India find flat MCG track to their liking
At times it was hard to tell what was the more potent force amid the MCG faithful on Boxing Day, state pride or national pride.
On the pitch, there were few opening salvos during the early stages of the third test between Australia and India.
Pat Cummins inflicted a thunderous blow to the helmet of Hanuma Vihari then another wicket-taking jab to the opener’s gloves.
There was a bit of ducking and weaving but nowhere near as much as the preceding test in Perth.
Mayank Agarwal had India’s fans on their feet when he passed 50 on test debut, slapping two boundaries in spinner Nathan Lyon’s first over after lunch.
Otherwise, the action rarely spilled outside the ring field. The tourists intended to wear the star-studded attack down through weight of overs, rather than belt them into submission.
Melburnians weren’t exactly captivated by the early maidens but nonetheless found their voice, with some sections of the crowd booing Mitch Marsh when the recalled allrounder entered the attack.
Marsh’s crime, apart from hailing from the other side of the country, was replacing Victorian Peter Handscomb in Australia’s playing XI.
Josh Hazlewood – admittedly hailing from north of the Ron Barassi line – suggested last week that Australia’s previous Boxing Day test against India featured the flattest deck he’s ever bowled on.
Melbourne has since been a batsman’s paradise.
MCG curator Matt Page, who took charge shortly after last year’s dull Ashes draw that prompted the match referee to grade the docile drop-in pitch as poor, has tried a few things to liven it up but the early indications weren’t promising.
‘‘Fllllllllllllaaaaaaaattttttt,’’ Glenn Maxwell posted on Twitter early in the day.
Shortly after tea on the first day, India were 123-2.