Aggression has been a defining trait of Australian cricket for decades, championed by the likes of Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Tim Paine, and others. It’s also one of the reasons why Virat Kohli is so widely admired in Australia. However, during the Boxing Day Test on Thursday, the visiting star seemed to cross a line, and the MCG made its displeasure clear.
Tea, Day 1: India put in a much improved bowling performance in this session, though they only have one wicket to show for their efforts. Bumrah and Akash Deep started the session strongly, maintaining tight lines and keeping the pressure on.
Akash Deep, in particular, troubled the batters, frequently beating Khawaja’s outside edge, but luck was not on India’s side as the edge consistently fell just short of the slip fielders. Khawaja reached fifty before getting out in the softest of fashions.
Labuschagne, on the other hand, has hung in there, taking a few hits but gradually looking more comfortable. Is the pitch slow?
— DJ Sinha (@sdj374531) December 26, 2024
Khawaja’s wicket and the outside edges not carrying suggest so, though we’ll have to wait and see how it behaves when the Australian pacers take the ball. That, however, is still a long way off, as India still has eight wickets to take and doesn’t seem in a hurry to get them.