough to escape with a draw at the MCG. The five-Test series currently stands equal at 1-1 with one more Test to go after the ongoing Boxing Day Test.

BGT 2024-25: Nitish Reddy achieves historic feat with maiden Test ton

Melbourne, Australia: Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar was absolutely livid with the shot Rishabh Pant played and got out on day 3 (Saturday, Dec 28) of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Pant tried to play a ramp shot from outside off to leg side which took a leading edge and ballooned towards off side and he was caught out.
<h2>Sunil Gavaskar questions Rishabh Pant's shot selection</h2>
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," was Gavaskar's immediate reaction on commentary. Have a look at the shot below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<a href="https://t.co/yxc8oQ4Iu2">pic.twitter.com/yxc8oQ4Iu2</a>
&mdash; Sunil Gavaskar (@gavaskar_theman) <a href="https://twitter.com/gavaskar_theman/status/1872805545100591257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"You've got two fielders there, and you still go for that, you've missed the previous shot. And look where you've been caught. You've been caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was. You have to understand the situation as well, you cannot say that that's your natural game. I'm sorry, that is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly!"
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-nitish-reddy-keeps-india-afloat-in-boxing-day-test-with-maiden-hundred-8572499">BGT: Nitish Reddy keeps India afloat in Boxing Day Test with maiden hundred</a>
The former skipper, however, acknowledged that there was a bit of bad luck but still criticised the shot as irresponsible.
"I think earlier on, when there had been no fielders around, that's when he's attempted these shots, that is understandable because you're taking a very good chance," Gavaskar said on official broadcaster Star Sports during the lunch break. "That [the shot] was supposed to go to the leg side, that went to the off side, it actually tells you maybe [there was] a little bit of bad luck involved, but terrible selection of a shot to play at that particular point with two fielders down at deep square-leg and deep point."
India, however, were rescued by 127 runs partnership for the eighth wicket between Washington Sundar (50) and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy (105 not out).
India were 358/9 before rain forced an early end of the day. The visitors still trail by 116 runs in the first innings but with rain predicted for next two days - India may have done enough to escape with a draw at the MCG.

Sports Cricket News BGT: Pant tried to play a ramp shot from outside off to leg side which took a leading edge and ballooned towards off side and he was caught out at MCG on Day 3.

Melbourne, Australia: Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar was absolutely livid with the shot Rishabh Pant played and got out on day 3 (Saturday, Dec 28) of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Pant tried to play a ramp shot from outside off to leg side which took a leading edge and ballooned towards off side and he was caught out. Sunil Gavaskar questions Rishabh Pant's shot selection "Stupid, stupid, stupid," was Gavaskar's immediate reaction on commentary. Have a look at the shot below: pic.twitter.com/yxc8oQ4Iu2 — Sunil Gavaskar (@gavaskar_theman) December 28, 2024 "You've got two fielders there, and you still go for that, you've missed the previous shot. And look where you've been caught. You've been caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was. You have to understand the situation as well, you cannot say that that's your natural game. I'm sorry, that is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly!" Also Read: BGT: Nitish Reddy keeps India afloat in Boxing Day Test with maiden hundred The former skipper, however, acknowledged that there was a bit of bad luck but still criticised the shot as irresponsible. "I think earlier on, when there had been no fielders around, that's when he's attempted these shots, that is understandable because you're taking a very good chance," Gavaskar said on official broadcaster Star Sports during the lunch break. "That [the shot] was supposed to go to the leg side, that went to the off side, it actually tells you maybe [there was] a little bit of bad luck involved, but terrible selection of a shot to play at that particular point with two fielders down at deep square-leg and deep point." India, however, were rescued by 127 runs partnership for the eighth wicket between Washington Sundar (50) and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy (105 not out). India were 358/9 before rain forced an early end of the day. The visitors still trail by 116 runs in the first innings but with rain predicted for next two days - India may have done enough to escape with a draw at the MCG.

BGT 2024-25: Gavaskar livid with 'terrible selection' of Rishabh Pant

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has slammed pacer Mohammed Siraj for his below-par performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the visitors continue to struggle. So far in the series, Siraj has scalped 13 wickets and ended wicketless in the first innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test match. According to Gavaskar, Siraj should be dropped if he continues with his poor form. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Gavaskar slams Siraj<o:p></o:p></h2>
"I think Siraj, perhaps, needs a little bit of a break. In the sense, that I am not saying a break, he needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance. There has to be a situation where you can&rsquo;t beat around the bush. You need to be brutally upfront and say &lsquo;look, your performance has not been up to scratch and therefore you are being dropped&rsquo;. When you start talking about &lsquo;rest&rsquo;, players get the wrong ideas. They feel they don&rsquo;t need to up their game," Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.<o:p></o:p>
So far in the series, the Indian pacer has best figures of 98/4 which came in the first innings of the pink-ball contest in Adelaide. In the ongoing Test match, he was easily tackled by the Aussie batters and went wicketless despite bowling&nbsp; 23 over. He gave away 122 runs in the process.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bgt-202425-virat-kohli-left-fuming-after-dismissal-confronts-fan-on-the-way-back-to-mcg-pavilion-watch-8570356" aria-label="BGT 2024/25: Virat Kohli left fuming after dismissal, confronts fan on the way back to MCG pavilion - WATCH">BGT 2024/25: Virat Kohli left fuming after dismissal, confronts fan on the way back to MCG pavilion - WATCH</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">India face late collapse<o:p></o:p></h2>
After bowling Australia out for 474 in the opening session of Day 2, India did not have the best of starts with skipper Rohit Sharma (3) falling to Pat Cummins in the second over. KL Rahul added 24 runs to his tally before being scalped by Pat Cummins. Virat (36) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) added a 102-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was the victim of poor running between the wickets. India closed the day at 164/5 with Rishabh Pant (6) and Ravindra Jadeja (4) in the middle.<o:p></o:p>

Sports Cricket: So far in the series, Mohammed Siraj has scalped 13 wickets and ended wicketless in the first innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test match. 

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has slammed pacer Mohammed Siraj for his below-par performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the visitors continue to struggle. So far in the series, Siraj has scalped 13 wickets and ended wicketless in the first innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test match. According to Gavaskar, Siraj should be dropped if he continues with his poor form. Gavaskar slams Siraj "I think Siraj, perhaps, needs a little bit of a break. In the sense, that I am not saying a break, he needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance. There has to be a situation where you can’t beat around the bush. You need to be brutally upfront and say ‘look, your performance has not been up to scratch and therefore you are being dropped’. When you start talking about ‘rest’, players get the wrong ideas. They feel they don’t need to up their game," Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports. So far in the series, the Indian pacer has best figures of 98/4 which came in the first innings of the pink-ball contest in Adelaide. In the ongoing Test match, he was easily tackled by the Aussie batters and went wicketless despite bowling 23 over. He gave away 122 runs in the process. ALSO READ | BGT 2024/25: Virat Kohli left fuming after dismissal, confronts fan on the way back to MCG pavilion - WATCH India face late collapse After bowling Australia out for 474 in the opening session of Day 2, India did not have the best of starts with skipper Rohit Sharma (3) falling to Pat Cummins in the second over. KL Rahul added 24 runs to his tally before being scalped by Pat Cummins. Virat (36) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) added a 102-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was the victim of poor running between the wickets. India closed the day at 164/5 with Rishabh Pant (6) and Ravindra Jadeja (4) in the middle.

BGT: Indian legend lashes out at underperforming Mohammed Siraj

Steve Smith might have broken plenty of records with his Boxing Day hundred against India in the ongoing BGT but admitted enjoying teenager Sam Konstas&rsquo; debut outing more, especially for how he remained unfazed against the world&rsquo;s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
Konstas&rsquo; reverse ramps to the ace Indian seamer for a six and a few fours already fetched him countless praises, with Smith going one step ahead, claiming he nearly had a heart attack seeing Sam smashing Bumrah for fun.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-sanjay-manjrekar-irfan-pathan-indulge-in-heated-argument-over-yashasvi-jaiswals-run-out-on-day-2-at-mcg-8570434" rel="dofollow">BGT: Manjrekar, Pathan argue over Jaiswal&rsquo;s run out on day 2 at MCG</a>
Smith made day two of the MCG Test about himself with a majestic 140, powering Australia to a massive 474 in the first innings. His hundred saw him become the most successful century-maker against India in Tests, surpassing England's Joe Root with 11 Test tons and counting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m56nmlda-svu53f5x-lf6wh73k">
11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilestoneMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilestoneMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/SO8tnwPds4">pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872443951627616565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Smith&rsquo;s 140 was his second ton of this series and 18th on the Australian soil.
He, however, was excited to talk about the fearless youngster, who seemed to take the world by storm.
"I don't think much fazes the young kid," Smith said about Konstas following day two play in Melbourne. "As we saw yesterday, he was reverse ramping Bumrah, and I was having a heart attack up in the (viewing) box."
<h2>Swung the momentum our way</h2>
Meanwhile, Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney in the XI for the MCG Test and made a name for himself by hitting the Indian bowlers left, right and centre.&nbsp;
Blown away with the magic he brought to the crease with his array of shots and confidence beaming with each boundary, Smith said one has to have the courage to do what he did to Bumrah on day one.&nbsp;
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WHAT ARE WE SEEING! Sam Konstas just whipped Jasprit Bumrah for six 😱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayOfTheDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayOfTheDay</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZuNdtCncLO">pic.twitter.com/ZuNdtCncLO</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872071914895659053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
"You've got to have some serious courage to do what he did yesterday. That first over, Bumrah beat him three or four times and bowled some really nice balls.
"I actually thought he (Konstas) played them really well; he played down the line, and they just did too much, and they beat the outside edge.
"And then for a kid to have the confidence to start lapping and reverse lapping arguably one of the best bowlers that has played the game, shows some serious confidence and real courage,&rdquo; Smith added.
"It swung momentum our way.&nbsp;
"You saw when he got picked that George (Bailey, selection panel chair) and 'Ron' (Andrew McDonald, men's team coach) said they wanted to see something different and show something different to the new ball.
"We certainly saw that, and it worked out really well for us yesterday,&rdquo; the veteran batter continued.
Meanwhile, as things stand, India trail behind by 310 runs, with five of their batters back in the hut.
(With inputs from agencies)

Konstas’ reverse ramps to the ace Indian seamer for a six and a few fours already fetched him countless praises, with Smith going one step ahead.


Steve Smith might have broken plenty of records with his Boxing Day hundred against India in the ongoing BGT but admitted enjoying teenager Sam Konstas’ debut outing more, especially for how he remained unfazed against the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Konstas’ reverse ramps to the ace Indian seamer for a six and a few fours already fetched him countless praises, with Smith going one step ahead, claiming he nearly had a heart attack seeing Sam smashing Bumrah for fun. ALSO READ: BGT: Manjrekar, Pathan argue over Jaiswal’s run out on day 2 at MCG Smith made day two of the MCG Test about himself with a majestic 140, powering Australia to a massive 474 in the first innings. His hundred saw him become the most successful century-maker against India in Tests, surpassing England's Joe Root with 11 Test tons and counting. 11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 #AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 Smith’s 140 was his second ton of this series and 18th on the Australian soil. He, however, was excited to talk about the fearless youngster, who seemed to take the world by storm. "I don't think much fazes the young kid," Smith said about Konstas following day two play in Melbourne. "As we saw yesterday, he was reverse ramping Bumrah, and I was having a heart attack up in the (viewing) box." Swung the momentum our way Meanwhile, Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney in the XI for the MCG Test and made a name for himself by hitting the Indian bowlers left, right and centre. Blown away with the magic he brought to the crease with his array of shots and confidence beaming with each boundary, Smith said one has to have the courage to do what he did to Bumrah on day one. WHAT ARE WE SEEING! Sam Konstas just whipped Jasprit Bumrah for six 😱#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/ZuNdtCncLO — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 26, 2024 "You've got to have some serious courage to do what he did yesterday. That first over, Bumrah beat him three or four times and bowled some really nice balls. "I actually thought he (Konstas) played them really well; he played down the line, and they just did too much, and they beat the outside edge. "And then for a kid to have the confidence to start lapping and reverse lapping arguably one of the best bowlers that has played the game, shows some serious confidence and real courage,” Smith added. "It swung momentum our way. "You saw when he got picked that George (Bailey, selection panel chair) and 'Ron' (Andrew McDonald, men's team coach) said they wanted to see something different and show something different to the new ball. "We certainly saw that, and it worked out really well for us yesterday,” the veteran batter continued. Meanwhile, as things stand, India trail behind by 310 runs, with five of their batters back in the hut. (With inputs from agencies)

BGT – ‘I was having a heart attack,’ Smith on Konstas’ unfazed approach against Bumrah

It was yet another dramatic day in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia on Friday (Dec 27) as Virat Kohli was seen confronting a fan. Playing on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Virat was seen angry on his way back to the pavilion and confronting one fan. The incident happened when India was facing another batting collapse as it lost three wickets in a matter of four overs - ending day 2 at 164/5&nbsp;
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Virat Kohli almost recreated that incident with a CSK fan at Wankhede 😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/35qDBKxuv3">pic.twitter.com/35qDBKxuv3</a>
&mdash; Pari (@BluntIndianGal) <a href="https://twitter.com/BluntIndianGal/status/1872537246798336197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Virat Kohli confronts fan<o:p></o:p></h2>
After being dismissed on the first ball of the 43rd over, Virat was miffed with himself while returning to the pavilion. While he was about to enter the staircase of the MCG pavilion, one of the fans took a sly dig at the former India skipper, a reaction that left him angry. Virat was then seen turning back and trying to confront the fan before security personnel came to cool the matter and asked the fan in the stand to be silent. <o:p></o:p>
Virat at the same time, kept his cool and returned to the pavilion and avoided further controversy for his reactions. On Thursday, he was fined 20 percent match fees for brushing his shoulders with Aussie debutant Sam Konstas after the end of the 10th over, the reaction was met with huge criticism by the cricket fraternity. <o:p></o:p>
A few former cricketers voiced their opinion on the Konstas situation, stating Virat was fortunate to avoid a ban for such a situation.
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/mcg-test-day-2-report-india-hurt-by-late-setbacks-in-response-to-australias-474-border-gavaskar-trophy-boxing-day-test-8569799" aria-label="MCG Test, Day 2 report: India hurt by late setbacks in response to Australia's 474">MCG Test, Day 2 report: India hurt by late setbacks in response to Australia's 474</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">India face late collapse<o:p></o:p></h2>
After bowling Australia out for 474 in the opening session of Day 2, India did not have the best of starts with skipper Rohit Sharma falling to Pat Cummins in the second over. KL Rahul added 24 runs to his tally before being scalped by Pat Cummins. Virat (36) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) added a 102-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was the victim of poor running between the wickets. India closed the day at 164/5 with Rishabh Pant (6) and Ravindra Jadeja (4) in the middle.<o:p></o:p>

Sports Cricket: After being dismissed in the 43rd over, Virat Kohli was seen angry with himself while returning to the pavilion. He confronted a fan on his way back to pavilion. 

It was yet another dramatic day in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia on Friday (Dec 27) as Virat Kohli was seen confronting a fan. Playing on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Virat was seen angry on his way back to the pavilion and confronting one fan. The incident happened when India was facing another batting collapse as it lost three wickets in a matter of four overs - ending day 2 at 164/5 Virat Kohli almost recreated that incident with a CSK fan at Wankhede 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/35qDBKxuv3 — Pari (@BluntIndianGal) December 27, 2024 Virat Kohli confronts fan After being dismissed on the first ball of the 43rd over, Virat was miffed with himself while returning to the pavilion. While he was about to enter the staircase of the MCG pavilion, one of the fans took a sly dig at the former India skipper, a reaction that left him angry. Virat was then seen turning back and trying to confront the fan before security personnel came to cool the matter and asked the fan in the stand to be silent. Virat at the same time, kept his cool and returned to the pavilion and avoided further controversy for his reactions. On Thursday, he was fined 20 percent match fees for brushing his shoulders with Aussie debutant Sam Konstas after the end of the 10th over, the reaction was met with huge criticism by the cricket fraternity. A few former cricketers voiced their opinion on the Konstas situation, stating Virat was fortunate to avoid a ban for such a situation. ALSO READ | MCG Test, Day 2 report: India hurt by late setbacks in response to Australia's 474 India face late collapse After bowling Australia out for 474 in the opening session of Day 2, India did not have the best of starts with skipper Rohit Sharma falling to Pat Cummins in the second over. KL Rahul added 24 runs to his tally before being scalped by Pat Cummins. Virat (36) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) added a 102-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was the victim of poor running between the wickets. India closed the day at 164/5 with Rishabh Pant (6) and Ravindra Jadeja (4) in the middle.

BGT: Virat Kohli confronts fan on the way back to MCG pavilion - WATCH

Australia started Day 2 of the MCG Test versus India with a bang, with Steve Smith (140) and valuable contribution from skipper Pat Cummins (49) taking the hosts to 474 all-out. In reply, Rohit Sharma-led India started poorly, losing the captain (who regained the opening slot) whereas KL Rahul, demoted to No. 3, was also removed by a peach of a delivery. Cummins got both the wickets but his delivery to get rid of in-form Rahul was an absolute jaffa.
Here is the video:
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ABSOLUTE SEED FROM CUMMINS! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeliveredWithSpeed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeliveredWithSpeed</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/NBN_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbn_australia</a> <a href="https://t.co/zvzvkDyAnb">pic.twitter.com/zvzvkDyAnb</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872497414206009414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-the-scale-of-punishment-is-different-for-some-people-ponting-on-kohlis-fine-for-shouldering-konstas-8569390" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BGT: Ponting reckons Kohli's fine for shouldering Konstas wasn't 'harsh enough'</a>
Cummins' delivery came angling in and straightened just a bit to hit the stumps. Rahul missed the it and saw his stumps rattle as he walked back to the pavilion before the tea break, despite looking good in the middle. The in-form batter departed for 24 (42).
Before Rahul, Cummins also removed Rohit as Hitman failed in trying to pull and got dismissed for 3.
At tea, India were 51-2.
Day 1 of the fourth and penultimate Test, of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), ended with Australia 311-6, after fifties from the top four including debutant Sam Konstas.
Smith, unbeaten on 68, smashed his 34th Test hundred. In addition, he scored his 11th ton in BGT history; the most by any batter.
With Smith's ton and Cummins' strikes, Australia are well ahead on Day 2, on Friday (Dec 27), of the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG, Melbourne.
At the time of publishing this report, India lost two quick wickets, after Rahul and Rohit's departures, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) and Virat Kohli (36) being dismissed in quick succession before stumps.
The five-match Test series is currently tied at 1-1.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: Pat Cummins removes KL Rahul with an absolute jaffa on Day 2 of MCG Test - Watch

Australia started Day 2 of the MCG Test versus India with a bang, with Steve Smith (140) and valuable contribution from skipper Pat Cummins (49) taking the hosts to 474 all-out. In reply, Rohit Sharma-led India started poorly, losing the captain (who regained the opening slot) whereas KL Rahul, demoted to No. 3, was also removed by a peach of a delivery. Cummins got both the wickets but his delivery to get rid of in-form Rahul was an absolute jaffa. Here is the video: ABSOLUTE SEED FROM CUMMINS! #AUSvIND | #DeliveredWithSpeed | @nbn_australia pic.twitter.com/zvzvkDyAnb — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 Also read: BGT: Ponting reckons Kohli's fine for shouldering Konstas wasn't 'harsh enough' Cummins' delivery came angling in and straightened just a bit to hit the stumps. Rahul missed the it and saw his stumps rattle as he walked back to the pavilion before the tea break, despite looking good in the middle. The in-form batter departed for 24 (42). Before Rahul, Cummins also removed Rohit as Hitman failed in trying to pull and got dismissed for 3. At tea, India were 51-2. Day 1 of the fourth and penultimate Test, of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), ended with Australia 311-6, after fifties from the top four including debutant Sam Konstas. Smith, unbeaten on 68, smashed his 34th Test hundred. In addition, he scored his 11th ton in BGT history; the most by any batter. With Smith's ton and Cummins' strikes, Australia are well ahead on Day 2, on Friday (Dec 27), of the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG, Melbourne. At the time of publishing this report, India lost two quick wickets, after Rahul and Rohit's departures, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) and Virat Kohli (36) being dismissed in quick succession before stumps. The five-match Test series is currently tied at 1-1.

BGT: Pat Cummins removes KL Rahul with an absolute jaffa on Day 2 of MCG Test - Watch

Melbourne: The ICC fined Virat Kohli 20 per cent of his match fees for deliberately shouldering Australian teenager Sam Konstas on day one of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting feels it was not harsh enough. Calling out the instance from the commentary box, Ponting expressed disappointment ahead of day two with how Kohli got away with a minute punishment, claiming 'it's different for some people'.
"Personally, I do not think it [the punishment] was harsh enough. I know there are precedents [where similar infringements have incurred similar-sized penalties] - they have generally been between a 15 and 25 per cent fine, but let us have a think about the enormity of yesterday,&rdquo; Ponting said while speaking on 7 Cricket ahead of day two.
After Australia elected to bat first at the MCG, Konstas, who had replaced McSweeney and was making his Test debut, smoked Indian ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah for 18 runs in his fourth over, including hitting him a six off a reverse scoop.
His stroke play impressed everyone except Virat, who bumped into Konstas after the end of the 10th over, leading to a confrontation.
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Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas exchanged a heated moment on the MCG. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/QL13nZ9IGI">pic.twitter.com/QL13nZ9IGI</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872076770788212737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
Usman Khawaja and the on-field umpires had to intervene to separate them, with the crowd and social media buzzing over the incident.&nbsp;
Cricket Australia reported first that the ICC would look into the matter following the day&rsquo;s play, and they did, finding Kohli guilty of breaching their code of conduct and punishing him for the same.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-mcg-test-australia-all-out-on-474-in-first-innings-after-steve-smiths-record-34th-test-ton-8569119" rel="dofollow">BGT, MCG Test: Australia all out on 474 after Smith&rsquo;s record Test ton</a>
Kohli accepted the fine.
However, Ponting talked about its larger implications.
&ldquo;It is probably the most-watched day of cricket all year all around the world. Imagine if that happens in a grade game on the weekend now, what is going to happen there? I think people are going to think that that is almost acceptable now,&rdquo; Ponting noted.
<h2>'Punishments are different for different people'</h2>
The former Aussie captain, who during his time was also a fierce competitor, didn&rsquo;t mince his words in implying that Kohli perhaps escaped a ban, adding there are different punishments for different people.
"And, unfortunately, for someone like Virat, as we got told as players and as senior players, sometimes it is [the scale of punishment] just different for some people. He is a role model; he is somebody the cricketing world looks up to, so I, personally, do not think that the fine was harsh enough,&rdquo; he noted.
Meanwhile, Australia scored 474 in the first innings, thanks to a brilliant 140 from Steve Smith &ndash; his record 34th Test ton, second of this series, fifth at the MCG and 18th overall in Australia.&nbsp;
In reply, India lost their captain Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24) before tea on day two.&nbsp;
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ABSOLUTE SEED FROM CUMMINS! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeliveredWithSpeed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeliveredWithSpeed</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/NBN_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbn_australia</a> <a href="https://t.co/zvzvkDyAnb">pic.twitter.com/zvzvkDyAnb</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872497414206009414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
(With inputs from agencies)

Calling out the instance from the commentary box earlier, Ponting expressed disappointment with how Kohli got away with a small fine

Melbourne: The ICC fined Virat Kohli 20 per cent of his match fees for deliberately shouldering Australian teenager Sam Konstas on day one of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting feels it was not harsh enough. Calling out the instance from the commentary box, Ponting expressed disappointment ahead of day two with how Kohli got away with a minute punishment, claiming 'it's different for some people'. "Personally, I do not think it [the punishment] was harsh enough. I know there are precedents [where similar infringements have incurred similar-sized penalties] - they have generally been between a 15 and 25 per cent fine, but let us have a think about the enormity of yesterday,” Ponting said while speaking on 7 Cricket ahead of day two. After Australia elected to bat first at the MCG, Konstas, who had replaced McSweeney and was making his Test debut, smoked Indian ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah for 18 runs in his fourth over, including hitting him a six off a reverse scoop. His stroke play impressed everyone except Virat, who bumped into Konstas after the end of the 10th over, leading to a confrontation. Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas exchanged a heated moment on the MCG. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/QL13nZ9IGI — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 26, 2024 Usman Khawaja and the on-field umpires had to intervene to separate them, with the crowd and social media buzzing over the incident. Cricket Australia reported first that the ICC would look into the matter following the day’s play, and they did, finding Kohli guilty of breaching their code of conduct and punishing him for the same. ALSO READ: BGT, MCG Test: Australia all out on 474 after Smith’s record Test ton Kohli accepted the fine. However, Ponting talked about its larger implications. “It is probably the most-watched day of cricket all year all around the world. Imagine if that happens in a grade game on the weekend now, what is going to happen there? I think people are going to think that that is almost acceptable now,” Ponting noted. 'Punishments are different for different people' The former Aussie captain, who during his time was also a fierce competitor, didn’t mince his words in implying that Kohli perhaps escaped a ban, adding there are different punishments for different people. "And, unfortunately, for someone like Virat, as we got told as players and as senior players, sometimes it is [the scale of punishment] just different for some people. He is a role model; he is somebody the cricketing world looks up to, so I, personally, do not think that the fine was harsh enough,” he noted. Meanwhile, Australia scored 474 in the first innings, thanks to a brilliant 140 from Steve Smith – his record 34th Test ton, second of this series, fifth at the MCG and 18th overall in Australia. In reply, India lost their captain Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24) before tea on day two. ABSOLUTE SEED FROM CUMMINS! #AUSvIND | #DeliveredWithSpeed | @nbn_australia pic.twitter.com/zvzvkDyAnb — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 (With inputs from agencies)

BGT: Ponting reckons Kohli's fine for shouldering Konstas wasn't 'harsh enough'

Steve Smith completed his record 34th Test hundred against India early on day two of the Boxing Day BGT Test at the iconic MCG, powering the host to 474 in the first innings. Smith notched up his 11th three-digit plus score against India in Tests, becoming the batter with the most centuries in this format against the Indian Team, surpassing England&rsquo;s Joe Root (10).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m567j69k-52q7u6m9-d9j0oo4o">
11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilestoneMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilestoneMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/SO8tnwPds4">pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872443951627616565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
For the visiting side, ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah picked four wickets, while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja returned with three, with India wrapping up Australia&rsquo;s first innings shortly after lunch on day two.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-mcg-test-steve-smiths-140-puts-australia-ahead-at-lunch-on-day-2-8569072" rel="dofollow">BGT, MCG Test: Smith&rsquo;s 34th Test ton puts Australia ahead early on day 2</a>
The hosts began day two on 311 for six, with Smith (on 68) and captain Pat Cummins at the crease. The pair made merry early on with plenty of good-looking shots, including smoking 15 runs off Akash Deep&rsquo;s over.
Smith and Cummins added 112 runs for the seventh wicket before Jadeja returned to dismiss the skipper on 49.&nbsp;
By then, Smith had completed his record hundred at the 'G', his 11th against India in Tests &ndash; the most by any batter against them in this format. Australia crossed the 400-mark at lunch with seven batters back in the hut.
After both teams returned to the field, Jadeja removed Starc in his first over before Akash Deep got rid of Smith on 140 off a bizarre dismissal soon after.&nbsp;
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Oh dear Steve Smith! That is as bizarre as it gets 😳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZDUWggwBq4">pic.twitter.com/ZDUWggwBq4</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872467574765555896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
Smith walked back with pride as the packed house at the iconic MCG gave him a standing ovation. Also, Smith's 140 was his second ton of the series, fifth at the venue and 18th overall in Australia.
However, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland frustrated India with a little 19-run partnership for the last wicket. Though there were a few close calls favouring the Aussies, Bumrah returned to pick his 25th wicket of the series by removing Lyon trapped in the front.
<h2>India lose its captain early</h2>
Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s dismal run with the bat continues as he departed on just three to his counterpart Cummins in his first over.&nbsp;
Rohit failed to make a mark despite returning to the top, where he usually bats across formats.&nbsp;
Cummins bowled a good length delivery, which did a bit of the surface, catching Rohit off guard as he top-edged one for Boland to grab it successfully.&nbsp;
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Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is gone for just three runs! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/m1fLiqKLO7">pic.twitter.com/m1fLiqKLO7</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872481189132439900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
(With inputs from agencies)

Steve Smith hit his 11th Test hundred against India, the most by any batter in Tests. His 140 is his fifth ton at the MCG and 18th in Australia. 

Steve Smith completed his record 34th Test hundred against India early on day two of the Boxing Day BGT Test at the iconic MCG, powering the host to 474 in the first innings. Smith notched up his 11th three-digit plus score against India in Tests, becoming the batter with the most centuries in this format against the Indian Team, surpassing England’s Joe Root (10). 11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 #AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 For the visiting side, ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah picked four wickets, while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja returned with three, with India wrapping up Australia’s first innings shortly after lunch on day two. ALSO READ: BGT, MCG Test: Smith’s 34th Test ton puts Australia ahead early on day 2 The hosts began day two on 311 for six, with Smith (on 68) and captain Pat Cummins at the crease. The pair made merry early on with plenty of good-looking shots, including smoking 15 runs off Akash Deep’s over. Smith and Cummins added 112 runs for the seventh wicket before Jadeja returned to dismiss the skipper on 49. By then, Smith had completed his record hundred at the 'G', his 11th against India in Tests – the most by any batter against them in this format. Australia crossed the 400-mark at lunch with seven batters back in the hut. After both teams returned to the field, Jadeja removed Starc in his first over before Akash Deep got rid of Smith on 140 off a bizarre dismissal soon after. Oh dear Steve Smith! That is as bizarre as it gets 😳 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/ZDUWggwBq4 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 Smith walked back with pride as the packed house at the iconic MCG gave him a standing ovation. Also, Smith's 140 was his second ton of the series, fifth at the venue and 18th overall in Australia. However, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland frustrated India with a little 19-run partnership for the last wicket. Though there were a few close calls favouring the Aussies, Bumrah returned to pick his 25th wicket of the series by removing Lyon trapped in the front. India lose its captain early Rohit Sharma’s dismal run with the bat continues as he departed on just three to his counterpart Cummins in his first over. Rohit failed to make a mark despite returning to the top, where he usually bats across formats. Cummins bowled a good length delivery, which did a bit of the surface, catching Rohit off guard as he top-edged one for Boland to grab it successfully. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is gone for just three runs! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/m1fLiqKLO7 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 (With inputs from agencies)

BGT, MCG Test: Australia all out for 474 after Smith’s record Test ton

A resurgent Steve Smith crunched his second century in as many Tests as Australia built a daunting total on day two of the fourth Test of Border Gawaskar Trophy against India in Melbourne on Friday (Dec 27).<o:p></o:p>
The hosts resumed on 311-6 after a dominant opening day where all their top four blasted 50 or more to lay a solid platform, spearheaded by carefree debutant Sam Konstas.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sa-vs-pak-dane-paterson-corbin-bosch-give-south-africa-edge-over-pakistan-in-first-test-8568729" rel="dofollow">SA vs PAK: Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch give South Africa edge over Pakistan in first Test</a> 
That thrilling action in front of 87,000 fans was equally notable for Virat Kohli's shoulder barge on Konstas, with the Indian superstar fined 20 percent of his match fee. <o:p></o:p>
There was no let up from Australia on Friday, stretching their innings to 454-7 by lunch, with the composed Smith not out 139 accompanied by Mitchell Starc on 15.<o:p></o:p>
Just one wicket fell in the session -- skipper Pat Cummins for a fine 49.<o:p></o:p>
Smith padded up again on 68, with Cummins alongside him on eight.<o:p></o:p>
The veteran batsman showed his intent early with a four from Jasprit Bumrah, while Cummins also batted with freedom, not afraid to play his shots.<o:p></o:p>
They took 15 off one Akash Deep over to bring up their 50-run partnership before Smith hooked Bumrah for six to rub salt in the wounds.<o:p></o:p>
India's body language showed their frustration as the Test slipped away on a benign pitch offering them little.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>
Smith reached his 34th Test century with a boundary off Nitish Kumar Reddy, which came on the back of a return to form at the last Test in Brisbane where he made 101.<o:p></o:p>
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11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilestoneMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilestoneMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/SO8tnwPds4">pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872443951627616565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
It was a patient innings from the 35-year-old and moved him alongside four other players on the all-list of century-makers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara.<o:p></o:p>
Only six players have scored more, led by Sachin Tendulkar's 51.<o:p></o:p>
With the landmark out of the way both players began swinging the bat, with Cummins paying the price, caught by Reddy in the deep off Ravindra Jadeja to end a 112-run stand.<o:p></o:p>
The five-match series is locked at 1-1 after India won by 295 runs in Perth before being crushed by 10 wickets in Adelaide. The rain-affected third Test in Brisbane was drawn.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

There was no let-up from Australia on Friday, stretching their innings to 454-7 by lunch, with the composed Smith not out 139 accompanied by Mitchell Starc on 15.

A resurgent Steve Smith crunched his second century in as many Tests as Australia built a daunting total on day two of the fourth Test of Border Gawaskar Trophy against India in Melbourne on Friday (Dec 27). The hosts resumed on 311-6 after a dominant opening day where all their top four blasted 50 or more to lay a solid platform, spearheaded by carefree debutant Sam Konstas. ALSO READ: SA vs PAK: Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch give South Africa edge over Pakistan in first Test That thrilling action in front of 87,000 fans was equally notable for Virat Kohli's shoulder barge on Konstas, with the Indian superstar fined 20 percent of his match fee. There was no let up from Australia on Friday, stretching their innings to 454-7 by lunch, with the composed Smith not out 139 accompanied by Mitchell Starc on 15. Just one wicket fell in the session -- skipper Pat Cummins for a fine 49. Smith padded up again on 68, with Cummins alongside him on eight. The veteran batsman showed his intent early with a four from Jasprit Bumrah, while Cummins also batted with freedom, not afraid to play his shots. They took 15 off one Akash Deep over to bring up their 50-run partnership before Smith hooked Bumrah for six to rub salt in the wounds. India's body language showed their frustration as the Test slipped away on a benign pitch offering them little. Smith reached his 34th Test century with a boundary off Nitish Kumar Reddy, which came on the back of a return to form at the last Test in Brisbane where he made 101. 11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 #AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024 It was a patient innings from the 35-year-old and moved him alongside four other players on the all-list of century-makers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara. Only six players have scored more, led by Sachin Tendulkar's 51. With the landmark out of the way both players began swinging the bat, with Cummins paying the price, caught by Reddy in the deep off Ravindra Jadeja to end a 112-run stand. The five-match series is locked at 1-1 after India won by 295 runs in Perth before being crushed by 10 wickets in Adelaide. The rain-affected third Test in Brisbane was drawn. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

BGT, MCG Test: Smith’s 34th Test ton puts Australia ahead early on day 2

Former India coach Ravi Shastri is in awe of Australian debutant Sam Konstas after he scored 60 runs against the visitors in the Boxing Day Test match on Thursday (Dec 12). Konstas was in full swing as he scored a 52-ball fifty with unorthodox shots against the Indian pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep. The Aussies closed the day at 311/6 with four batters scoring fifty or more for the hosts.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Shastri in awe of Sam Konstas<o:p></o:p></h2>
&ldquo;For him to go out there with that swag and attempt some outrageous shots&mdash;it was something else. He tore that MCC coaching manual to shreds,&rdquo; Shastri said while speaking to the broadcasters. <o:p></o:p>
According to the former India coach, Konstas used all the possible shots against outside the MCC manual, making him a distinguished batter on Day 1. He came into the side after Nathan McSweeney was dropped in favour of the New South Wales batter. At 19, he has a big future ahead of him, as he is in line to replace the long-term veteran batter David Warner, who retired after the Pakistan series earlier in 2024.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Konstas shines on Day 1<o:p></o:p></h2>
Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts, having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. On debut, he scored 60 runs before being dismissed. The Aussie top-order was seen in top form, with out-of-form Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) scoring respective fifties. <o:p></o:p>
Steve Smith (68) is unbeaten for the hosts alongside skipper Pat Cummins (6) as they closed the day at 311/6 in 86 overs.<o:p></o:p>

Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. 

Former India coach Ravi Shastri is in awe of Australian debutant Sam Konstas after he scored 60 runs against the visitors in the Boxing Day Test match on Thursday (Dec 12). Konstas was in full swing as he scored a 52-ball fifty with unorthodox shots against the Indian pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep. The Aussies closed the day at 311/6 with four batters scoring fifty or more for the hosts. Shastri in awe of Sam Konstas “For him to go out there with that swag and attempt some outrageous shots—it was something else. He tore that MCC coaching manual to shreds,” Shastri said while speaking to the broadcasters. According to the former India coach, Konstas used all the possible shots against outside the MCC manual, making him a distinguished batter on Day 1. He came into the side after Nathan McSweeney was dropped in favour of the New South Wales batter. At 19, he has a big future ahead of him, as he is in line to replace the long-term veteran batter David Warner, who retired after the Pakistan series earlier in 2024. Konstas shines on Day 1 Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts, having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. On debut, he scored 60 runs before being dismissed. The Aussie top-order was seen in top form, with out-of-form Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) scoring respective fifties. Steve Smith (68) is unbeaten for the hosts alongside skipper Pat Cummins (6) as they closed the day at 311/6 in 86 overs.

BGT 2024/25: Ravi Shastri in awe of Aussie debutant Sam Konstas, says 'he tore that MCC coaching manual'

It was an entertaining Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test match between India and Australia as the hosts were on the top with the bat at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While the talk was about youngster Sam Konstas, playing his debut Test match for the Aussies, Indian media headlines were all about Shubman Gill, who was dropped for the MCG Test. However, Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar has cleared the air on the matter stating, he was not dropped but was &ldquo;unfortunate&rdquo; to miss out for the side. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Nayar opens up on Gill&rsquo;s exclusion<o:p></o:p></h2>
"Rohit will come up in the order and more likely than not he will open the innings for us. So I think that was the thought process and unfortunately for him [Gill], just how things panned out. He had to miss out and sometimes I just feel for a young player in a position like that, a big day, he wants to make his mark, he understands it is a team's requirement and it is unfortunate. I wouldn't say that he has been dropped per se, it is just unfortunate that he couldn't find his place in his team."<o:p></o:p>
The Indian team management had a decision in hand for the Boxing Day contest as they took on the Aussies with skipper Rohit Sharma returning to the opener&rsquo;s slot. However, in a major reshuffle, Washington Sundar was given a place in the Playing XI while Gill had to drop to the bench.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/mcg-test-indias-golden-arm-jasprit-bumah-dismisses-travis-head-for-duck-during-boxing-day-tie-watch-8566717" aria-label="India's golden arm Jasprit Bumah dismisses Travis Head for duck in MCG Test - Watch">India's golden arm Jasprit Bumah dismisses Travis Head for duck in MCG Test - Watch</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sam Konstas makes headlines on Day 1<o:p></o:p></h2>
Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Sam Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. On debut, he scored 60 runs before being dismissed. The Aussie top-order was seen in top form, with out-of-form Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) scoring respective fifties. <o:p></o:p>
Steven Smith (68) was unbeaten for the hosts alongside skipper Pat Cummins (6) as they closed the day at 311/6 in 86 overs.

Cricket, Sports: The Indian team management had a decision in hand for the Boxing Day contest as they took on the Aussies, with skipper Rohit Sharma returning to the opener’s slot. 

It was an entertaining Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test match between India and Australia as the hosts were on the top with the bat at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While the talk was about youngster Sam Konstas, playing his debut Test match for the Aussies, Indian media headlines were all about Shubman Gill, who was dropped for the MCG Test. However, Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar has cleared the air on the matter stating, he was not dropped but was “unfortunate” to miss out for the side. Nayar opens up on Gill’s exclusion "Rohit will come up in the order and more likely than not he will open the innings for us. So I think that was the thought process and unfortunately for him [Gill], just how things panned out. He had to miss out and sometimes I just feel for a young player in a position like that, a big day, he wants to make his mark, he understands it is a team's requirement and it is unfortunate. I wouldn't say that he has been dropped per se, it is just unfortunate that he couldn't find his place in his team." The Indian team management had a decision in hand for the Boxing Day contest as they took on the Aussies with skipper Rohit Sharma returning to the opener’s slot. However, in a major reshuffle, Washington Sundar was given a place in the Playing XI while Gill had to drop to the bench. ALSO READ | India's golden arm Jasprit Bumah dismisses Travis Head for duck in MCG Test - Watch Sam Konstas makes headlines on Day 1 Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Sam Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. On debut, he scored 60 runs before being dismissed. The Aussie top-order was seen in top form, with out-of-form Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) scoring respective fifties. Steven Smith (68) was unbeaten for the hosts alongside skipper Pat Cummins (6) as they closed the day at 311/6 in 86 overs.

BGT 2024/25: Abhishek Nayar opens up on Shubman Gill exclusion, says 'he hasn't been dropped'

India&rsquo;s batting coach Abhishek Nayar has made a major revelation on the team&rsquo;s batting position with skipper Rohit Sharma set to return to the opening spot in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Nayar, after Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test spoke to the broadcasters and media as he confirmed the news of Rohit&rsquo;s batting position in the Boxing Day Test against Australia. This will mean KL Rahul is likely to drop into the middle order.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Nayar confirms Rohit&rsquo;s position<o:p></o:p></h2>
&ldquo;Rohit will come up in the order and more likely than not he will open the innings for us,&rdquo; Nayar said to the reporters on Thursday.<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;&ldquo;I feel for Shubman but he understands. He&rsquo;s not really dropped, just couldn&rsquo;t find his way in the combination,&rdquo; Nayar said.<o:p></o:p>
The Indian skipper skipped the opening Test match in Perth due to paternity leave before returning to the side for the pink-ball contest in Adelaide. However, an impressive show with the bat from Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul in the opener&rsquo;s position saw Rohit drop to the middle-order, a position he has been familiar with. <o:p></o:p>
However, Jaiswal and Rahul have been inconsistent in their roles at the top, so the Indian team management has now decided to move the latter into the middle order.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-steve-smith-joins-donald-bradman-on-elite-list-with-68-on-day-one-of-boxing-day-test-8567176" aria-label="BGT: Smith joins Bradman on elite list with 68* on day one at MCG">BGT: Smith joins Bradman on elite list with 68* on day one at MCG</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sam Konstas makes headlines on Day 1<o:p></o:p></h2>
Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Sam Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. On debut, he scored 60 runs before being dismissed. The Aussie top-order was seen in top form with out-of-form Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) scoring respective fifties. <o:p></o:p>
Steven Smith (68) is unbeaten for the hosts alongside skipper Pat Cummins (6) as they closed the day at 311/6 in 86 overs.

Abhishek Nayar, after Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test spoke to the broadcasters and media as he confirmed the news of Rohit Sharma’s batting position in the Boxing Day Test against Australia. This will mean KL Rahul is likely to drop into the middle order. 

India’s batting coach Abhishek Nayar has made a major revelation on the team’s batting position with skipper Rohit Sharma set to return to the opening spot in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Nayar, after Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test spoke to the broadcasters and media as he confirmed the news of Rohit’s batting position in the Boxing Day Test against Australia. This will mean KL Rahul is likely to drop into the middle order. Nayar confirms Rohit’s position “Rohit will come up in the order and more likely than not he will open the innings for us,” Nayar said to the reporters on Thursday. “I feel for Shubman but he understands. He’s not really dropped, just couldn’t find his way in the combination,” Nayar said. The Indian skipper skipped the opening Test match in Perth due to paternity leave before returning to the side for the pink-ball contest in Adelaide. However, an impressive show with the bat from Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul in the opener’s position saw Rohit drop to the middle-order, a position he has been familiar with. However, Jaiswal and Rahul have been inconsistent in their roles at the top, so the Indian team management has now decided to move the latter into the middle order. ALSO READ | BGT: Smith joins Bradman on elite list with 68* on day one at MCG Sam Konstas makes headlines on Day 1 Playing on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Sam Konstas made headlines with a 52-ball fifty. He was in good form for the hosts having become the youngest opener for Australia in Test history. On debut, he scored 60 runs before being dismissed. The Aussie top-order was seen in top form with out-of-form Usman Khawaja (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (72) scoring respective fifties. Steven Smith (68) is unbeaten for the hosts alongside skipper Pat Cummins (6) as they closed the day at 311/6 in 86 overs.

BGT 2024/25: Abhishek Nayar confirms Rohit Sharma's batting position, says 'he will...'

India's in-form pacer Jasprit Bumrah continued to be among wickets on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test versus Australia, on Thursday (Dec 26). After Rohit Sharma-led visitors opted to bowl first, Australia's debutant Sam Konstas took his side to a positive start with an impressive 65-ball 60. While Marnus Labuschagne and Marnus Labuschagne's fifties took the side ahead, they were 237-2 before being reduced to 246-5 courtesy of Bumrah's quick breakthroughs. Bumrah got rid of in-form Head for a seven-ball duck to light up the MCG crowd.
Here is the video of Head's dismissal:
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m54yffvn-7dvpbvrk-cv0xjdp4">
&ldquo;Game-changer player is only one guy JASPRIT BUMRAH!" 💪😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TravisHead?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TravisHead</a> "leaves" without troubling the scorers! 🫢<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvINDOnStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvINDOnStar</a> 👉 4th Test, Day 1 | LIVE NOW! | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ToughestRivalry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ToughestRivalry</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BorderGavaskarTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BorderGavaskarTrophy</a> <a href="https://t.co/p6a0gzc3BB">pic.twitter.com/p6a0gzc3BB</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1872157300842226055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bgt-sam-konstas-hits-jasprit-bumrah-for-a-reverse-sweep-six-on-test-debut-at-mcg-watch-8566648" rel="dofollow">BGT&ndash; Konstas hits Bumrah for a six off reverse-sweep on debut &ndash; WATCH</a>
Head has been in roaring form in the ongoing five-match Test series between India and Australia. He has scored two centuries and a fifty under his belt. He has been India's Achilles' heel, however, Bumrah removed him with a peach off a delivery to stage India's comeback.&nbsp;
Post his dismissal, Australia have been going strongly in the middle. Steve Smith has stormed past the 50-run mark whereas wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey was looking good before departing for 31. At the time of publishing this report, the hosts are 299-6 and will look to end the opening day of the Boxing Day Test match without losing any further wickets.
The five-match series, i.e. the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, is currently tied at 1-1. India won the series opener, in Perth, before Australia thrashed them in the day-night Test in Adelaide whereas the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.

MCG Test: India's golden arm Jasprit Bumah dismissed in-form Travis Head for duck during the opening day of the Boxing Day tie. Here is the video - 

India's in-form pacer Jasprit Bumrah continued to be among wickets on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test versus Australia, on Thursday (Dec 26). After Rohit Sharma-led visitors opted to bowl first, Australia's debutant Sam Konstas took his side to a positive start with an impressive 65-ball 60. While Marnus Labuschagne and Marnus Labuschagne's fifties took the side ahead, they were 237-2 before being reduced to 246-5 courtesy of Bumrah's quick breakthroughs. Bumrah got rid of in-form Head for a seven-ball duck to light up the MCG crowd. Here is the video of Head's dismissal: “Game-changer player is only one guy JASPRIT BUMRAH!" 💪😎#TravisHead "leaves" without troubling the scorers! 🫢#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 4th Test, Day 1 | LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/p6a0gzc3BB — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 26, 2024 Also read: BGT– Konstas hits Bumrah for a six off reverse-sweep on debut – WATCH Head has been in roaring form in the ongoing five-match Test series between India and Australia. He has scored two centuries and a fifty under his belt. He has been India's Achilles' heel, however, Bumrah removed him with a peach off a delivery to stage India's comeback. Post his dismissal, Australia have been going strongly in the middle. Steve Smith has stormed past the 50-run mark whereas wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey was looking good before departing for 31. At the time of publishing this report, the hosts are 299-6 and will look to end the opening day of the Boxing Day Test match without losing any further wickets. The five-match series, i.e. the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, is currently tied at 1-1. India won the series opener, in Perth, before Australia thrashed them in the day-night Test in Adelaide whereas the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.

India's golden arm Jasprit Bumah dismisses Travis Head for duck in MCG Test - Watch

Australia&rsquo;s batting great Steve Smith has joined veteran Sir Donald Bradman on the list of players with the most fifty-plus scores at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). During day one of the Boxing Day Test against India, Smith completed his fifty, his 10th at the venue, remaining unbeaten on 68 at stumps, with Australia&rsquo;s scorecard reading 311 for six.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-virat-kohli-on-iccs-radar-for-confrontation-with-sam-konstas-on-day-one-at-mcg-8567024" rel="dofollow">BGT &ndash; Kohli on ICC's radar for confrontation with Konstas on day one at MCG</a>
While Smith currently sits fourth on the list with ten fifty-plus scores in 12 matches played at this venue, former captains - Greg Chappell (13 from 17 Tests), Donald Bradman (12 from 11 Tests) and Ricky Ponting (11 from 15 Tests), are ahead of him.
<h2>Batters with most 50+ scores in Tests at MCG -</h2>
<ul>
<li>Greg Chappel&nbsp; - 13 from 17 Tests</li>
<li>Donald Bradman - 12 from 11 Tests</li>
<li>Ricky Ponting - 11 from 15 Tests</li>
<li>Steve Smith - 10 from 12 Tests*&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The right-handed batter completed another fifty of this series following tea on day one off 71 balls. Besides, unlike how it panned out for the hosts in the previous three games, where they lost wickets upfront, the top four completed respective fifties in this ongoing Test.
<h3>Smith nears massive milestone</h3>
For what he brings to the table in this format with an average of over 56 (56.44), Smith is perhaps the best Test batter of the past decade. His accolades speak for himself, and even though his reflexes seem to catch up with time, he stands tall as one of the best in his country.
Following day one's play, Smith's overall runs tally reads 9877 runs, just 123 away from completing 10,000 Test runs - a massive milestone in cricket. Should and when he reach the landmark, Smith will become the fourth Australian batter after Ponting (13,378), Allan Border (11,178) and Steve Smith (10,927).
<h3>Even Steven day one at the 'G'</h3>
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in Melbourne. They made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Scott Boland for injured Josh Hazlewood and replacing Nathan McSweeney with uncapped Sam Konstas.
Konstas and Usman Khawaja shared an 89-run stand for the first wicket, with the newcomer making headlines for his impressive start to his Test career (scoring 60) and an uncalled-for mid-pitch altercation with India great Virat Kohli.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m553hdk0-qosqotk4-pojj4cpw">
Sam Konstas taps the Australian crest as he makes a remarkable 50 on debut! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilestoneMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilestoneMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/y1tp4rT9qG">pic.twitter.com/y1tp4rT9qG</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872080558714421287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
Following his departure inside the first session, Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne kept the run rate ticking, scoring respective fifties. Though Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh got out on 0 and 4, respectively, Smith stood one end, hitting another gritty yet decisive fifty. Australia also lost keeper-batter Alex Carey on 31 but ended the day with Smith and captain Pat Cummins at the crease.
(With inputs from agencies)

During day one of the Boxing Day Test, Smith completed his fifty, his 10th at the venue, remaining unbeaten on 68 at stumps, with Australia’s scorecard reading 311 for seven.

Australia’s batting great Steve Smith has joined veteran Sir Donald Bradman on the list of players with the most fifty-plus scores at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). During day one of the Boxing Day Test against India, Smith completed his fifty, his 10th at the venue, remaining unbeaten on 68 at stumps, with Australia’s scorecard reading 311 for six. ALSO READ: BGT – Kohli on ICC's radar for confrontation with Konstas on day one at MCG While Smith currently sits fourth on the list with ten fifty-plus scores in 12 matches played at this venue, former captains - Greg Chappell (13 from 17 Tests), Donald Bradman (12 from 11 Tests) and Ricky Ponting (11 from 15 Tests), are ahead of him. Batters with most 50+ scores in Tests at MCG - Greg Chappel - 13 from 17 Tests Donald Bradman - 12 from 11 Tests Ricky Ponting - 11 from 15 Tests Steve Smith - 10 from 12 Tests* The right-handed batter completed another fifty of this series following tea on day one off 71 balls. Besides, unlike how it panned out for the hosts in the previous three games, where they lost wickets upfront, the top four completed respective fifties in this ongoing Test. Smith nears massive milestone For what he brings to the table in this format with an average of over 56 (56.44), Smith is perhaps the best Test batter of the past decade. His accolades speak for himself, and even though his reflexes seem to catch up with time, he stands tall as one of the best in his country. Following day one's play, Smith's overall runs tally reads 9877 runs, just 123 away from completing 10,000 Test runs - a massive milestone in cricket. Should and when he reach the landmark, Smith will become the fourth Australian batter after Ponting (13,378), Allan Border (11,178) and Steve Smith (10,927). Even Steven day one at the 'G' Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in Melbourne. They made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Scott Boland for injured Josh Hazlewood and replacing Nathan McSweeney with uncapped Sam Konstas. Konstas and Usman Khawaja shared an 89-run stand for the first wicket, with the newcomer making headlines for his impressive start to his Test career (scoring 60) and an uncalled-for mid-pitch altercation with India great Virat Kohli. Sam Konstas taps the Australian crest as he makes a remarkable 50 on debut! #AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/y1tp4rT9qG — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 26, 2024 Following his departure inside the first session, Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne kept the run rate ticking, scoring respective fifties. Though Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh got out on 0 and 4, respectively, Smith stood one end, hitting another gritty yet decisive fifty. Australia also lost keeper-batter Alex Carey on 31 but ended the day with Smith and captain Pat Cummins at the crease. (With inputs from agencies)

BGT: Smith joins Bradman on elite list with 68* on day one at MCG

Jasprit Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment; having attained the highest ranking (904) for an Indian Test pacer on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, Bumrah was on cloud nine only for a 19-year-old Sam Konstas to humble him the next day at the iconic MCG. The right-handed batter broke several records during his maiden international outing for Australia and against Bumrah, with his reverse-sweep six of the Indian ace seamer being the highlight.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-theres-a-level-of-naivety-aussie-skipper-pat-cummins-on-teen-sam-konstas-ahead-of-mcg-test-786727" rel="dofollow">BGT 2024-25: 'There&rsquo;s a level of naivety,' Aussie skipper Pat Cummins on teen Sam Konstas ahead of MCG Test</a> 
During the seventh over of the Australian innings, Konstas, batting on nine and having failed (in his attempt) to find runs off Bumrah by playing a reverse shot earlier, smashed one over the slips off a reverse sweep to Bumrah for a six. That shot brought the crowd to its feet, with over 80,000 fans cheering for the newcomer.<o:p></o:p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Watch the Video &ndash;<o:p></o:p></h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m54x2rpx-uau2vcq7-4gryjhjk">
WHAT ARE WE SEEING! Sam Konstas just whipped Jasprit Bumrah for six 😱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayOfTheDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayOfTheDay</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/nrmainsurance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nrmainsurance</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZuNdtCncLO">pic.twitter.com/ZuNdtCncLO</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1872071914895659053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
In the same over, Konstas hit him for two fours, one sweep and one reverse sweep before smashing Bumrah for another six over the long on area in the 11th over, becoming only the second batter after England&rsquo;s Jos Buttler to hit two sixes against Bumrah in Tests.<o:p></o:p>
That over (7th) saw him going for 18 runs &ndash; the most he has conceded in a single over in the longest format. <o:p></o:p>
Konstas also hit 34 off 33 balls against Bumrah - the most a batter has hit against him in a single spell in Tests thus far.<o:p></o:p>
The rookie batter took on Mohammed Siraj, completing his maiden Test fifty soon after. However, Ravindra Jadeja accounted for his dismissal, trapped in front of the wickets on 60. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Australia on top on day one at the MCG<o:p></o:p></h2>
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in the fourth BGT Test. Openers made merry out in the middle, with both completing respective fifties. Following their dismissals, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith took charge and kept the run-rate ticking. <o:p></o:p>
While Marnus completed another fifty in this series (later got on 72), Steve closed in on his just after tea on day one.<o:p></o:p>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Meanwhile, Australia replaced the injured Josh Hazlewood with Victorian Scott Boland, and India dropped Shubman Gill for another all-rounder, Washington Sundar, in the XI.<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">

Sam Konstas broke several records during his maiden international outing for Australia and against Bumrah. He hit six fours and two sixes on his Test debut. 

Jasprit Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment; having attained the highest ranking (904) for an Indian Test pacer on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, Bumrah was on cloud nine only for a 19-year-old Sam Konstas to humble him the next day at the iconic MCG. The right-handed batter broke several records during his maiden international outing for Australia and against Bumrah, with his reverse-sweep six of the Indian ace seamer being the highlight. ALSO READ: BGT 2024-25: 'There’s a level of naivety,' Aussie skipper Pat Cummins on teen Sam Konstas ahead of MCG Test During the seventh over of the Australian innings, Konstas, batting on nine and having failed (in his attempt) to find runs off Bumrah by playing a reverse shot earlier, smashed one over the slips off a reverse sweep to Bumrah for a six. That shot brought the crowd to its feet, with over 80,000 fans cheering for the newcomer. Watch the Video – WHAT ARE WE SEEING! Sam Konstas just whipped Jasprit Bumrah for six 😱#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/ZuNdtCncLO — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 26, 2024 In the same over, Konstas hit him for two fours, one sweep and one reverse sweep before smashing Bumrah for another six over the long on area in the 11th over, becoming only the second batter after England’s Jos Buttler to hit two sixes against Bumrah in Tests. That over (7th) saw him going for 18 runs – the most he has conceded in a single over in the longest format. Konstas also hit 34 off 33 balls against Bumrah - the most a batter has hit against him in a single spell in Tests thus far. The rookie batter took on Mohammed Siraj, completing his maiden Test fifty soon after. However, Ravindra Jadeja accounted for his dismissal, trapped in front of the wickets on 60. Australia on top on day one at the MCG Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in the fourth BGT Test. Openers made merry out in the middle, with both completing respective fifties. Following their dismissals, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith took charge and kept the run-rate ticking. While Marnus completed another fifty in this series (later got on 72), Steve closed in on his just after tea on day one. Meanwhile, Australia replaced the injured Josh Hazlewood with Victorian Scott Boland, and India dropped Shubman Gill for another all-rounder, Washington Sundar, in the XI.

BGT– Konstas hits Bumrah for a six off reverse-sweep on debut – WATCH

Melbourne, Australia
Former coach Ravi Shastri has backed India to win the Boxing Day Test, saying the visitors have exploited Australia's "brittle" top order to have their "nose ahead" in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Shastri added that Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is "almost single-handedly" responsible for the visitors keeping the series levelled at 1-1.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-jasprit-bumrah-equals-ravi-ashwins-historic-feat-ahead-of-boxing-day-test-786710">BGT 2024-25: Jasprit Bumrah equals Ravi Ashwin's historic feat ahead of Boxing Day Test</a>
"I think India would take this, the way the series is poised. Any overseas team being 1-1, especially with the games being in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, they would take this.
"Going 1-1 into Boxing Day is the best case scenario. I would say India have their nose ahead," Shastri told news.Com.Au.
Australia's top order comprising Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne have been unable to score against Bumrah.
It has have forced them to hand a debut to teenage sensation Sam Konstas while dropping rookie opener Nathan McSweeney.
"It's been pretty brittle. When you look at this Australian line-up, it's been a long time since I've seen an Australian line-up where the top order is that brittle. India have exploited that and continue to exploit it,” Shastri said.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has also largely struggled for runs. In the last year, Labuschagne, Marsh, Khawaja and Steve Smith all had average less than 30 in Test cricket.
"India is 1-1 in the series and that man (Bumrah) has almost single-handedly got India into that position,” Shastri said.
"As far as Konstas goes, I think he's very refreshing. He's got flair, he's got flamboyance. But Test cricket is Test cricket. His technique will tighten up and he will be the future for Australia." Shastri feels McSweeney was unfortunate to have been axed after just three Tests.
"McSweeney was very unfortunate. He did the hard yards but he's a middle order batsman. I see him travelling to Sri Lanka when the Australian team go there and rebuild his career from there.
"But I think it's a good move getting Konstas in because you need someone who can take the attack to the Indian team, because the punches were coming from nowhere." 
India have won the last two series in Australia and now have the opportunity to become only the third touring side to win three consecutive series Down Under, joining the West Indies (1984/85, 1988/89, 1992/93) and South Africa (2008/09, 2012/13, 2016/17).
"Massive. No team has done that in a long time. Australia hammers sides when they come here. For India to pull off three on the trot will be something special.
"But they'll have to play good cricket. I see Australia coming hard in this Test match, especially with the bowlers. It's the batting that'll be the challenge for Australia more than anything else." Shastri feels India has come to Australia with a strong intent to win.
"India have come here to win, they haven't come here to fill in the numbers. Even when I was the coach, our mantra was to play extremely hard, fair and to win.
"You have to think of a method to beat Australia and not just compete. You've got to plan properly, how to take your 20 wickets. India have done that and been very aggressive.
"They've been in the face of Australia and give as good as they get. It's been entertaining and feisty stuff. The first day of the Boxing Day Test will determine which way the series will go," he added.

Australia's top order comprising Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne have been unable to score against Bumrah.



Melbourne, Australia Former coach Ravi Shastri has backed India to win the Boxing Day Test, saying the visitors have exploited Australia's "brittle" top order to have their "nose ahead" in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Shastri added that Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is "almost single-handedly" responsible for the visitors keeping the series levelled at 1-1. Also Read: BGT 2024-25: Jasprit Bumrah equals Ravi Ashwin's historic feat ahead of Boxing Day Test "I think India would take this, the way the series is poised. Any overseas team being 1-1, especially with the games being in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, they would take this. "Going 1-1 into Boxing Day is the best case scenario. I would say India have their nose ahead," Shastri told news.Com.Au. Australia's top order comprising Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne have been unable to score against Bumrah. It has have forced them to hand a debut to teenage sensation Sam Konstas while dropping rookie opener Nathan McSweeney. "It's been pretty brittle. When you look at this Australian line-up, it's been a long time since I've seen an Australian line-up where the top order is that brittle. India have exploited that and continue to exploit it,” Shastri said. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has also largely struggled for runs. In the last year, Labuschagne, Marsh, Khawaja and Steve Smith all had average less than 30 in Test cricket. "India is 1-1 in the series and that man (Bumrah) has almost single-handedly got India into that position,” Shastri said. "As far as Konstas goes, I think he's very refreshing. He's got flair, he's got flamboyance. But Test cricket is Test cricket. His technique will tighten up and he will be the future for Australia." Shastri feels McSweeney was unfortunate to have been axed after just three Tests. "McSweeney was very unfortunate. He did the hard yards but he's a middle order batsman. I see him travelling to Sri Lanka when the Australian team go there and rebuild his career from there. "But I think it's a good move getting Konstas in because you need someone who can take the attack to the Indian team, because the punches were coming from nowhere." India have won the last two series in Australia and now have the opportunity to become only the third touring side to win three consecutive series Down Under, joining the West Indies (1984/85, 1988/89, 1992/93) and South Africa (2008/09, 2012/13, 2016/17). "Massive. No team has done that in a long time. Australia hammers sides when they come here. For India to pull off three on the trot will be something special. "But they'll have to play good cricket. I see Australia coming hard in this Test match, especially with the bowlers. It's the batting that'll be the challenge for Australia more than anything else." Shastri feels India has come to Australia with a strong intent to win. "India have come here to win, they haven't come here to fill in the numbers. Even when I was the coach, our mantra was to play extremely hard, fair and to win. "You have to think of a method to beat Australia and not just compete. You've got to plan properly, how to take your 20 wickets. India have done that and been very aggressive. "They've been in the face of Australia and give as good as they get. It's been entertaining and feisty stuff. The first day of the Boxing Day Test will determine which way the series will go," he added.

BGT 2024-25: 'India have their nose ahead,' says former coach Ravi Shastri before Boxing Day Test

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