Boxing Day Test scores, highlights: Australia gift India day-two honours

Australia gifted a host of chances to key Indian batsmen on day two, leaving itself with a massive task to stay in the Boxing Day Test. 

Australiaâs Mitchell Starc (2nd R) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Indiaâs Mayan Agarwal (not pictured) on the first day of the second cricket Test match between Australia and India played at the MCG in Melbourne on December 26, 2020. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

Australia's butter fingers have loosened its grip on the Border-Gavaskar series as fears grow the MCG pitch is flattening into another batsman’s paradise while Ajinkya Rahane is still at the crease.

Travis Head saved the worst of Australia's five dropped catches for the last ball of day two as his diving attempt to finally remove Rahane (104 not-out) popped out when his elbows touched the ground.

India put down chance after chance at Adelaide Oval only to drop two players for Boxing Day and then watch Australia drop five catches on day two.

Alarmingly for the Aussies, India is undefeated from 11 Tests in which  Rahane has scored a century.

Rahane's 200th ball could have been his last for the innings...but Travis Head couldn't hold the catch 😳 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/qGRrh6j9UL

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) December 27, 2020

Mitchell Starc celebrated his 250th Test wicket but walked off the MCG a frustrated man after Steve Smith and Head both put down Rahane off his bowling with the second new ball.

“Our last ball (Head's drop) pretty much sums up our day,” Starc said.

“We probably could’ve got (Rahane) out three or four or maybe five times before he got to 100.

“But he’s run his luck there and scored 100.”

Rahane stands and delivers for his team! That's a century India can savour, indeed 💪 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Qz1KdAu7Ud

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) December 27, 2020

Four of the five chances were put down behind the stumps as Matthew Wade’s ginger right knee forced the Aussies to reshuffle their cordon.

Wade replaced specialist first slip Joe Burns next to captain Tim Paine in the morning and another two nicks fell just short of the former wicket-keeper.

Rahane was on 73 when Smith’s disastrous series took another turn for the worse when he dropped the stand-in skipper at second slip, while opener Shubman Gill was given lives on seven (Marnus Labuschagne) and 31 (Paine).

Starc warned there were plenty of runs left in a match that India (5-277) already leads by 82 runs.

“Once the ball got a bit softer the wicket’s pretty placid,” Starc said.

Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara after a brilliant catch by Tim Paine.

“By the end of today there’s not too many demons in it anymore.

“I think that’s typical Melbourne. It flattens out and even with that extra bit of grass to what we’re normally used to here it’s become a pretty flat wicket.

“It’s important for us now when we get the chance to bat again to bat big and to bat us into the game again.”

India appeared little chance of squaring the series at 1-1 after Australia’s hour of bowling power skittled the tourists for 36 runs last week, their worst ever Test score.

But with captain Virat Kohli now watching on TV from Mumbai, Rahane’s new-look outfit has a shot at becoming the first touring team to win consecutive Boxing Day Tests since England in 1982 and 1986.

While India ground Australia into the dirt on a flat MCG pitch in 2018, it was in 2014 where Rahane made the ground.

The 32-year-old thumped 147 at the MCG six years ago and, after Smith granted him a life on 73, the humble and modest skipper put his foot down to crush the second new ball.

Batting in Kohli’s No.4 position, Rahane thumped two half-volleys from Patrick Cummins to the boundary as Australia lost control of a Test match it has never really looked comfortable in.

“For him to respond in this manner says a lot about him says a lot about his character and says a lot about how good a Test match player he is,” Ricky Ponting gushed on Channel 7.

India has previously won just seven Tests on Australian soil and securing No.8 without Kohli, Mohammed Shami (arm), Rohit Sharma (quarantine) and Ishant Sharma (adductor) would secure Rahane’s place in history.

A double-strike from Cummins rewarded his brilliant eight-over spell to begin the day, removing Gill and nemesis Cheteshwar Pujara before Rahane steadied.

Rahane and Ravi Jadeja (40 not-out) will resume at 5-277 on day three, with India already leading by 82 runs.

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Originally published as Boxing Day Test scores, highlights: Australia gift India day-two honours

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