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34th over: Australia 119-5 (Webster 36, Carey 14) Another wallop by Webster. This one gets him three runs through point from Krishna’s first ball and makes him Australia’s top scorer. Krishna is still getting lift and zip from this pitch even with a softer ball. Webster tries to swat the fifth ball down Driver Avenue but it’s an air swing.
33rd over: Australia 117-5 (Webster 34, Carey 14) Siraj steams in and puts in the slot for Webster to straight drive. He opens the face to guide it safely through gully for a single. Carey knows a quicker route, stepping out and cleaving through cover for FOUR.
32nd over: Australia 112-5 (Webster 32, Carey 10) Webster works Krishna square for a single as Australia continue at a healthy clip of 3.6 per over. This partnership needs to prosper though as it’s only bowlers to come, despite Pat Cummins now being ranked the No 4 allrounder in the world.
31st over: Australia 111-5 (Webster 32, Carey 10) Bumrah is into his 10th over and has 2-27. The wicket of Labuschagne took him to 32 wickets for the series – the most for an Indian bowler in a Test series in Australia. Carey doesn’t bow to that feat. Instead he cuts the fifth delivery through gully for FOUR. Australia trail by 74 runs.
30th over: Australia 105-5 (Webster 32, Carey 4) Here we go again. Prasidh Krishna, who took the big wicket of Steve Smith in his last over, has the first after lunch to Beau Webster who resumes on 28. Krishna gets his fifth ball to leap but Webster gets a neat revenge next ball, skipping across to slam it down the ground for four. Go Beau!
Players are taking the field for the second session but the dismissal of Steve Smith before lunch moved Pananjady Swathi to poetry during the break:
Always glad to see Smith go
He puts on such an ugly show
Shuffling all over the place
With complete lack of grace
I’d rather watch the grass grow
Thanks Pananjady. A lovely piece of doggerel.
Steve Smith might have been made to wait for his milestone, left stranded on 9995 Test runs when he nicked Krishna just before lunch, but India’s new captain Jasprit Bumrah made a little history of his own this morning.
There’s an update from the terrible collision in last night’s Big Bash game. Cameron Bancroft has suffered a broken nose and a broken shoulder and is unlikely to play again in the BBL14 tournament. Daniel Sams will be sidelined for at least 12 days after he and Bancroft were both diagnosed with concussions. We wish both well in their recovery.
Thunder’s Cam Bancroft and Daniel Sams have suffered concussion after a head-on collision in the field. Both have been taken to hospital for further assessment #BBL14
Details: 👇https://t.co/Gbe8z2CsJ5
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2025
LUNCH: Australia are 101 for 5 trailing India by 84 runs
A lively start to day two! Australia scored 92 fast runs but India took four key wickets so I’m giving the visitors that session.
New India captain Jasprit Bumrah did the early damage, removing Marnus Labuschagne (2) with a peach. Then Mohammed Siraj steamed in and ripped into the middle-order removing Sam Konstas (a cavalier 23) and Travis Head (a two-ball 4).
Australia recovered for a time, Steve Smith and Beau Webster turning 39-4 into 96-4 before Prasidh Krishna got Smith (33) nicking to slip in the penultimate over before lunch to fall five runs short of 10,000 Test runs.
It leaves Australia on the precipice, still 84 runs behind India’s first innings total and with only the tail to come. Can Alex Carey and debutant Beau Webster – unbeaten and looking good on 28 – mount a rearguard action and get Australia a lead? Or will India exploit this bouncy Sydney pitch and send more wickets skittling in the second session?
Catch you in a hot halfa to find out.
29th over: Australia 101-5 (Webster 28, Carey 4) Last over before lunch. Siraj, always hungry, bends his back at Webster. It’s a tall order given the allrounder is 200cm and the big Tasmanian flicks a single to fine leg. And now Carey dines out before lunch! Siraj put it wide and full and Carey pounced, crashing it to the rope. Handsome way to get off the mark. That will be lunch on day two.
28th over: Australia 96-5 (Webster 27, Carey 0) Prasidh welcomes Alex Carey to the crease with a snorting delivery that springs from the pitch like a mongoose at a cobra. Carey recovers but won’t chance his hand in the penultimate over before lunch. Wicket maiden for Prasidh. He took some punishment from Smith but got him in the end.
WICKET! Smith c Rahul b Prasidh 33 (Australia 96-5)
Smith goes! He was on the verge of bringing up his 10,000 Test runs. But history will have to wait. He’s back in the pavilion after playing at a straight one and edging to first slip. Good bowling by Krishna. Terrible blow for Australia in the shadows of lunch.
27th over: Australia 96-4 (Smith 33, Webster 27) India turn to spin. Ravindra Jadeja, the world’s No 1 allrounder, has been thrown the ball. Webster calmly paddles him over his left shoulder for two then pushes to square leg for another deuce. Runs flowing. Australia trail by 89 runs.
26th over: Australia 92-4 (Smith 33, Webster 23) Webster punches for FOUR! Nitish gave him space outside off and the 200cm allrounder got on his toes to whack it to the rope. Gets a single on the next to take the partnership to 45. Impressive debut so far for the man from Snug south of Hobart. He took two fine slips catches yesterday and has now steered Australia out of a crisis. Now Smith gets in the action, hot stepping to the pitch of the fifth and driving for FOUR. And he goes at the last ball too, cutting a short wide one to the fence. A 13-run over.
25th over: Australia 79-4 (Smith 25, Webster 18) Siraj to Smith. Heatmiser v Snowmiser. The big quick has his face smeared in zinc warpaint as usual. Smith, impish and twitchy, dances around the first few. Siraj retrieves the second, threatens to shy at the stumps. Smith laughs in his face. More comedy as the umpire fields a yellow balloon and puts it between his teeth to burst it. The crowd are enjoying this day two contest.
24th over: Australia 79-4 (Smith 25, Webster 18) Shout for lbw by Reddy but it’s down leg side and India don’t review. Smith pockets a single off his left hip. Webster plays out the rest. Australia trail by 106 runs.
23rd over: Australia 78-4 (Smith 24, Webster 18) Smith cuts for FOUR! Siraj, back for a second spell, sent down a loosener and Smith rocked back and crashed it to the rope. Great batting. Smith looks sharp today. That shot brings up 5000 Test runs in Australia.
22nd over: Australia 73-4 (Smith 20, Webster 18) Bowling change from India. Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has the ball for his first spell of the Test. Reddy got a golden duck yesterday, edging to Boland to Smith first ball, so will be keen to make amends. Webster takes his second ball for a single. Smith takes another from the last.
21st over: Australia 71-4 (Smith 19, Webster 18) Webster continues to thrive at Test level, taking Krishna for two and then a couple of singles. Krishna is going at four an over and might need a spell to settle the nerves. This partnership is now worth 32.
The emails are coming in from all quarters: Poland. Naples. Bangalore. Now Scandinavia. Julian Menz has pout everything on hold to write in from Sweden: “I have masses to do tomorrow including taking my daughter skiing (in Sweden here cricket is croquet), but can’t help myself I love love top-class Test cricket, and am glued to the OBO. The local pistes will just have to wait till after lunch!
No one is waiting at the SCG, Julian. Plenty of pistes people at the Doug Walters Bar already.
20th over: Australia 66-4 (Smith 18, Webster 13) Smith needs 20 runs for 10,000. Bumrah stands in the way, right arm flexed and fizzing them down at 138kph. Smith is batting a foot outside his crease then stepping out and across to negate the wicked angles Bumrah is getting from this pitch and keep lbw out of the equation. It’s ungainly and unorthodox but who’s to argue when it’s got him 9980 Test runs? A maiden.
19th over: Australia 66-4 (Smith 18, Webster 13) Beau Webster clubs another couple of runs through midwicket from Krishna. The big Tasmanian has looked good for his baker’s dozen so far. He needs plenty more if Australia are to overhaul India’s 185 today. Can he and Steve Smith go on with it?
Ross McGillivray writes in with an early contender for word of year: “Labuschagne (Verb). To walk off slowly trying to convince yourself and spectators that what just happened didn’t really happen.
I like it Ross. Drop the boffins at Macquarie a line.
18th over: Australia 64-4 (Smith 18, Webster 11) Bumrah and Smith duel. And again Bumrah gets the ball to swing back a mile. Strewth, this Sydney pitch is full of vim. Smith fends a single and Webster does likewise to leave Australia trailing by 121 runs.
17th over: Australia 62-4 (Smith 17, Webster 10) Krishna – not the major deity in Hinduism worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu but the fast bowler from Karnataka – returns. Smith whacked him for six and four from his last two balls. Krishna does better on the first five here. Not so good on the sixth which Webster wallops for FOUR.
Colum Fordham is tuning from pretty/ gritty Naples.
Really ought to be in bed but can’t take my eyes off this spicy contest and, like the last few overs yesterday evening, the Indian quicks are giving the Aussies a tough time. As they have to if India are to square the series.
Great to see Konstas’ fearless reaction to Bumrah and Siraj’s wonderful pace bowling. India have to set more aggressive fields if they want to maximise the opportunity created by Marnus’ wicket
Great to have the OBO for company.
Great to have you aboard, Colum! “Spicy” is the word. Or should I say Speziato!
16th over: Australia 58-4 (Smith 17, Webster 6) Webster flicks for FOUR. That’s 14 from three balls for Australia and the first boundary for Australia’s debutant allrounder. It goes to his head a little on the next one as he fends one into covers and sets off, only to be sharply sent back by Smith. Strewth! Bumrah gets his fifth ball to jag back viciously. That one started on a fifth stump line and sailed over the leg bail!
15th over: Australia 53-4 (Smith 17, Webster 1) Australia struggling in Sydney. Smith has Prasidh Krishna at his throat again. Krishna is in his third Test for India, just two wickets at 65 from them so far. But he’s tall, hungry and fast, sending them down at almost 140kph. Smith doesn’t care. He leans back and casually pulls him square for SIX! Now he goes the other way, leaning into the final ball and lifting it over the offside ring for FOUR. Smith now needs 21 runs to reach 10,000 Test runs.
14th over: Australia 43-4 (Smith 7, Webster 1) Webster edges! He went hard at Siraj and the ball skewed off the cue tip and landed just short of third slip. Close! Now the big allrounder from Snug fends one into the covers and gets off the mark in Test cricket. Siraj has the ball swinging harder than Austin Powers. He beats Smith with the fourth but Australia’s No 4 gets revenge on the next, driving down the ground for three.
13th over: Australia 39-4 (Smith 4, Webster 0) Australia spiralling at the SCG! Beau Webster is out in the middle for his first Test innings. But first new boy Prasidh Krishna is steaming in at Steve Smith. His first ball explodes off the pitch and rears at Smith, cannoning into his hands. That was nasty! Smith, a little unnerved, leaves the rest.
WICKET! Head c Rahul b Siraj 4 (India 39-4)
Head arrives. Head hits a four first ball. Head edges… Head goes! What an over for Mohammed Sira and just reward for some fine fast bowling. Head did what Head does, driving off his toes for the most glorious four from his first ball. Siraj put the next one on a tighter line. It jagged back at Head who defending, caught a thick edge and sending it squirting into the slips cordon where Rahul pocketed the chance.
WICKET! Konstas c Jaiswal b Siraj 23 (Australia 35-3)
The Konstas show ends! Beautiful bowling by Siraj. He put it wide and Konstas flashed at it but swing undid him and it flew to Jaiswal at gully who took a sharp chance. Australian fans slump with disappointment but India are on the up!
11th over: Australia 35-2 (Konstas 23, Smith 4) Konstas ramps Bumrah! That one was right out of the middle and it flew over slips and bounced twice before hitting the rope. The crowd roar. Kid Dynamite is away here. Bumrah sees him coming on the second, puts it wide. Konstas won’t back down. he swipes at the the third, gets hit in the ribs. Has another heave at the fourth but doesn’t connect, instead top edging over the infield for a run. Smith steps away to the last and gets four byes to fine leg. An eventful over!
10th over: Australia 26-2 (Konstas 18, Smith 4) Siraj has it swinging! That one left Konstas late and drew OOOOHs from the slips cordon. Konstas, standing tall with lip twitching, watches two scramble seam deliveries pass through. He’s waiting on a wide one and Siraj delivers on the fifth, allowing a glance to fine leg. Australia trail by 159.
9th over: Australia 25-2 (Konstas 17, Smith 4) Konstas cracks a four! We saw that shot in Melbourne, stepping down to Bumnrah and driving down the ground. He swats at the next one too, bottom edges to fine leg.
8th over: Australia 16-2 (Konstas 12, Smith 4) Steve Smith has arrived. He walked out needing 38 runs to reach 10,000 Test runs and a quick single from Bumrah made it 37. He now squares up to Siraj and punches down the ground for three. Fast start for Smudge! And a painful one for Siraj who has split a finger trying to stop that drive. Blood on the wicket. And now almost a run-out! Konstas clipped it off his hip and Smith set off but Konstas sent him back. Smith had to sprawl to make his ground. A direct hit would’ve had him. Konstas gets another run, swiping wide through gully.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Pant b Bumrah 2 (Australia 15-2)
Tick, tick… Bumrah! He’s done it again. Brilliant bowling from India’s No 1 man and Marnus starts his snail’s crawl back to the pavilion. That was a pearl of a ball that bit and lifted, kissing the edge on the way through. Sure enough, Snicko shows static and Labuschagne is gone. Australia in early trouble on day two!
7th over: Australia 15-1 (Konstas 11, Labuschagne 2) Bounce for Bumrah! Labuschagne does well to keep it down. He’s undone by the next one. Huge appeal but no upraised finger from the umpire. India seem very confident and will send it upstairs for review…
6th over: Australia 15-1 (Konstas 11, Labuschagne 2) Konstas is beaten! Lovely outswinger by Siraj. It’s a set-up for the wobble seam delivery on middle and leg next. Konstas keeps it out. Fourth ball is a wide and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant lands on the ball in his tumble to stop byes. He can’t stop that one! Konstas cracks another swinging ball through covers for two.
5th over: Australia 11-1 (Konstas 9, Labuschagne 2) Here comes Jasprit Bumrah. Marnus Labuschagne on strike. He blocks the first and steps out to the second, driving for two. Positive start for Marnus. Bumrah gets him edging the next. The day one bounce is still there in spades on this SCG pitch. Bumrah is up to 135kph as he hunts a 32nd wicket for the series.
4th over: Australia 11-1 (Konstas 9, Labuschagne 0) Runs from the first ball! Siraj strayed to the pads and Konstas clipped him square for two. That will settle the nerves – if this kid has any. Straight balls meet a straight bat on the next two. India are chirpy this morning, none more vocal than Virat Kohli at first slip. Konstas, with that Elvis lip curl, blocks one, leaves one. We’re away!
Players are on the field and we are about to get under way. Australia’s Sam Konstas will face India’s Mohammed Siraj from the Paddington end.
This is the 112th Test between these great cricket nations. Australia have won 47, India 33 and there have been 30 draws. There has also been one tie and one of the heroes of that 1986 thriller was Dean Jones whose innings of 210 in the 45C heat of Madras/ Chennai has gone down in history as one of the bravest of all-time.
Shannon Gill has this fascinating feature about Deano.
We had over 47,000 fans in the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday and the queues are snaking in again today, particularly with the promise of Sam Konstas batting today.
I’m not sure India share Australia’s love affair with the Sundance Kid from Kogarah. Whether it’s batting like a boy in the backyard, chirping in the field or playing to the crowd, the 19-year-old is getting under their skin as only a lippy teenage boy can.
Here’s how Konstas got his innings started yesterday. The stones on this kid…
Please feel free to shoot me an email during the day’s play. There were some strong opinions piling into the InBox yesterday from all four corners of the globe about the validity of Steve Smith’s catch of Virat Kohli, the stability of Rishabh Pant’s hector protector and whether Usman Khawaja’s last-over stalling or Sam Konstas’s lip service was responsible for Jasprit Bumrah getting his back up and conjuring that jaffa that cost Australia their first wicket.
And while you’re online, please donate to The McGrath Foundation in this Pink Test.
Day one was an arm wrestle that almost dissolved into a barroom brawl. Here’s how that dramatic final minute unfolded…
For those who came in late, here’s how Geoff Lemon saw day one…
Preamble
Angus Fontaine
Greetings cricket fans and welcome to day two of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India in Sydney where the skies are blue and the fish are jumping.
Day one was torrid. On a spicy Sydney green-top India’s batters were battered – and bettered. They scored 185 runs, with no batter getting beyond 40, and wore just as many bruises. Australia’s bowlers were relentless, with Mitchell Starc snarling through 18 overs for three wickets and Pat Cummins chiming in with two. The quiet hero was Scott Boland who took 4-31 from 20 sublime overs with eight maidens.
As we’ve come to expect from these two sides, there was drama and controversy aplenty. Boland caught Virat Kohli’s edge first ball and Steve Smith got the grippers underneath the catch and flicked it up to Marnus Labuschagne to general pandemonium… only for the third umpire to find a blade of grass had touched the ball.
The other flashpoint came in the final minute of the day when Jasprit Bumrah lost his cool with Usman Khawaja who was stalling at the striker’s end. Sam Konstas, who had the crowd on a string all day with two catches and 2000+ selfies, threw a bit of shade Bumrah’s way in support of his partner and the two advanced on each other. Umpires got a stopper in the confrontation but the bear had been poked. Bumrah duly charged in with a demon ball that caught Khawaja’s edge and left Australia 9-1 at stumps.
That’s how we left it. How will it kick off today? Konstas is not out seven after skipping down and launching Bumrah’s first ball of the innings to the boundary. The boy wonder has a big target on his head today. Can he survive and thrive as he did at the MCG? Or will India, needing to win to clinch the series, wrestle back momentum again?
Batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up. We’ll find out at 10.30am AEST.