India's innings against Australia on Day 1 of the fifth Test was marked by a dramatic confrontation between teenage star Sam Konstas and Jasprit Bumrah. The day began with Australia bundled out for 185, thanks to Scott Boland's masterclass. Konstas aggressively targeted Bumrah from the start, leading to heated exchanges. The day concluded with Usman Khawaja's dismissal, sparking celebrations directed at Konstas. Controversy also surrounded the use of technology multiple times throughout the day.
After winning the toss and being bundled out for 185 — courtesy of another Scott Boland masterclass — 19-year-old Konstas went on the attack to Bumrah from the very first ball, before barbs were exchanged with two balls remaining in the day.Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
“I’ve never seen such a green wicket in Sydney. It’s hard to drive. It’s a bit tennis ball-y and there’s a lot of movement there.” Considered an MCG specialist, the wicket of Reddy - which followed the scalps of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant - saw his average at Sydney’s cricket ground dip to 7.Brett Lee, no stranger to receiving fond applause from the Sydney faithful, made the point about Boland’s state of origin when praising just how special a bowler the Victorian is.
Not only is a man who excels on the biggest stages, as evidenced by his deeds in Melbourne and Sydney and in the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, he also secures the big name scalps as well. But anyone who has witness Boland against the best, and on the biggest stages, will not be surprised. And nor will the batters who have come up against the Aussie fill-in.
“Given the right conditions, he’s as good as anybody. He just puts the ball in the danger area all the time. He does enough off the seam. He bowls full, but he doesn’t bowl half volleys, so he’s never quite there to drive. So he’s a phenomenal bowler in the right conditions.” Rohit Sharma, who has averaged 22.77 in Test since the start of February last year, watched from the Member’s Stand in his training kit as Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahiul walked out to bat on Friday morning. The 37-year-old, having led India towards a T20 World Cup title six months ago,, with bowler Jasprit Bumrah leading the team in his absence.
During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sharma has accumulated 31 runs at 6.20 with a high score of 10. He has looked sluggish at the crease, and late to react when facing Australia’s world-class fast bowlers. “He’s not getting younger … it’s not that India don’t have youngsters. There are very, very good players in the wings and it’s time to build.Former Australian captain Allan Border continued: “It is something you have been doing since you were a kid, so it is a really hard decision to give the game away.”With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy well and truly on the line at 2-1 Australia’s way heading to Sydney, India could ill-afford another repeat of their second innings in Melbourne.
Normally a compact and disciplined batter, Rahul’s early exit left the recalled Shubman Gill exposed to the new ball and India on the back foot from the get-go in Sydney. “That’s the errors that teams make against Australia; one minute before lunch!” former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe added. Boland’s delivery to the 21-year-old all-rounder was well back of a length, and nearly on a seventh stump line. The Victorian is world-class when it comes to enticing batters to play balls not hitting the stumps, but Reddy’s dismissal was indicative of poor application shared by several of his teammates.
“I think he’s got away with one there Kohli, but that’s the way the game goes. I suppose you can look at it two ways, beauty’s in the eye of the beholder. I think evidence suggests he just had his finger underneath it.” Even last week at the MCG, Wilson found himself in the middle of an umpiring storm after he neglected to give Yashasvi Jaiswal out after the Indian opener gloved a delivery through to Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
The Fox Cricket expert, who played 128 Tests for Australia over 11 years, had been asked a day earlier whether he would be prepared to award Beau Webster with his “Baggy Green”. Things have changed since Waugh, who was 25 when he debuted with a glorious century against England in Adelaide in 1991, finally received the call up for national Test honours.
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