Fri Dec 27 06:51:08 UTC 2024: ## Australia Piles on Runs, India Faces Mountain in Boxing Day Test
**Melbourne, Australia:** Australia dominated the second day of the Boxing Day Test against India, setting a challenging target for the visitors. Steve Smith anchored the Australian innings with a masterful 140, his 34th Test century, propelling Australia to a first-innings total of 474. Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking four crucial wickets.
Smith’s innings, in partnership with captain Pat Cummins (49 runs), formed the backbone of Australia’s impressive score. The pair added over 100 runs for the seventh wicket, frustrating the Indian bowling attack. Bumrah, however, continued his strong series performance, adding to his already impressive tally of 25 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The Indian team began their reply wearing black armbands in tribute to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away overnight. India’s response, however, got off to a shaky start. Openers Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24) fell relatively early, leaving India at 51/2 at tea. The fall of wickets continued after tea, with Yashasvi Jaiswal falling short of a century, running out for 82, and Virat Kohli falling to Scott Boland for 36, leaving India struggling at 158/4 at stumps.
The match attracted a record-breaking crowd of 87,242 spectators on the first day, a new high for a single day’s attendance in a Test match between the two nations. Tickets for the first day were sold out two weeks prior to the match. A minor on-field incident between Virat Kohli and Sam Curran on day one was quickly resolved, with Curran stating the collision was accidental.
India faces a significant challenge to overcome Australia’s substantial first-innings total, with their batting line-up needing a strong performance to avoid a substantial deficit. The remaining days of the match promise to be crucial in determining the outcome of the Boxing Day Test.
First Piper 