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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Geoff Lemon at the MCG (earlier) and Jonathan Howcroft (now)

Australia v India: second Test, day one – as it happened

Mitchell Starc
Australia’s Mitchell Starc celebrates his dismissal of India’s Mayank Agarwal during day one of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Photograph: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP

Summary

A superb day for India ends with the under-fire tourists on top at the MCG.

After Tim Paine won the toss he made the obvious decision to bat first but his decision quickly backfired when the superb Jasprit Bumrah (4/56) sent back a scratchy Joe Burns for a duck. Matthew Wade counterpunched his way to a rapid 30 but his T20 mindset proved his downfall when he skied Ravi Ashwin (3/35) just when Australia needed him to grind out until lunch. Steve Smith (0) remains out of form and he gifted Ashwin another soft wicket by glancing straight to the hands of leg-slip. Marnus Labuschagne (48) and Travis Head (38) turned 38-3 into 124-3 but neither looked especially fluent. When that partnership was broken midway through the afternoon session wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Cameron Green (12) got caught between playing cautiously and digging a trench, while Nathan Lyon’s entertaining 20 tipped the total close to 200.

It was a morale boost for India who had suffered a week of being bashed in the press after their Adelaide shellacking. They made four changes to their XI and three paid off immediately. Ravi Jadeja (1/15) came in for Virat Kohli, and he chipped in with a wicket and took an excellent catch, leading a vastly improved display in the field. Mohammed Siraj (2/40) bowled magnificently on debut, and it was his spell either side of Tea that converted India’s pressure into dominance. Then Shubman Gill (28*) opened the batting in difficult conditions late in the day but looked confident against Australia’s formidable pace attack and asserted himself when Nathan Lyon was introduced. The impact of Rishabh Pant, the other change, will be assessed tomorrow with the bat.

We’ll be back here to cover all the action, so please join us then.

Mohammed Siraj
India’s performance in the field put them in a strong position on day one of the Boxing Day Test. Photograph: Scott Barbour/EPA

Updated

Close of day one: India 36-1 (Australia 195)

11th over: India 36-1 (Gill 28, Pujara 7) Final over of the day, Hazlewood to Pujara, two patient characters... and the over begins with overthrows and a near run out! Gill was at fault for not accepting a single behind point and forcing Pujara to dive to make his ground. Head’s shy missed the stumps and ran away for a bonus run for India. He might only be on strike reluctantly, but Gill shows excellent intent, defending firmly anything straight and leaving confidently anything that isn’t.

10th over: India 35-1 (Gill 28, Pujara 6) The tenth over is delayed after the field was reset for one more Hazlewood delivery after the third umpire called a very marginal no ball from the last delivery of the ninth over.

When play does resume it’s Nathan Lyon with the ball in his hand, but that’s just what debutant Gill wants to see. He pushes a couple through the covers then skips down the pitch and drives elegantly with the minimum of fuss through wide mid-off for four. He then defends proactively on the front foot to see off the over. Superb technique from the young opener.

9th over: India 29-1 (Gill 22, Pujara 6) Here comes a change, and it’s the Adelaide destroyer, Josh Hazlewood. He starts down the legside before locating his radar third ball and rapping Pujara on his pads. The appeal is declined and there’s no review with the ball expected to be heading past leg stump. The follow up then shapes past Pujara’s outside edge at pace in a demonstration of how the fast bowler threatens both edges with his subtle movement.

Updated

8th over: India 28-1 (Gill 22, Pujara 6) After Pujara starts the over with a single Gill shows excellent defensive technique before earning three with another checked straight drive. The chase is a successful one from Wade - who has returned to the field - but he ends it hobbling again. His right knee is far from 100%, but he’s a tough cookie the Tasmanian.

Might be time for Paine to shake things up in the few minutes before the close.

7th over: India 23-1 (Gill 19, Pujara 4) Starc has beaten Gill’s outside edge every over, and he does so again. However, there’s a suggestion the appearance of a play and miss may be exaggerated by Gill’s tendency to play inside the line. There’s no debate over Gill’s third boundary. On debut he rocks back and pulls a Starc short ball away to the vacant midwicket fence. His fourth follows soon after, but this one is a gift, with the right-hander just helping a leg stump half-volley down to the fine-leg rope. India have neutralised that early frenetic energy.

6th over: India 15-1 (Gill 11, Pujara 4) Cummins is into his familiar line and length to Pujara who is typically stoic in the face of what’s being sent his way - accompanied by the sound of the MCG crowd clapping every footstep in the bowler’s run up. Not only does Pujara defend securely, he presents the full face of the bat with sufficient timing to score four excellent runs.

Meanwhile, Wade has left the field after suffering that knee injury earlier.

5th over: India 11-1 (Gill 11, Pujara 0) Another boundary to Gill, driving Starc stylishly through the covers to compound Labuschagne’s misfortune. A backfoot guide down to third-man earns a couple more as replays focus on that dropped catch and how late Labuschagne was on the chance, in no small part due to how close he’s stood, much closer than he needs to be for this level of carry. It looks as though Australia have set up for the low bounce of Adelaide and they have been caught out by the pace. Meanwhile Starc rips continues to hurl down thunderbolts, ripping one of them past Gill’s hesitant prod. Superb action.

With Starc and Cummins in this kind of form, you wouldn’t put another low Indian score past them.

4th over: India 5-1 (Gill 5, Pujara 0) India begin their fourth over without a run and with Gill rooted to the crease in the face of a high-quality barrage from Cummins it’s hard to see where a run is going to come from. But the drought is broken 22 deliveries into the innings with a beautiful straight drive that is too quick for the chasing Matthew Wade, who does himself a bit of a mischief trying to haul the ball in by the rope. His studs just dug into the turf and his knee jarred somewhat. Then GILL’S DROPPED! Magnificent delivery heading for the middle of middle with some away swing, Gill tries to play across the line but can only find a leading edge that flies quickly to Labuschagne’s right at third slip. He should have taken it, but it burst through him at pace.

3rd over: India 0-1 (Gill 0, Pujara 0) This is great theatre, late in the day at the MCG with shadows lengthening over the outfield and the crowd (suitably lubricated) roaring on their fast bowler. Starc feeds off the energy, sending the ball hurtling towards Che Pujara with Tim Paine stood back almost on the sightscreen. Starc’s on the money again but Pujara is made of stern stuff, blocking balls one and three and writing off the one in between that beats the outside edge. The next couple of deliveries are an excellent duel before Starc finishes a scintillating over by ripping one past Pujara’s edge again. Thrilling high-quality sport.

2nd over: India 0-1 (Gill 0, Pujara 0) Gill’s first delivery in Test cricket is a sighter outside off from Pat Cummins, but his second is right on the money, drawing a play and miss. That line and length is hit repeatedly for the remainder of the over, testing Gill’s pads and outside edge with the batsman pinned helplessly to the crease.

WICKET! Agarwal LBW Starc 0 (India 0-1)

Lovely start from Mitchell Starc. His opening two deliveries hit a perfect length and shape into the right-handed Agarwal from over the wicket, before ball three - a hooping inswinging yorker - almost demolishes Agarwal’s big toe. Two deliveries then slant across the batsman before another one arcs back - and he’s GIVEN LBW! He’s done it again in the first over! Golden arm Starc to the rescue once more.

Agarwal reviews, thinking he’s inside-edged it, but replays show the bat is jammed against the pad with the ball missing the willow. Ball-tracking confirms the dismissal, but India retain the review with the delivery shown to be only clipping the bails.

Incredible start for Australia.

1st over: India 0-1 (Gill 0)

The downside of India’s excellent performance in the field is a testing 50-minute spell for the top-order. Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill, on debut, will not be relishing their task against this formidable home pace attack.

Australia 195 all out

India bowled and fielded very well on a pitch that offered a smidgen in the opening hour, then took some spin, before allowing reverse swing. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Ashwin, and - on debut - Mohammed Siraj, all shone. All the catching opportunities were held - unlike the Adelaide horror show.

For all India’s discipline and control, Australia will be bitterly disappointed with their total. Marnus Labuschagne top-scored with 48, and his partnership of 86 with Travis Head (38) was the only period of the day during which the home side looked on course for a par score. Continuing the stodgy first-innings in Adelaide, this Australian side is short of form.

Can their bowlers save them again?

WICKET! Cummins c Siraj b Jadeja 9 (Australia 195)

Cummins dots a couple, then top-edges a slog-sweep straight to long-on. India continue their day of stress-free fielding and Australia’s poor innings is up.

72nd over: Australia 195-9 (Cummins 9, Hazlewood 4) Hazlewood tickles his first ball to fine-leg for four. 16 runs and a wicket from an eventful over.

Bumrah now has 4-56.

Updated

WICKET! Lyon LBW Bumrah 20 (Australia 191-9)

Bumrah continues his attempt to mop up Australia’s tail, but again Lyon profits from a squirty square drive that finds a gap behind point. Bumrah shifts from full and straight to short, but Lyon is waiting for it and he hooks a majestic six, every inch the equal of anything a top-order batsman would execute. And he follows that up with a pull miles in front of square for four! Glorious batting. Then he’s out.

Back to full and straight for Bumrah and he’s too quick for Lyon who misses an attempted leg-side drive across the line. It looked very out in real time but after review DRS indicates the delivery was only just clipping the top of leg stump. Still, that was enough to end an entertaining knock.

71st over: Australia 179-8 (Cummins 9, Lyon 8) After a spell of 12-4-15-1 Ashwin is replaced by Jadeja. He comes around the wicket to Lyon who defends from the crease and gets off strike with a squirty outside edge behind point. That brings Cummins on strike and his outside edge is a whisker away from a perfectly flighted delivery that spins tantalisingly from leg to off.

70th over: Australia 177-8 (Cummins 8, Lyon 7) Another Australian boundary, Lyon this time, guiding a thick edge through third man. He follows that up with a textbook push for two, then almost earns more runs but a swivel pull hits the field. Bumrah tried to do a few too many things that over, chasing Lyon somewhat instead of hitting his line and length. Time for one final drink.

69th over: Australia 171-8 (Cummins 8, Lyon 1) On this surface Ashwin has not been an easy player to sweep, but Lyon has few other shots in his bag. He tries it second ball and misses, but goes to it again two deliveries later and connects for a single. Cummins then eschews his circumspection, larruping a length delivery high and wide over cow corner! That came out of nowhere, but suggests a fun few overs before the close.

68th over: Australia 166-8 (Cummins 4, Lyon 0) Another example of Rahane’s excellent captaincy today. He could easily have held Bumrah back for the new ball but instead pressed ahead with his side in the ascendancy and he’s rewarded just seven balls later.

Cummins sees off the remainder of the over, collecting a couple off his gloves down the legside for his troubles.

WICKET! Starc c Siraj b Bumrah 7 (Australia 164-8)

Bumrah outfoxes Starc. Instead of full and straight, he opens his second over with a superb bouncer from around the wicket. The left-hander swipes at it, as much out of self-preservation, and the top-edge steeples into the Melbourne sky before landing safely in Siraj’s hands at fine-leg.

67th over: Australia 164-7 (Cummins 2, Starc 7) Cummins again repels Ashwin with his focus entirely on preserving his wicket. India’s spinner has now bowled 11 overs in this spell for the concession of only ten runs.

66th over: Australia 164-7 (Cummins 2, Starc 7) Bumrah is predictably full and straight but after both batsmen rotate the strike with singles Starc jams down on an attempted yorker and sends it back with interest, scooting to the wide mid-on boundary for four. The runs send Starc’s blood pumping and he aims a wild swipe at the follow-up and is fortunate to see a thick edge land safely behind point.

Siraj’s spell of 9-4-16-2 should not be forgotten. It was full of skill, strategy, and discipline. He might be on debut but for mine he’s already elevated himself to India’s second seamer for the remainder of this series.

Right on cue, here’s Bumrah...

65th over: Australia 156-7 (Cummins 1, Starc 0) Cummins wants as little to do with Ashwin as possible, leaving or padding away when he can, dead-batting when he can’t. Another maiden. India turning the screw. I wonder if Rahane will recall Bumrah ahead of time to send down some yorkers to the tail?

64th over: Australia 156-7 (Cummins 1, Starc 0) Just the single from Siraj’s latest over, one that ends with Starc fishing outside his off stump. I can’t see the No.9 hanging around here.

Those two wickets are just reward for India’s discipline and application since Tea. Today has been a dream outing for skipper Rahane who has consistently pulled the right reins.

WICKET! Paine c Vihari b Ashwin 13 (Australia 155-7)

Two in quick succession for India! Green’s dismissal upped Paine’s urgency at the crease but after five dots he was unable to get Ashwin away. That set up a slight advance to the final ball of the over but the proceeding leg-glance turned into a thick inside edge straight to Vihari under the helmet at leg-slip. India are rampant!

63rd over: Australia 155-7 (Cummins 0)

Updated

62nd over: Australia 155-6 (Paine 13, Cummins 0) Green looked technically accomplished in his knock, one that would ordinarily have been worth 20 or 30-something, but he appeared stuck in a mental rut that he was unable to extricate himself from. Something to work on with the coaches.

Siraj’s spell is now eight overs two for 18. Just what India needed. Ashwin is holding up an end, Bumrah is resting ahead of the new ball, and the misfiring Umesh is not being missed.

WICKET! Green LBW Siraj 12 (Australia 155-6)

Siraj extends his spell into an eighth over (either side of Tea). It has been very impressive. He began by sending the ball full into the right-handed batsmen, targeting the stumps and pads, but now there’s appreciable reverse swing he’s curling gorgeous away swingers in the fourth stump channel. He’s on the money again to start the over, but then Green is allowed to cut a couple, before Siraj gets his man! Wonderful bowling. After a long run of away swingers he nails the one that comes back, beating Green’s drive and pinning him plumb in front. Paine encourages the review, but it was always going to be futile.

Updated

61st over: Australia 153-5 (Green 10, Paine 13) Green seems to have befuddled himself against Ashwin. There’s much less turn and bounce than previously but the youngster remains cautious on the crease. That means he’s unable to put away the rare loose ball and rotate the strike. Eventually he takes a couple of steps down the track and milks an easy single, much to the delight of Ricky Ponting on commentary, who is advocating some counterattack.

60th over: Australia 152-5 (Green 9, Paine 13) Siraj is a tad wider to Green than he has been to Paine, but that’s a consequence of that reverse swing tailing the ball away from the right-hander. After two pleasing-looking dots Green is offered a fuller delivery that he pushes down the ground for a single, ending Siraj’s string of maidens. Once Paine is on strike the bowling is tighter, and Siraj almost gets his reward! He induces a genuine edge from Paine but it flies through the vacant second slip region and away for four. It may not have carried had the cordon been reinforced, but Rahane probably missed a trick by not attacking harder with his team in the ascendancy.

59th over: Australia 145-5 (Green 8, Paine 7) More Ashwin - and he gets Green first up! Or does he? It sounded like a regulation outside edge to Pant, but the appeal is declined onfield and Rahane elects not to use DRS - smartly as it happens with Snicko revealing there was no edge. The appeal arrived with Green glued to his crease. He’s shown little intent since Tea and it’s beginning to become an issue. Finally the pressure is relieved a fraction with an inside-edge for a single. Green moves to eight from 50 balls.

58th over: Australia 144-5 (Green 7, Paine 7) Siraj continues to plough his furrow, forcing Paine to defend from his crease with a series of deliveries targeting that area around the top of off stump. The Australian skipper looks tentative, unsure how far forward or back to go. That lack of footwork means he misses out on a full half-volley, then thick edges down towards gully. Another maiden. Australia are at risk of getting bogged down here, if they aren’t already.

57th over: Australia 144-5 (Green 7, Paine 7) From the forceful up-and-at-them pressure of Siraj to the torture of waiting for Ashwin’s floaters to arrive. Paine ekes out a single but it’s hard work for Australia right now.

56th over: Australia 143-5 (Green 7, Paine 6) Siraj is doing an excellent job maintaining the pressure with this old ball that is reversing just enough to force Green to second guess. The debutant has really stepped up for Rahane, finding a groove, and he earns another maiden by giving nothing away in terms of line or length.

Channel Seven covered Paine’s almost run-out very well.

55th over: Australia 143-5 (Green 7, Paine 6) Another teasing Ashwin over. Green’s method is to get forward and use his feet, Paine prefers to hand back and read it off the pitch. After the skipper guides a single through the offside Green then tries to repeat the trick from the last ball of the over, but the calling and running is not precise and India may have Paine run out! Replays show THIS IS AS MARGINAL AS YOU COULD IMAGINE - literally a frame in it either way. We’re talking fractions of an inch. The decision is NOT OUT but it could just as easily gone the other way. Paine is a lucky boy.

Updated

54th over: Australia 141-5 (Green 6, Paine 5) Siraj also continues the spell he began before the break, an impressive three-over burst that included his maiden Test wicket. His method is straightforward; full and straight, angling into the right-handers from wide on the crease - not dissimilar to Makhaya Ntini in his pomp. The one exception is a regrettable bouncer that Paine is onto in a flash, swivelling and pulling with superb timing for four through square leg. Australia could do with another Adelaide-like counterattack from their skipper.

53rd over: Australia 136-5 (Green 6, Paine 0) Ashwin resumes by teasing Green with his artfully flighted off-spin. The man in his second Test is watchful at the crease as the chatter builds in volume around the bat. After defending five deliveries he tries to capitalise on some width but carves a backfoot strive straight to point.

The players are back out for the final session. a massive 38 overs still to go, which will doubtless take us all the way to 6pm local time, and even then we might not fit in the full 90.

“Morning Jonathan,” afternoon Finbar. “Nearly 5am here in the hills of Piedmont. Had to pinch myself to check that yesterday was real, did the rain of Christmas morning really oh so gently turn into softly falling snow as we unwrapped presents? Were each and every one of us genuinely pleased and surprised by every gift? And did we actually have a beautiful early evening stroll in a white wonderland, boughs laden and rosy-cheeked neighbours of goodwill calling out Yuletide greetings? You’re waiting for a horrible return to reality? Perhaps that will come today but for now, thank you to whoever organised our 25th December, we really needed that.

And now cricket; we sadly have lost John Edrich, one of the oh so dependable members of that seemingly undismissable batting line up of my boyhood: Edrich, Boycott, Graveney, Barrington, Cowdrey and, my first super hero, Basil D’Oliveira. Sigh!

I have a question, a curiosity that has long niggled away at me; why and when did Aussies begin saying wickets before runs?”

Pretty much right from the outset, Finbar. It’s one of those quirks of history that the first scoreboard erected in the 19th century placed wickets before runs and that convention took hold. Anyone who continues the tradition (i.e. all of Australia) is clearly wrong.

TEA: Australia 136-5

Another session goes India’s way. The visitors have held onto their catches, Rahane has captained smartly, and in Bumrah he has a gem that is capable of breaking any game open. His partnership-breaking dismissal of Head transformed an afternoon cruise for Australia’s fourth wicket, and instead the hosts are down to their last recognised batsmen. A long and decisive evening session awaits after a spot of tea.

Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah bowled superbly on Boxing Day at the MCG. Photograph: Scott Barbour/AAP

52nd over: Australia 136-5 (Green 6, Paine 0) Another huge LBW appeal from Siraj, this time against Green, and Paul Reiffel again declines the offer to raise his finger. He does however shift a pebble from hand to pocket, teasing us all and making Green sweat. Replays suggest it was a good call with the ball hitting the tall Green high on his leg. This recent rash of induced false strokes may well be the consequence of that reverse swing I was unable to locate earlier.

Updated

51st over: Australia 135-5 (Green 5, Paine 0) Green continues to look assured against Ashwin, getting in a huge stride to disrupt the spinner’s length then taking advantage to rock back and milk a single in the offside. Paine, by contrast, is still a tad jittery early in his knock.

Question - who does Green remind you of? I’m reaching for stylistic comparisons but they all fall down due to his unusual size and gait.

50th over: Australia 134-5 (Green 4, Paine 0) Big over for India, and Siraj. He was fortunate to claim one huge wicket, then unfortunate not to bag a second.

Umpire's call!

Paine survives, but India retain the review after ball tracking showed the ball glancing leg stump.

INDIA REVIEW!

Siraj is adamant he has Paine pinned LBW. The umpire is unconvinced and Rahane needed plenty of persuasion to accept the review...

WICKET! Labuschagne c Gill b Siraj 48 (Australia 134-5)

Siraj has a wicket on debut, and it is the massive scalp of Labuschange! Again the paceman’s strategy is full and straight from wide on the crease, angling in, and that’s what brings about Labuschagne’s downfall. He tries to glance behind square but all he succeeds in doing is guiding the ball straight into the hands of Gill, perfectly placed at leg gully. India with two quick wickets and back on top of this opening day.

49th over: Australia 134-4 (Labuschagne 48, Green 4) Ashwin deceives Labuschagne in flight first up with his arm ball but the batsman’s hands are quick enough to jam down before he yorks himself. The Australian responds soon after by whipping his wrists and manipulating three runs through the covers.

48th over: Australia 131-4 (Labuschagne 45, Green 4) Siraj gives Bumrah a breather and he’s immediately full and straight at Green, angling the ball into the right-hander from wide on the crease. Green’s technique is correct in response, playing out a maiden calmly in the V and presenting the full face of the bat to repel any danger. Siraj is hiding the ball in his run-up, suggesting there could be some reverse swing on offer. If there is, it’s not visible to my naked eye.

47th over: Australia 131-4 (Labuschagne 45, Green 4) Not before time Rahane calls back Ashwin into the attack. His control of pace and length will provide a challenge for Green. The youngster does well with his first test, defending from his crease then accepting a single to a delivery with a touch of width.

46th over: Australia 130-4 (Labuschagne 45, Green 3) Green spent the first four deliveries of his innings patiently sizing up the conditions, but ball five he takes a long stride forward and checks a drive through extra cover off Bumrah that didn’t just ooze class, it erupted it. That will raise pulses in Green’s army of fanboys and aesthetes (myself included).

45th over: Australia 127-4 (Labuschagne 45, Green 0) Decent line and length from Umesh in a maiden over. The only delivery of note was the last when Labuschagne fell over to the off side attempting a leg glance and India appealing for leg before. It looked to be sliding down the leg side and DRS was not called upon.

44th over: Australia 127-4 (Labuschagne 45, Green 0) Labuschagne is happy to play conservatively against India’s star man Bumrah, keeping his bat and pad close together when he props forward, leaving anything wide, and whipping the one short ball sensibly along the ground to fine-leg. When offered strike Green plays similarly compact.

“I’ve only just got an email,” messages PCD Paris, “you simply have to be on it these days.” Absolument!

43rd over: Australia 125-4 (Labuschagne 44, Green 0) Umesh might be picking up on my criticism. His second delivery to Labuschagne this over is unplayable - too good. It pitches on a length on middle stump and beats the outside edge and off stump. Magical ball. The other four balls to Labuschagne lacked either the same menace or control, but after an easy single Umesh is back in decent areas to Green.

The analyst community is a little miffed India took so long targeting the weakness that ultimately brought about Head’s decapitation.

42nd over: Australia 124-4 (Labuschagne 43, Green 0) He is a treat Jasprit Bumrah. That was a real effort over and a vital partnership-breaker just as the game was swinging Australia’s way. Apologies for repeating myself, but if India’s pace attack was full strength they would be a much more dangerous prospect.

WICKET! Head c Rahane b Bumrah 38 (Australia 124-4)

Huge wicket for India, seven balls into a curious Bumrah over. From around the wicket the paceman bowled either back of a length or short, pinning Head back in his crease. Two no-balls prolonged the tension until a length delivery outside off caught the batsman flatfooted and a waft flew to the cordon where Rahane held onto a smart chance. That partnership was building nicely, but it ends at 86.

41st over: Australia 122-3 (Labuschagne 43, Head 38) Rahane returns to Umesh, the bowler causing the stand-in skipper the most headaches. How he must wish he had Shami and Ishant at his disposal to support the excellent Bumrah.

Yadav finds a tidy enough line and length to Labuschagne but still manages to leak onto the pads and land his bumper way too short. In between the Australian No.3 squirts a boundary off a thick outside edge along the ground through the gully. Before the over’s out the TV umpire picks up a front foot no-ball. Why did it take until the year of our lord 2020 for that intervention to become the norm?

Are you on email? You simply have to be these days. Send yours about this match, and anything else Christmassy you want to discuss to this address: jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.

Anything pithier, maybe with a gif, or a link to a little-known highlight, can be sent on Twitter to @JPHowcroft.

Thank you very much Big Sauce.

India were on top early on but Labuschagne and Head are rebuilding nicely midway through this afternoon session. The tourists could do with a couple of snags.

I’m more of a mustard man myself.

40th over: Australia 117-3 (Labuschagne 39, Head 38) Rahane feels it too. As he must in a crunch, he turns to Jazzy Jasprit Bumrah, to twinkle those jazz fingers and deliver a solo that will blow these hepcats’ minds. Bumrah bowls from the Members End and T. Head blocks away off the front foot. Gets a bouncer and sways away. A leg slip in for Bumrah as well as the four-man cordon. Heads hops and defends away a run to midwicket. Labuschagne gives him the strike back. Head gets a low full toss and flicks it for four! Nice and simple, like a pre-baked pavlova base. And in the same way, the person presenting it didn’t deserve that much credit, but they still had to make the final arrangement look pretty. Travis Head has almost caught Marnus! Their partnership is 79.

That’s it for me for the day. Thanks for your emails and other correspondence. For the second half of this charming sunny delight, I will leave you with our very own charming sunny delight, Jonathan Pulchritude Howcroft.

Updated

39th over: Australia 107-3 (Labuschagne 38, Head 29) The lesser bowlers are on and these Australians are starting to harvest. Umesh bowls too straight and both batsmen are able to glance singles. He has to resort to the bouncer to find a dot ball, Head curling like a beetle under its path. Gets a less short ball into his ribs and has to leap and fend, but there’s no one at short leg so he takes a run. Australia getting on top of the contest now.

38th over: Australia 104-3 (Labuschagne 37, Head 27) Siraj comes right-arm over the wicket to Head now. It’s funny because he looks like a left-armer as he runs in, holding the ball in his left hand, but changes it over as he nears his delivery stride. It doesn’t matter which arm he’s bowling with thought, because Head drives him down the ground for four! Too full, very attractive shot, no falseness to that stroke. Along the ground right past the bowler. Strong off-side field for Head but he punches that way regardless, hitting the cover gap for two more off the back foot. Then leans back and plays a back-cut for a single to keep the strike. Brrrrrrrrrm.

37th over: Australia 97-3 (Labuschagne 37, Head 20) Umesh bowls from the Southern Stand End, and Head flashes a boundary off the edge. That’s his jam, swinging at anything outside off. Sees the fuller length and goes for it. Edges fine of the finer of the two gullies. Melbourne is where Head made the most recent of his two Test centuries, last year against New Zealand. The longer this partnership remains, the more worrying it gets for India.

36th over: Australia 92-3 (Labuschagne 37, Head 15) Siraj from the Members End. A decent bouncer! Scones Labuschagne, marginally: he tries to hook and perhaps bails out at the last minute as the ball comes through higher than he expects, it really leaps at him. It clips the top of the helmet and bounces up high into the air, eventually coming down to be caught in the slip cordon. The umpire says there was no bat or glove involved, Rahane accepts the decision, and the medicos come out for the obligatory head check. After the delay Siraj pitches up looking for pad, but Labuschagne is equal to it and drives a run wide of mid-on. Good shot. For Head, Rahane has two men out for the hook. Two slips and two gullies. Head hops and dinks a run to square leg.

35th over: Australia 90-3 (Labuschagne 36, Head 14) Umesh Yadav returns to the crease. Back of a length mostly, getting Head on his toes. Squirts a couple of runs behind square. He’s done the hard work, we might see his scoring rate start to tick up now. Currently 14 from 64, Labuschagne 36 from 89.

34th over: Australia 88-3 (Labuschagne 36, Head 12) Siraj has his economy unravelled as the fifty partnership comes up in the over. A couple of shots along the ground into the deep, same side of the wicket, Head flicking off his legs for three, Labuschagne driving at a wide ball that cruises all the way to within a few inches of the rope, with the boundary so long that they have time to run four. Throw in a brace to Labuschagne and it’s nine from the over. The current batting pair doing the job their team needed.

33rd over: Australia 79-3 (Labuschagne 30, Head 9) Another couple of misses from Rishabh Pant down the leg side. The bowling from Ashwin wasn’t great but a better keeper might have stopped those. One miss goes to the boundary, the next for a single. Ten runs out of 79 in byes.

32nd over: Australia 74-3 (Labuschagne 30, Head 9) Siraj to Head, and the consistent line is starting to wear the batsman down. He loves playing outside off stump, he’s compulsive with it. Siraj tempts him and tempts him, and then has him edging to gully on the bounce. A little flirty dabble at the ball, just got it down so that it didn’t reach Rahane on the full.

31st over: Australia 72-3 (Labuschagne 29, Head 8) Backing away, backing away, backing away. Marnus does not want to stay still against Ashwin. I feel that top edge coming on... He gets a couple of choppy shots away for singles though.

30th over: Australia 69-3 (Labuschagne 27, Head 7) Siraj bowls another good over to Head, tight on that line across the left-hander. Two runs punched off the back foot through cover, but that’s all.

“That DRS overturn is a massive turning point. Such a big difference between starting session two with Marnus and Head (3 down) vs Head and Green (4 down). Sometimes I wonder about predictive ball tracking...”

There’s a like mind in Robert Speed.

29th over: Australia 67-3 (Labuschagne 27, Head 5) Ashwin to continue with the Great Southern Stand behind him. Why not, he might bowl all day. Around the wicket to the right-hander, which is how he trapped Labuschagne before the break, only to have the third umpire loosen the snare. That did involve a poor shot from Labuschagne, a kind of stabbed sweep shot without getting low enough, and he’s a fast learner. He plays out the current over safely.

28th over: Australia 67-3 (Labuschagne 27, Head 5) After a session and a lunch break to think about, we’ll finally see some bowling from Mohammed Siraj. He’s tall, slender, an elegant mover. Bearing his preferred topknot today. He hits a good length outside Head’s off stump in the high 130s to start with. Just a pressed single from his first five balls, after which Labuschagne glances another.

Got an email in from our old pal Robert Wilson.

“It’s not always sunny in Philadelphia, though it always seems to be in Melbourne when I’m looking. Salut Geoff. So you want some thumbnail mise-en-scene? Well then, it’s Paris calling – a city that normally expresses a single emotion (a kind of promiscuous and inexhaustible vexation) and now a place with a permanent migraine. ALL the couples are fighting and sulking at the same time (a strictly Parisian gambit), the middle-aged folk are shambling and nervous, even the poor tramps seem too enervated to beg. But oddly, the visible oldsters seem crazed with a strange and medieval glee. Rather sweetly, the little children think everything’s always been this way and the dogs don’t care either way. I can neither drink nor smoke so I just wander the streets, keening softly to myself and feeding the pigeons who have mysteriously returned (they were gone a long, long time). I missed the first Test. Because I think I had forgotten that cricket existed. Deeply glad to be tuning in now. ‘Cos I like cricket, and I like Australia but I had forgotten how much seeing Jadeja just immediately cheers me up. Dunno how, dunno why but I’m imprinted on him like a baby bird. I heard someone laugh on the Boulevard a couple of weeks ago. It was nice. But weird.”

Full agreement on the Jadeja front. Something about that wild hair, that beard, that devil-may-care flash of a smile. And the catching, the catching, the catching.

Lunch – Australia 65 for 3

Excellent first session for India. Both openers gone, and Steve Smith. They would have been bossing the game had they got that fourth wicket in the over before the break, but they’ll be very happy with their morning’s work. As long as they can keep the discipline up, they’re a chance to prise out the next wicket after the break and keep that going. It’ll be a long day’s work on this surface, so there’s not much point dreaming of bowling out Australia for 150, but something around 300 could well still leave the advantage with the team batting second. As for Australia, it’s just a matter of grinding through and hoping that things get easier as the day goes on. Good chance they will. Back in a jiff.

If you need to fill in your break, Adam Collins and I did a long audio interview with the ABC’s Jim Maxwell for Christmas, prompted by him being a very rare absence for the Boxing Day Test given the virus situation where he lives in Sydney. That’s here.

27th over: Australia 65-3 (Labuschagne 26, Head 4) Marnus Labuschagne, buy a lotto ticket. I have no idea how to describe that. That looked stone dead out. Labuschagne has not looked in charge against Ashwin all day, and moments before the lunch break the off-spinner nails him in front. Curving in at the pads, Marnus sweeps and misses, gets hit on the back leg in front of middle. It’s out, out, out. The umpire gives it. Labuschagne reviews in the way that only a player with three reviews on hand and half the top order gone can review. Might as well have a look.

And somehow DRS shows it clearing the stumps.

The ball is taking off on a NASA trajectory according to the computers. Some people scoff at this view, but... it so often looks wrong when gauging the bounce. I mostly trust the line, but not the length.

Updated

26th over: Australia 64-3 (Labuschagne 26, Head 3) Marnus is scoring runs but he doesn’t look himself. Didn’t in Adelaide either. He nails another cut shot, but has to keep exposing his stumps to do it. Then he gets a fuller wider ball from Jadeja and plays a strange wristy slap, down on one knee and trying to pound that through the off side, but only gets a top edge and it bounces dangerously close to the cover fielder running back. A total miscue that buys him two risky runs. He gets a single and the change of line to the lefty causes an error from Jadeja, leg side and Pant misses it, and only a fine dive from Agarwal on the rope saves a fourth bye.

25th over: Australia 54-3 (Labuschagne 19, Head 3) At least India might keep up with the over rate if this bowling combo continues. Head blocks out a maiden from Ashwin.

24th over: Australia 54-3 (Labuschagne 19, Head 3) With the ball turning away from him, Labuschagne looks more in control against Jadeja’s bowling. Reaches out and manages to steer one delivery down through a vacant third man, rolling into the boundary for four.

23rd over: Australia 50-3 (Labuschagne 15, Head 3) Interesting that we’ve given up on fast bowling already with a ball 20 overs old and a quick on debut who hasn’t used it. Head miscues a run. Labuschagne is starting to settle, using his wrists well to hit a gap on the leg side for a run from Ashwin. Australia’s 50 comes up. Can only imagine the bronx that will go around when India pass 36 in their innings.

22nd over: Australia 48-3 (Labuschagne 14, Head 2) Less attacking field for Jadeja: slip, short leg, and a short cover about ten paces from the bat. Marnus hits the field with a couple of shots and can’t score.

21st over: Australia 48-3 (Labuschagne 14, Head 2) Labuschagne keeps trying to back away and cut Ashwin, and he misses another one that has the keeper interested. Watch out for a catch from that shot today. After another failed attempt he finally gets one sufficiently out of the middle, all the way to the long boundary in front of the Ponsford Stand. Too short from Ashwin.

20th over: Australia 43-3 (Labuschagne 9, Head 2) Before lunch on day one at the MCG and we’ve got spin at both ends. Jadeja’s left-arm ortho to complement Ashwin’s off spin. Get ready for some short posts. When these two bowled in tandem for most of four Tests in India in 2017, my keyboard was giving off smoke. Jadeja swarms Australia over there, he just bowls straight and waits for the pitch to create variation. It’ll be tougher work here, but he can still tie things up. Slips one down leg side that has Head at risk of a stumping. Just a single apiece from the over in the end.

19th over: Australia 41-3 (Labuschagne 8, Head 1) Ashwin will continue to Head, surrounded by the four close catchers. He makes Vihari pay at silly mid-off, driving hard and hitting the fielder who turns his back and takes the blow on the back of his thigh. Stops any run. Then there’s a big appeal for caught behind as Head prods, but misses, the ball turning past the edge and Rahane says no review. Head smothers the next ball. Ashwin around the wicket is varying the line and spin, turning some away and getting some straight at the pads. Head drives hard again but Jadeja at a deep-set mid-off won’t be beaten, diving across to keep the scoring to one. Another batsman off the mark. That just means he’ll have to face more spin, with Jadeja preparing to bowl.

18th over: Australia 40-3 (Labuschagne 8, Head 0) There’s a lot riding on Marnus now. The big scorer of last summer. Was out of sorts at Adelaide, but these are conditions far more suited to batting. If he can ride out this Bumrah-Ashwin double then life should get easier. He’s across his stumps to Bumrah, crouching, defending, intent. Another half-shout when he’s hit on the body, but even the bowler knew that was too high. Hasn’t been able to beat Labuschagne with a ball pitched up yet. The over finishes as a maiden.

Updated

17th over: Australia 40-3 (Labuschagne 8, Head 0) Ashwin to Head: two slips, silly mid-off, short leg. Four surrounding the bat. Head jabs a ball to an empty leg slip. Three regulation fielders on the off side protecting the cut and drive, then a square leg and midwicket on the leg. No one on the boundary. Head defends through it.

Updated

16th over: Australia 39-3 (Labuschagne 7, Head 0) Huge shout from Bumrah on Labuschagne, and India use their first DRS challenge. Might as well, they have three of them, and this would have been a vital wicket. Wicked seam from Bumrah again, bursts through the defence and nails Marnus on the pad, but just a touch high and the projection has the ball clearing the off bail by a centimetre or two. After Marnus gets a single, Bumrah absolutely roasts Head with a ball that seams away from his edge, the left-hander groping at it, stuck on the crease and going nowhere. Very lucky not to nick.

Updated

15th over: Australia 39-2 (Labuschagne 6, Head 0) Now Ashwin has another left-hander to work on, with Travis Head to the middle far earlier than anyone in the Australian camp wanted. Survives his first three balls.

Smith since the 2019 Ashes: 4, 36, 43, 16, 85, 7, 63, 1, 1*, 0.

Updated

WICKET! Smith c Pujara b Ashwin 0, Australia 38-3

Whaaaat is going on! Suddenly Steve Smith can’t make a run! Gone at leg slip again. He nearly gloves one down leg side to Pant off his hip, runs a couple of byes after the keeper deflects it off a forearm, then the very next ball Smith turns it away and straight into Pujara’s hands. Three down, there are those wickets! Game on.

14th over: Australia 35-2 (Labuschagne 5, Smith 0) Bumrah back immediately, I wonder if that was the planned rotation or if it’s to give him a shot at dislodging Smith. They play out a cagey opening bout, Smith defending everything. Bumrah right on line.

13th over: Australia 35-2 (Labuschagne 5, Smith 0) With Ashwin bowling, and Labuschagne trying the back-away cut shot, and Wade sweeping a lot, it felt like a wicket chance was on. But not like that, not the random six-hitting attempt before drinks on day one.

That means The Twins are together again.

Updated

WICKET! Wade c Jadeja b Ashwin 30, Australia 35-2

That is unbelievable. That might be the best catch I’ve ever seen. Trying to avoid hyperbole, but that’s sincere. It doesn’t involve a huge dive over the boundary or anything, but in terms of performing under pressure... Wade, for reasons best known to him after having already swept a boundary from this over, comes down the wicket and tries to plant Ashwin into the seats. He slices it high towards deep wide mid-on. Two players are running back for it: Jadeja and Gill. It’s very high and swirling away. They have to keep tracking back and running a curve. It’s clearly Jadeja’s catch, always his catch, but Gill is green and excited and keeps running. Jadeja calls. Gill doesn’t hear it. Jadeja at full tilt, tapdancing to try to get into position under the ball, sees it coming down to him... and then Gill arrives, diving across Jadeja, falling in front of him, almost tripping him over. And still Jadeja takes the catch! Under all of that interference, he makes up perhaps 40 metres, gets in the right spot, and isn’t distracted by a whole human being thrown at him like this is a circus act. That’s what Jadeja can bring to a side.

12th over: Australia 30-1 (Wade 26, Labuschagne 4) Wade has been happy to take on Umesh most of the day, and again drives a triple into the cover gap. Labuschagne is must more cautious against the fast bowler, facing out five balls before glancing a very wide one to fine leg for a run.

I’m getting that vibe, Gary, but there’s the sense that it hasn’t been easy this morning. If India can make use of it and grab another couple quickly before the ball gets older...

11th over: Australia 26-1 (Wade 23, Labuschagne 3) The tall off-spinner will start from the Southern Stand End. Bowling around the wicket to Wade, who comes forward and defends across his front pad. Then sweeps a run to deep backward, leaving Marnus to glove up a ball behind square but it lands safely! Rahane has short leg and leg slip but it goes between them. Labuschagne follows by backing away and missing a cut shot outside off, then stabs on the bounce to short leg. Wow. Ashwin looks like he’s really in the game already.

“Hello! Aussie and Yank watching from London. We’ve had Christmas dinner, are currently on gin and tonics, but are using caffeine mints to stay awake. So what I’m saying is we’ve re-invented Four Loko,” writes Meghan Purvis. “By the by, if you want to feel the true pain of the modern nomad, try being an American living in Britain explaining you’re a cricket boor but for Australia. The tiniest violins in the world, all playing for me...”

Four Loko. Now that summons some memories. Or more honestly, some non-memories. The shape where memories may have been.

10th over: Australia 25-1 (Wade 22, Labuschagne 3) Another cover drive for Wade, another three runs. Marnus pulls out the lightsabre leave for Umesh as a special treat. Wishes he didn’t choose to leave the last ball of the over though, which seams in a long way and gives him a stinger on the inner thigh.

Ten overs done, and Ashwin is about to get a bowl.

9th over: Australia 22-1 (Wade 19, Labuschagne 3) Marnus is using his Smith-lite method to combat Bumrah, not coming across his stumps every ball, but sometimes doing it to cover an off-stump line. A full cordon of five slips waiting, so why not! I like this from Rahane, willing to attack while the ball is new. The other fielders are a deep-set gully – making six in the cordon – along with cover, midwicket, long leg. And for some reason Bumrah bowls a short ball, hooked luckily for India to that final fielder for two runs. The second and third non-Wade runs of the day.

Thanks for all the correspondence, lovely to see.


8th over: Australia 20-1 (Wade 19, Labuschagne 1) Umesh to Wade, giving the ball plenty of width now, perhaps challenging Wade to take him on with the cordon stacked. Wade opts for discretion at this stage. From the fifth ball Umesh gets it to curl into Wade and smash him on the thigh pad, prompting an appeal, but even on the fun-size Wade that was hitting him too high. Still, a maiden over for Umesh.

7th over: Australia 20-1 (Wade 19, Labuschagne 1) Bumrah produces another, this time decking into the left-hander and not missing off stump by much as Wade leaves. That means that next time Wade tries to cover the incoming line and has it beat the bat, away off the thigh pad perhaps via an outside edge. Hard to see from behind the batsman. Third ball, Bumrah is straight but a touch too full, and Wade is able to push into the midwicket gap to run three more. He’s enjoying this opening gig.

6th over: Australia 17-1 (Wade 16, Labuschagne 1) Maybe this is Wade’s day. The ball from Umesh isn’t even that full, but Wade drives on the up, through mid-off for four. Then taps a single to the off side, before Marnus gets off the mark with a leg glance, the first non-Wade run of the day. You see this dynamic, the way the scoring pressure comes off when Umesh has the ball. Sends down some fearsome deliveries, but just enough that can be scored from. Wade has three conventional slips now as well as a floating slip, and a deep-set gully. Short cover, mid-on, square leg, long leg. He works it backward of square for another run.

5th over: Australia 10-1 (Wade 10, Labuschagne 0) That’s pretty classic Burns, when it’s not working. The line was too wide to play, and his front foot hadn’t landed before he played the shot. Langer has been sweating over Burns’ technique in the nets, but it hasn’t fixed that problem yet. Labuschagne comes in and is immediately squared up by another excellent Bumrah delivery. Imagine if this bowler still had Ishant partnering him with Shami first change...

WICKET! Burns c Pant b Bumrah 0

Gone for a duck! Oh, Joe. That goodwill and confidence from the Adelaide 50 will start to hiss slowly out of a puncture. India have an attacking field for Burns: four slips, gully, short leg. Only a cover and a midwicket in front of square. They’re confident. Then Bumrah bowls him another of those beauties, the ball that decks away hard. Back of a length but Burns reaches for it regardless. Touches it through, and walks as soon as the finger goes up.

4th over: Australia 10-0 (Burns 0, Wade 10) Umesh to Wade, edges past slip! Not sure you can call that a drop, it’s dying towards the turf and it’s well to the left of Gill on debut, who lunges across and gets a fingertip to it just as the ball is meeting the ground. A proper nick from Wade, who scores two, but as seems to be the way so often, crashes a boundary next ball with an elaborate cover drive, down on one knee and striking the ball airborne into a gap. India with two slips and two gullies, where a third slip would have held that chance.

3rd over: Australia 4-0 (Burns 0, Wade 4) Bumrah has Wade to work at now, and does the job just as nicely. Teases him outside the off stump, then cuts a ball back savagely off the seam to tenderise Wade’s thigh pad. Draws a thick edge squirted into the gully from the fifth ball for a single, then has a solitary ball at Burns and beats him with an absolute pearler, the ball angled in and seaming away past the edge. Burns was nowhere.

2nd over: Australia 3-0 (Burns 0, Wade 3) Runs before wickets in our scoring, remember. Umesh Yadav to Wade, Australia with the coveted right-hand left-hand combination. Umesh bowls right-arm over the wicket, a nice line to Wade, a little bit of swing back into the lefty, who leaves a few that get progressively closer. Umesh lacks the repeatability of Bumrah though, and eventually overpitches one for Wade to drive economically through cover for three. Those long square pockets at the MCG, the goalsquare ends if you will, get their first use.

1st over: Australia 0-0 (Burns 0, Wade 0) An interesting shuffle, Joe Burns facing first ball of the match after Wade did the job in Adelaide. A bit of confidence back into the Queenslander, it seems. Jasprit Bumrah has the job first up with the ball. Testing out Burns around the off stump, very consistently through the first over. A nice line that has Burns pushing a couple of times. Burns plays the over circumspectly until the final ball, when he schhhwings through a cover drive and misses the lot.

They just played an Indigenous Language version of You’re The Voice (you know, young Johnny Farnham and all that) over the loudspeakers at the MCG. I did not know that this song existed. That is such an excellent crossover.

A little time with Michael Googlé tells me that the cover was by Mitch Tambo and was sung in Gamilaraay. Awesome.

I feel this.

It was so good walking down to the ground just now. Streams of people walking in. All still doing the masks and caution thing, but the happiness was palpable. A couple of women ran over to greet each other with those noises that only people who are really happy can make. “It’s such a great day!” said one. “I just have this feeling already that it’s going to be a great day.”

Australia won the toss and will bat

Tim Paine ends up on the right side of the coin and will bat first. No surprises there on a track with history of epic flatness and on a sunny day. The pitch has some green tinges but I suspect they may be flattering to deceive. Matt Page the curator is very skilled, but he can only work with what he has. Let’s see.

Updated

A couple of guys on the train were having a conversation about where Peter Siddle took his Ashes hat-trick. They couldn’t remember. Have to tell you, it took every fibre of my strength to resist launching across the aisle to get involved.

Ohh, we are looking up into a proper Melbourne blue sky today. If you’re somewhere in the depths of winter, just close your eyes for a minute and try to remember the feeling. It will come back.

Teams

As might be expected when one team rissoles another for 36, there are no changes for Australia and plenty for India. David Warner still isn’t fit to come into the home team, which will force a change when he does. For India, Virat Kohli has gone home to meet a baby, as has Mohammed Shami with a broken arm, while Prithvi Shaw and Wriddhiman Saha have been dropped to bolster the batting. Into the team will come Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj.

Australia
Joe Burns
Matthew Wade
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Cameron Green
Tim Paine
Patrick Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood

India
Mayank Agarwal
Shubman Gill
Cheteshwar Pujara
Hanuma Vihari
Ajinkya Rahane *
Rishabh Pant +
Ravindra Jadeja
R Ashwin
Umesh Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Siraj

Updated

Get in touch

If you’ve read the OBO before, you know the score. Tell me what’s happening. What you did or did not do in the days leading up to Boxing Day. What your traditions for this Test match might be, where you’re watching from, whose company you’re enjoying or whose company you’re missing. Today is for the most human of pursuits, when we come together to seek solace or joy, and if you’d like to share yours then I’d like to read it. There’ll be time to publish some as well, so let me know if you’d rather keep the correspondence between us.

My email is in the sidebar and so is my Festive Bird App delivery tube.

Preamble

Merry Boxing Day! I hope that you had a wonderful Boxing Day Eve, or for those of you in timezones where it is still Boxing Day Eve, enjoy. For those of you who find this time of the year more difficult than merry, I’ll wish you steadfastness and peace.

The good news from Melbourne is that despite a year that almost all of us would gladly scrub from memory, there is a Test match happening in this town that seemed impossible only a few weeks ago. Now it’s here, and what’s more it’s happening on a clear sunny day under a blue sky. The thermometer is climbing up towards 30 after a cool day on the 25th and a wintry couple of days leading up to it. Who can predict Melbourne, but who can resist when Melbourne smiles?

I’m on the train into Jolimont, where the mighty MCG rears from the parklands like some crashed spacecraft. The attendance is restricted to one-third capacity at the G but the train is filling up as we pass station after station. People are ready. Shorts are on. The tough off-duty tradies at the outer suburban stations now drink Emma & Tom’s smoothies rather than half-litres of energy drink, you may be interested to know. It’s a different feeling in 2020.

Ready for it? I’ve been ready all year.

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