India vs Australia highlights, Boxing Day Test: Australia 311/6 at stumps vs India on Day 1 at MCG

Youngest to score a half-century for Australia in Tests

17y 240d Ian Craig vs SA Melbourne 1953

19y 85d Sam Konstas vs Ind Melbourne 2024

19y 121d Neil Harvey vs Ind Melbourne 1948

19y 150d Archie Jackson vs Eng Adelaide 1929

“Modern day greats will figure out their way… you know… path,” Rohit Sharma said with a smile when he was asked about Virat Kohli’s habit of chasing deliveries outside off-stump. Not a word less or a word more but there was an underlying sense of assurance that Kohli will himself find his way.

Just 15 minutes after Rohit’s comments at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Kohli was in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) nets looking to find his way. He faced quicks Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna with the new ball and some side-armers were in operation too. India’s most experienced batter was a picture of concentration during the time he batted under the harsh sun, and lost it, momentarily, when there was booing from the crowd when KL Rahul, batting in the adjacent net, was dismissed.

Except that, the only dialogue he had was with Rana and Krishna, and it happened after almost every delivery. The plan seemed simple - face deliveries in the corridor just outside off-stump and keep leaving them. Ball after ball, shoulder arms and then get that assurance from the seamer who would confirm the point of impact in the net right behind the batter.

“Kaha laga, idhar tha ki uppar? (Where did it make contact - here or above?),” Kohli would ask Rana who would nod and add “haan bhaiya fifth-sixth stump pe tha. Jab main seam se daal raha hu nikal raha hai, aur bahar kara raha hu to aur bahar jaa raha hai (Yes, brother, it was on fifth-sixth stump. When I'm bowling with the seam, it is going and when outside, then it is going further away)”. The Delhi boys were very chatty and Rana gave his senior teammate an early indication of the fresh wicket they were playing on.

“Aaj bhaiya bounce zyaada hai wicket se, pad ke nikal raha hai (Today there is extra bounce off the surface, it is jumping up after landing),” he said before Kohli nodded and took guard again. In between, there was a quick query by bowling coach Morne Morkel on the type of bowlers Kohli wanted and the batter just said “whatever” and was back in position. The position, too, was interesting as Kohli, unlike most of India batters, stood a bit outside the crease and even after getting rushed on by the side-armers, he persisted with the strategy of meeting the ball a bit ahead.

Krishna was in good rhythm and was making most of the freshness of the surface. The channel was around the fifth stump and he continued to hit the good length spot. Kohli kept leaving and only put his willow to the deliveries which were either close or full to be driven. There were some crunching drives, plenty of “yes, one. Yes, two. No run” as he worked hard towards sorting those issues outside the off-stump.

There was a left-arm net bowler in operation, too, but he was comfortably dealt with during the right-hander’s intense net session. He would swap nets, take mini-breaks, keep an eye on his teammates but there were no conferences where he discussed batting or sought any feedback. There were some applauses by Morkel early on and that was probably the only feedback he got from the coaching staff. Krishna kept asking where to bowl next, sought feedback and did test Kohli with that probing channel.

The channel which he has poked at a lot in the last few series. A channel he knows has led to his downfall but he has found it difficult to get that discipline. The team knows he will figure out, they are certain he will figure it out, just like he has multiple times in the past, and Rohit’s underlying assurance semeed to have echoed the mood in that change room.

The “modern day great” is fighting a battle with himself and would hope that in this 'I vs Me', Virat Kohli emerges the real winner. India need their talisman to rediscover his mojo and they would hope it happens with the Boxing Day Test which is expected to have over 2,50,000 people across the five days.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins understands the challenges a teenager faces during a high-profile Test debut and knows exactly what advice to give young Sam Konstas: "Have fun and don't overthink." The 19-year-old Konstas is all set to debut against India in the Boxing Day Test starting Thursday. Having generated significant buzz in Australian domestic cricket, Konstas's inclusion in the team, replacing Nathan McSweeney, has become a talking point.

When asked about his own Test debut at 18, Cummins reflected on the mix of excitement and naivety that allowed him to play without overanalyzing the moment's magnitude.

"I spent a bit of the time wondering why or how I was there, how it happened so quick. I just remember being really excited, and I think it's similar to Sammy (Konstas) this week. There's a level of naivety that you just want to go out and play like you do when you're a kid in the backyard," Cummins said during the pre-match press conference.

"You just want to take the game on, have fun, and not overthink. So that's the message to Sam. That's definitely how I felt as an 18-year-old, I was just really excited," he fondly recalled.

Cummins also shared the advice he gave to Konstas, drawing from his own experiences as a teenager making his debut in 2011.

"I was saying this to Sam the other day, I remember as an 18-year-old I was thinking if I didn't have a great game it wasn't my fault, it was the selector's fault for picking me.

"I was like, well, they're the idiots that picked an 18-year-old. You're so young, starting out your career, it's just, it's Boxing Day—it doesn't get any better than this, so just enjoy the moment," he laughed.

The skipper highlighted the value of having veteran Usman Khawaja, aged 38 and exactly double Konstas's age, as a calming presence at the other end. At the same time, Cummins emphasized the unique advantage of youthful exuberance.

"There's so much value in having experience and you've seen everything before. But there's almost just as many positives in having that freedom and naivety just to go out and see the ball and hit the ball."

The Boxing Day Test between India and Australia is just one sleep away and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) bracing for the storm which is expected to hit it over the next few days. A lot of work is happening in-and-around the MCG to put on a real show but the build-up feels incomplete without the real show-stopper. The man who was the life of these fixtures is missing. It's been more than two years since the legendary Shane Warne passed away and his absence has been dearly felt since.

There are multiple activations - free health checkups by his foundation - being done to keep his spirit alive at the venue. The venue where he featured in numerous memorable milestones - his 700th Test wicket, only hat-trick of his career - has a stand named after him and also a magnificent statue which has become the most sought-after spot for getting a picture clicked. He is not there but continues to be omnipresent at his "second home".

Warne's close friends and family still feel that void and it only becomes a bit strange to not see that familiar face either behind the microphone or on the field. Doing what only he could and in the manner only he could. They remember him, celebrate him and still miss him. That strange feeling will grip Greg Blewett, his close friend for over three decades, who would be on commentary duties for the Boxing Day Test but will not be bumping into "Warney".

"It really does feel strange. Being around the Australian cricket grounds and not bumping into Warney. He was bigger than life, really. So not to see him... it's still a bit of a shock, really. Two years have really flown by hasn't it? But he is there in spirit. Of course, he's got the big stand there named after him now, and he's got his statue. And, because of how he passed, I think there's some real awareness now around men's health, hopefully here in Australia, but also around the world as well. We all miss him," says Blewett.

The two have been together since their Australian Institute of Sport Cricket Academy days, when they were looking to make it big, and together they played a lot of cricket for Australia across formats. Interestingly, Warne was part of the Playing XI for Blewett's first and last Test and even first and last ODI. They did numerous tours with the Australian team and in no time, "Warney" became a big part of "Blewy's" life.