Mohammed Siraj’s ‘black magic’ of changing the bails against Marnus Labuschagne on Day 1 of the fourth India vs Australia Test failed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday. Instead, the trick worked as Usman Khawaja got out a couple of overs later off a short delivery from Jasprit Bumrah.
The incident unfolded after the second ball of the 43rd over of the Australian innings with Labuschagne at the striker’s end. Siraj went up to the stumps, switches the bail as the Australian looked at the other end. While returning, Siraj called Labuschagne and said, “Marnus, look at that.” Siraj had done the same to Labuschagne at the Gabba and the Australian batter lost his wicket soon after that.
Nothing happened in that over as Labuschagne calmly played Siraj. However, things changed on the first ball of the 45th over with Jasprit Bumrah getting the better of Khawaja for 57.
Khawaja went into the pull shot a tad early as the ball hits the toe-end of his bat to go straight to KL Rahul at short mid-wicket. Labuschagne was latter dismissed for 72, shortly after the drinks break in the third session off the bowling of Washington Sundar.
Australia reach 311/6 on Day 1
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah’s 3/75 kept India alive after Australia’s top-order, headlined by teen debutant Sam Konstas’ stroke-filled half-century, guided the hosts to 311/6 at stumps.
If Konstas’ audacious 60 off 65 balls enthralled the near sell-out crowd of over 80,000 at the MCG during a humid morning session, Bumrah’s deception of length to dismiss Travis Head (0) also had its takers as chants of ‘Boom, Boom, Booooomraaaaaaah’ reverberated through the stands.
The first two sessions belonged to Australia with senior players Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith (68 batting, 111 balls) scoring half-centuries.
The final session was all about Bumrah magic. The Indian spearhead didn’t let the hosts completely walk away with the game which they threatened to do at one stage. Washington Sundar (1/37), Akash Deep (1/59) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/54) were India’s other wicket-takers.
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