India vs Australia 4th Test Day 2 Live Score: IND toothless as imperious Smith powers AUS dominance, 453/7 at Lunch

India vs Australia 4th Test Day 2 Live Score: India fell apart in the first session as Steve Smith ground them to dust with able assistance from Pat Cummins first and Mitchell Starc. Australia finished the first session on 454/7 with Smith on 139 off 194 balls. Smith cruised to his 34th Test century as he and Cummins made the most of the favourable batting conditions and some sloppy fielding and bowling from India early on Day 2 of the fourth Test at the MCG....Read More

India would've hoped that the fresh second new ball would bring quick wickets on Day 2 but some puzzling bowling tactics and sloppy fielding has allowed Smith and Cummins to pile on the pain early on the day. The partnership between the pair raced past 50 within the first hour.

Boxing Day during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy lived up to the expectations, as a capacity crowd of over 87,000 people at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground witnessed a back-and-forth day of action that saw both teams leave with plenty to be happy about heading into the rest of the fourth Test match of this series.

Day two will now define how the rest of the match, and potentially the series, progresses. At 311/6, the game is in the balance, but with the pitch only expected to get spicier and present more of a challenge for batters, a lot could depend on how India perform with bat in hand in the first innings. The first digs has been a consistent struggle for the touring team, but with Australia once again putting runs on the board, there will be no option of folding cheaply with rain unlikely to play a significant role as it did at the Gabba.

Australia showed that there is value for runs on offer, at least early on at the MCG. While there will be plenty in the pitch to keep Australia’s pacers very interested, counter-punching and not letting Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Scott Boland settle into a good rhythm will be key for India’s top order. They will have to find a balance between being looking to unsettle Australia and risking their wickets, however, with most batters in search of runs, particularly in the top order.

It will be interesting to see what combination India go ahead with following the dropping of Shubman Gill, whether KL Rahul will drop into number three and let Rohit Sharma return to opening the batting after mediocre performances in Adelaide and Brisbane, or if Rohit will be the one taking up that crucial number three slot. Rahul has been the closest thing to a Pujara-type blocker for India, looking self-assured and contained in his batting so far this series, which might convince the Indian think-tank to have him play that role and protect the likes of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant just a little bit extra.

Play began with Jasprit Bumrah making life uncomfortable for young debutant Sam Konstas, but the teenaged Australian batter met fire with fire to make it a memorable day out for fans in the stadium, and announced himself to the world stage with a rapid-fire 60 off 65 deliveries in the first session. Konstas repeatedly went for scoops and reverse scoops off Bumrah’s bowling, nullifying India’s strike man with creative and brave batting that was unique to any opening batter in Test cricket.

He was dismissed soon after his 50 after being caught LBW by Ravindra Jadeja, but Konstas’ punchy batting at the top made the jobs easier for the rest of Australia’s top order, as all four managed to cross the half-century mark. Usman Khawaja finally made a score of significance before toe-ending a pull shot off Bumrah to KL Rahul at short mid-wicket, while Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith looked to put their troubles behind them as they batted confidently and fluently to put Australia firmly in control.

Labuschagne’s dismissal, however, opened the floodgates for India as they finally managed to dismiss Travis Head cheaply, Bumrah getting rid of the dangerous southpaw as unorthodox fielding positions had him second-guess himself and leave a delivery that flicked the top of off stump. Mitchell Marsh continued to have a quiet series as he departed soon after, Bumrah’s third wicket of the day.

Despite being 237-2 heading into the final session, Bumrah led India’s response as Australia suddenly found themselves knocked back to 246-5. Akash Deep, who had bowled well throughout the day, finally got some reward for his efforts as he removed Alex Carey with the second new ball, just as the sixth-wicket partnership between the Aussie keeper and Smith began to flourish. Smith remains at the crease, and with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc capable of providing able support, India will remain concerned about leaking too many runs to the back half of Australia’s bowling order.

India will be happy at 311/6 heading into day two in these conditions, especially having lost the toss, but know the threat of Australia touching 400 might well put them in the back seat for the rest of the match. Nevertheless, the focus will certainly be on the batting, as India look for answers against the hard new ball.

While Josh Hazlewood sits out, Scott Boland has a terrific record at the MCG, the Victorian’s home ground, and as does Nathan Lyon. The spinner hasn’t been called for much this series, but he will have noticed and been happy with some of the bite that Jadeja and Washington Sundar were generating. With Starc’s big footmarks also coming into play, India will know there might not be too many spells of respite.

With the game in the balance, it will sway one way or the other on day two. In a rollercoaster match in a rollercoaster series, there is plenty that could happen, making it a can’t-miss day’s play at the MCG.

Here are some pointers to India vs Australia 4th Test Day 2:

- Australia 454/7 in 113 overs at Lunch

- Pat Cummins fell to Ravindra Jadeja one run short of his half-century; partnership between him and Smith ended on 112 off 135 balls

- Australia crossed 400 in 103.1 overs

- Partnership between Smith and Cummins crossed 100 in 128 balls

- Smith scored his 34th Test century in 167 balls

- India were hardly able to challenge the Australian batters in the first hour of play on the second day

- Australia start the day on 311/6 in 86 overs

- Steve Smith is batting on 68 off 111 balls while captain Pat Cummins is at the other end on eight off 17

- Jasprit Bumrah has taken three wickets, two of which came in consecutive overs late on Day 1

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