R Ashwin took two for 17, like the wicket of Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith, to give India the edge in the 1st session of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia are at present at 136 for 5 wickets at tea.
The hosts, who won the toss and elected to bat, lost the wicket of opener Joe Burns early with Jasprit Bumrah obtaining him caught behind for duck.
Matthew Wade, who played aggressively for his 39-ball 30, helped Australia move to 35 just before Ashwin removed him. Wade attempted to take the attack to the bowler by attempting a slog-sweep but rather best-edged it for Ravindra Jadeja to take a catch at mid-wicket.
Soon Ashwin had Steve Smith for his second duck of the series. Smith attempted to turn a delivery on the middle and leg towards square leg only to uncover Cheteshwar Pujara take the catch at leg slip.
India had Australia on the mat at 38 for 3 at 1 point. No. 3 batsman Marnus Labuschagne and No. 5 Travis Head survived some anxious moments. The former was provided out in the final more than just before lunch off Ashwin but reviewed it and survived. Labuschagne later became Mohammd Siraj’s debut wicket as he was caught by Shubman Gill, a further debutante.
The Aussies, who defeated India by eight wickets in the 1st Test in Adelaide soon after bowling them out for a paltry 36 in the second innings, have fielded an unchanged squad.
India, meanwhile, are going in with 4 adjustments. They have brought in Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and Rishabh Pant in spot of Prithvi Shaw (dropped), Virat Kohli (individual motives), Mohammed Shami (injured) and Wriddhiman Saha (dropped).
Ajinkya Rahane is top the side in the absence of Kohli, who has returned to India to attend the birth of his kid.
Gill and Siraj are creating their Test debut creating this the 1st instance because November, 2013 when India have fielded two debutants in a match. In that 2013 Kolkata Test vs West Indies, India handed Test caps Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami.
Brief scores: Australia 1st Innings – 136/5 (Labuschagne 48, R Ashwin 2/17)
Joe Burns c Pant b Bumrah
Matthew Wade c Jadeja b Ashwin 30
Marnus Labuschagne c Shubman Gill b Mohammed Siraj48
Steven Smith c Pujara b Ashwin
Travis Head c Rahane b Bumrah 38
Cameron Green not out 6
Tim Paine (c)not out 0
Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 12-4-24-2, Umesh Yadav 12-2-39-, Ravichandran Ashwin 15-3-25-2, Ravindra Jadeja 4-1-13-, M Siraj 9-2-25-1