Event of the Day: Australia versus India
Our event of the day is the first day of the third Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The series is tied at 1-1 after a dominant performance by Australia in the second Test. They bounced back from their captivating loss to the visitors in the first Test. Both teams are desperate to take the upper hand in the series, so expect an exciting first day today. Australia needed to bounce back after they were stunned in the first Test of the Indian tour of the country. As the teams travelled east towards Perth, the site of the second Test, the hosts knew they needed to do something different. After winning the toss, they elected to bat and immediately got to work. The opening pair of Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch got Australia off to a strong start as they combined for 120 runs.
While the Indian bowling managed to better contain the middle of the batting order, Travis Head still managed a half-century as Australia ended the first inning on 326. India answered with a relatively mixed reply, Virat Kohli hit a century and Ajinkya Rahane hit a half-century before the Australian bowling found its groove. They saw off India’s opening pair for a combined run total of 2 and they kept the lower order in check, allowing only 9 runs from the final four batsmen. Nathan Lyon in particular gained a new respect from his opponents as he took five wickets, bowled seven maiden overs and bowled with an economy rate of 1.67. They finished the first inning on 283, trailing by 43. The Indian bowling came back strong, holding Harris and Finch to a combined 45 runs. While they allowed a half-century from Usman Khawajia, Australia was held to 243. The standouts in the Indian bowling rotation were Jasprit Bumrah, getting 3 wickets and bowling ten maiden overs and having an economy of 1.53 as well as Mohammed Shami who had figures of 6 for 56. However, the Australian bowling came back to one up the Indians once again, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant were India’s highest run scorers in the second inning, scoring 30 each. The last four Indian batters scored two runs between them and India ended the inning with 140 runs, giving Australia a 141-run victory. Mitchell Starc led the Australian bowling admirably in the second inning taking 3 wickets for 46. Today, the action moves to Melbourne for the third Test. With the series tied at 1-1, both teams will look to take control of the Test series before the final test in Sydney. Expect a showcase of exciting cricketing talent in what will be a hard-fought day of cricket. India have won the toss and will bat first.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Premier League, where Leicester City host Manchester City at the King Power Stadium. Leicester are 9th in the league and are having a mediocre season. However, they welcome Manchester City to Leicester following a 1-0 upset victory over Chelsea. Meanwhile, Manchester City are second in the league. However, they have begun to fade and lag behind league leaders Liverpool, they have lost two of their last three games after going unbeaten in their first fifteen games. They come into this match versus Leicester following a 3-2 upset loss to Crystal Palace. Manchester City will be eager to bounce back from this. The teams recently met in the Caraboa Cup, a match Manchester City won on penalties. Expect an exciting match to enjoy on Boxing day. Elsewhere, in college football, Boston College and Boise State face off in the First Responder Bowl at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. In the NBA, the LA Clippers host the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by ICC Cricket