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Cricket PlayersIndia vs Australia: Back in India, Virat Kohli reacts to India’s performance on Day 1 of MCG Test
India vs Australia: Back in India for his paternity leave, Virat Kohli was impressed with the efforts put in by the Indian team and congratulated the team for their fine show by posting a tweet.
It was a fine effort by India on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia on Saturday. Led by fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and off-spinner R Ashwin, India bowled out Australia for 195 in their first innings and finished the day on 36/1, trailing the hosts by 159 runs at stumps. Bumrah was the star of the show for India, picking up 4/56, and aided supremely by Ashwin’s 3/35 and Test debutant Mohammed Siraj’s returns of 2/40.
When it was their turn with the bat, India lost opening batsman Mayank Agarwal – who had made his Test debut exactly two years ago with a fine 70-odd – for a duck, sent back by Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc in the first over. But Shubman Gill, playing his first Test, and Cheteshwar Pujara ensured India did not suffer any further bumps along the way and took the team safely to stumps.
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In the absence of Virat Kohli, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane received praises for his captaincy, especially for his field placements and his gamble of introducing spin in the first hour of play itself, which paid off. Back in India for his paternity leave, Kohli was impressed with the efforts put in by the Indian team and congratulated the team for their fine show by posting a tweet.
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“Top day 1 for us. Great display from the bowlers and a solid finish too,” Kohli tweeted.
It was one of those days for India when you knew things fell in place from the moment they entered the field. Bumrah provided an early breakthrough by removing opener Joe Burns out caught behind for a duck. Matthew Wade and Marnus Labuschagne attempted at taking Australia forward but Ashwin struck to remove the other opening batsman, followed by the wicket of the dangerous Steve Smith for the second duck of the Australian innings.
Travis Head and Labuschagne started building a partnership, which added 85 runs before Siraj picked up his maiden wicket. Labuschagne flicked the fast bowler straight to Gill at short third man. From there, it was all downhill for Australia. Head was the only significant scorer as Ashwin, Siraj, Jadeja and Bumrah wiped off the lower order to bowl Australia out inside 200.
