It has been that kind of a day at The MCG where momentum swung in favour of both the sides from session to session! However, Australia has finished Day 1 on a high posting 244/3 on the scoreboard.
Australian openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have started off well adding 102 runs in the first session without losing a wicket. Chris Woakes bowled brilliantly in the post Lunch session to pick up the wicket of Bancroft.
James Anderson then picked up the wicket of Warner who scored his 21st century in this format to hand England the session! Australia have scored just 43 runs in the second session losing 2 wickets, both the well set openers!
Stuart Broad picked up the wicket of Khawaja in the final session of the Day to end his 69 over wicket-less run! Later Australian captain Steven Smith combined with Shaun Marsh batted till Stumps without losing further more wickets putting Australia in the driver’s seat in this Test match at Stumps on Day 1!
I have compiled some of the stats from the play on Day 1 at the MCG:
6000 – David Warner has completed 6K runs in Test cricket when he was batting on 99* and all the drama has happened in the Curran’s over after reaching this milestone! Luckily for him he went on to score his 21st Test century! Warner became the 14th player from Australia to reach this milestone in Tests.
21 – David Warner has scored his 21st century in Test cricket today and 15 of them have come at home! This is also his first century in this ongoing Ashes series which can be termed as a ‘coming-into-form’ century!
Handscomb released from Australia's Test squad and he will take gloves for Melbourne Stars today against Perth Scorchers #BBL07 #PRSvMLS pic.twitter.com/lWO3EEXgj8
— Cric Stat (@Cric_Stat) December 26, 2017
65* – Australian captain Steven Smith is batting on 65* at Stumps on Day 1. With this score his career batting average in Tests has now gone past 63! Only the great Don Bradman (99.94) has the higher batting average in Tests than Smith among those who has played 20 or more Tests!
414 – Finally some relief for England’s pacer Stuart Broad after picking up the wicket of Usman Khawaja in the first innings at the MCG! Before this wicket, Broad bowled 414 deliveries (69 Overs) without picking up a wicket — His previous wicket in this series was Mitchell Starc in the 1st innings at the Adelaide Oval!
