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India steamrolled Australia for a meagre 195 on Day 1 of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday. Jasprit Bumrah (4/56) bagged a four-for while Ravichandran Ashwin (3/35), debutant Mohammed Siraj (2/40) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/15) were also among the wickets.
For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne top scored with 48 runs on a pitch offering both bounce and spin to the bowlers.
Ashwin outfoxes Steve Smith again
There were talks about how Ashwin dismissed Smith with a slider in the first innings of the Adelaide Test, and there would be more chatter this time as he removed Smith for a duck at the MCG on Boxing Day.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led India set a leg-side trap for Smith, with a backward and forward short-leg, and the No. 1 ranked Test batsman fell right into it. He got an inside edge, and Cheteshwar Pujara at leg slip dived towards his left to complete a sharp catch.
Here’s the video:
Ravi Ashwin has Steve Smith!
The Aussie departs for a duck 👀
As simple as you like… pic.twitter.com/Y7pxOgWSA8
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 26, 2020
Former India international and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, while on-air for 7Cricket, said Smith was anxious to get off the mark and that’s why he went to push the ball but got the inside edge.
“First and foremost, I’m pretty surprised at the fact that on Day 1 there’s a lot of turn for the Indian spinners. He [Ashwin] has been bowling straight, he’s been bowling on the middle and leg, it’s been pretty much a plan to try and restrict the batsmen from playing any shot through the offside. If you look at Smith’s dismissal because maybe he was on zero he wanted to get off the mark, wasn’t able to control it.”
