Melbourne: Australia rode on captain Steve Smith’s third successive century of this series to reach 389 for seven at lunch on day two of the third cricket Test against India at the MCG, here today.
Starting the day on 259 for five, overnight batsmen Smith (128 not out) – registering his seventh Test ton – and Brad Haddin (55) carried on from where they left to stitch a 110-run sixth-wicket partnership amidst some poor bowling by the Indian pacers.
If Smith mixed the right dose of caution and aggression in the first hour of play, hitting 10 fours and a six so far, then Haddin, his knock laced with 7 fours and a six, made sure that the hosts score at a quick rate.
New-ball bowlers Ishant Sharma (0-91) and Umesh Yadav (2-97) made no impression in the first hour of play as the Australians made merry on a good Melbourne wicket much to the delight of the home crowd.
Mohammed Shami (3-114), who had been bleeding runs till now, finally got Haddin caught behind but India’s troubles were far from over as the ever-resilient Mitchell Johnson (28) walked in.
The southpaw stitched a 50-run seventh-wicket partnership with Smith to add to the visitors’ woes.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s (2-65) entry brought some respite to India’s condition as the visitors managed to check the flow of runs and get the dangerous Johnson back in the pavilion.
Ryan Harris (10 not out) was giving Smith company when lunch was taken.
The Indian bowlers would have looked to maintain their consistency from day one but they erred on their line and length, resorting to short-ball tactic almost immediately.
Haddin made full use of the same as he raced to his half-century off 75 balls, scoring 29 runs off 25 balls in the morning’s play.
The score also sped as a result as the first 9 overs cost India 52 runs. The 50-run partnership for the 6th wicket came up in the 92nd over and then Haddin’s 18th Test fifty came up three overs later. At the other Smith remained solid as ever, bringing up 2000 career runs playing in his 25th Test.
A little later Australia crossed the 300-mark in the 97th over and three overs later their 100-run partnership came up.
Following up his scores of 162 not out at Adelaide and 133 at Brisbane, Smith brought up his 7th Test hundred in the 101st over of the innings then.
He got to the milestone off 191 balls, and in doing so, emulated Vijay Hazare, Jackie McGlew, Sunil Gavaskar and Alastair Cook as the ones to score hundreds in their first two Tests as captain.
In that same over, against the run of play, Haddin was out caught behind edging a delivery he looked to leave off Shami. But this didn’t bring any respite to the Indians as Johnson (28 runs, 37 balls, 5 fours) came to the crease. The field was spread once again and similar tactics as in Brisbane were resorted to as the left-hander sped off.
In fact Australia maintained a run-rate of more than five-per-over through this morning session, scoring 130 runs in just 25 overs.
Ashwin was introduced late into the attack, and just as on day one, he was able to apply some brakes. He also managed to get Johnson out stumped in the 112th over but Harris stayed with his skipper until the break.
PTI
