Australia's Top Order Fires on Boxing Day, Bumrah Strikes Late
Australia's top-order came alive on Boxing Day, giving the hosts early control in the first innings of the Melbourne Test. With the festive crowd roaring, the Australians reached 311/6 at the end of day’s play, thanks to a solid performance from their top four, including Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith—all of whom made vital contributions. While Konstas, Khawaja, and Labuschagne couldn't convert their fifties into centuries, their aggressive play set the stage for Australia to dominate, with India’s Jasprit Bumrah’s late double-strike and Akash Deep’s spirited effort preventing further damage.
The day’s play saw a thrilling start, as Australia threw something different at India, giving debutant Sam Konstas a chance to unsettle Bumrah’s dominance over the Australian top order. And Konstas did just that. The 19-year-old attacked with fearless strokeplay, reverse-scooping Bumrah and charging India’s pacers. His audacious batting took the Indian bowlers by surprise, with his first reverse-scoop turning the match’s momentum in Australia’s favour. After surviving a testing start, Konstas unleashed, hitting Bumrah for two reverse-scoops, including one six—a first for Bumrah in the format since the 2021 Sydney Test.
Konstas eventually scored a brisk 60 off 65 balls, including 6 fours and 2 sixes, before being dismissed LBW by Ravindra Jadeja. His explosive start laid the perfect platform for the Australian top order. Alongside him, Khawaja found his groove, facing fewer balls from Bumrah after Konstas’ counterattack. With Konstas’ dismissal, Khawaja continued to build a solid innings, bringing up his half-century off 106 balls. Despite the slow phase that followed, India’s bowlers struggled to break the partnership.
The first session was a run-fest, with Australia scoring 112 in just 25 overs, but the middle session saw India tighten things up. Akash Deep and Bumrah bowled disciplined spells, keeping the Australian batters on edge. Bumrah and Deep found edges but the lack of sharp bounce and a softer ball prevented any breakthroughs. Khawaja’s resilience paid off when he hit a pulled boundary, taking him to his first half-century of the series. However, it was Bumrah's persistence that finally broke the stand, dismissing Khawaja for the fifth time in four Tests, this time off a toe-ended pull shot to mid-wicket.
Labuschagne, who had been under pressure from Mohammed Siraj’s deliveries that nipped back, took charge after Khawaja’s exit. The partnership between Labuschagne and Smith flourished, as they scored 61 runs in the first 12 overs of the final session, with Smith in particular looking fluent against Jadeja. The Australians looked poised to push on but lost Labuschagne to a sharp catch by Virat Kohli off Washington Sundar, sending them from 237/2 to 246/5.
Bumrah then made further inroads, removing Travis Head for a duck and Mitchell Marsh for 4. But a resilient 53-run stand between Smith and Alex Carey steadied the ship, with Carey contributing a useful 31 before falling to Deep just as India took the second new ball. Smith, however, remained unbeaten on 68, seeing off the tricky final period under lights, and leaving Australia in a strong position as they look to build on their total in the coming days.
