Fifteen
wickets tumbled on day 3 today at maligned MCG pitch as a deck which had been
slammed for being ‘fl aaa t’ lifeless
belatedly delivered joy for the bowlers.
It is not often one would still relish a happy feeling when 5 down for
44 .. as Pat Cummins reduced India to shambles – we have not seen Cheteshwar
Pujara & Virat Kohli failing to open their account – Hanuma Vihari not the
right guy to open, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma too getting out – Rishab
Pant out in the middle with debutant Mayank Agarwal .. .. Indian fans are hopeful of a win here and –
the coveted Border-Gavaskar trophy too ! – let us wait for a day more for that
!! ~ the belonged to Jasprit Bumrah, called a “genius” on air by
Australia’s former captain Michael Clarke.
Bumrah’s career-best figures of 6/33 in 15.5 overs made him the first bowler from the
subcontinent to take a five-for or more in South Africa, England and Australia
in the same year.
pic credit : guardian.co.uk
Melbourne is gearing up for New Year celebrations with
glittering fireworks (whether
they are eco-friendly, whether they will emit obnoxious gases are out of Q as
there is no Supreme court ban over there !!) From a top-secret location, white vans are being packed with
explosives and transported around the Melbourne CBD for a New Year’s Eve
fireworks display promised to be like nowhere else in the world.From the ground
to the tops of 22 buildings and spread over a 7km radius, 14 tonnes of
fireworks worth $234,000 will be set off to welcome 2019.Design work started in
March for the 10-minute sound and light show, set to music of Indigenous rapper
Adam Briggs, and dozens of workers have already spent more than a week setting
it up.This year’s special effects include flying dragons, swirling across the
sky like the mythical creatures they’re named for, and the personal favourite
of display manager Rusty Johnson, the spider shells with their eight
distinctive legs weaving a web over the city.
Will Australia bite the dust ?
~ there is already much firework off the field – by the interview and
follow-up of the ball-tampering episode.
It’s long been alleged that David Warner issued the "code red"
on Cameron Bancroft. That Warner asked the junior player to carry out the dirty
work of scratching the ball with sandpaper.
Not sure, if Bancroft and Warner have spoken to each other since the
South African tour, but the Bancroft interview with Adam Gilchrist seems like
the junior opener wanted to throw Warner under the bus. He definitely got the
jump on Warner and it seemed like payback in full.How could these two guys open
the batting together again?
Back on the ground at famous MCG India declared their first
innings at 443 for 7 down (C Pujara 106, V Kohli 82; P Cummins 3-72); had
Aussies pinned down – 151 all out 151 (M Harris 22, T Paine 22; J Bumrah 6-33). If one hailed declaration by India as an
aggressive move, it will be too difficult to explain why follow-on was not
imposed and why India chose to bat and ended the day at 5-54 (M Agarwal 28no, H
Vihari 13; P Cummins 4-10) – the oft repeated excuses would be giving breather
to bowlers and avoiding playing the last innings. Aussies were bowled out in 66.5 overs and
other than Jadeja it was Bumrah who bowled 16.5 – so rest was not the answer. If follow-on had been enforced, India had a
huge 291 run lead – Australia could not have exceeded this to make India bat
again – and if so, the chase should have been for a small number .. so what
explains the illogical decision of chosing to bat through ! ~ anyway, India need
not think of another possible declaration as Cummins has almost closed them
with his incisive spell. Cummins, on a hat-trick, gave the 33,447 fans plenty
to cheer about late but India looms as the only team that will emerge
triumphant.His outstanding spell left many wondering what could have been had
Australian shown more application with the bat.
The Indian score of 5/54 still translates to 346 ahead. Given the way Australia surrendered
in their first innings, India most likely have enough already. History suggests
they have.The highest fourth-innings run chase in Melbourne is 332, set way
back in 1928-29.
The
home team's technical deficiencies were brutally exposed by a clinical Indian
attack which ruthlessly dismantled Justin Langer's inexperienced batting
line-up. Apart from Shaun Marsh, who was befuddled by a wicked slower ball from
Jasprit Bumrah, their frontline batsmen triggered their own downfall.Though
Marsh has been applauded by teammates for his role with the ball here, he has
made only 119 at 9.9 since his agenda-setting 96 in Durban.Australia
capitulated for 151 in only 67 overs on a pitch that had been slammed by
critics for being too friendly to batsmen. At the corresponding stage of their
first innings, India were 2/165. Four Indian players faced 100 balls, none did
for Australia. Six Indians passed 30, Australia's top score was 22.
Jasprit
Bumrah with sling action was the destroyer,
claiming a career-best 6/33 – the third best return by an Indian bowler behind
Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev. The paceman with the short run-up and unorthodox
action attacked the stumps and was rewarded grandly. Bumrah's slower-ball
yorker to Shaun Marsh was a stunner, swerving late and dipping under the bat to
find his pad. The tail were also no match for Bumrah, who completed his haul
with a pair of thunderbolts.
Has Kohli and the coach Ravi Shastri denied Bumrah capitalising
his dream spell with another sling at the opposition for the 2nd
innings ? – enforcing follow-on and having at least half of Aussie back in
pavilion would have been a much much better option. .. .. let us wait for that final punch.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
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