Australia emerge on top on 20-wicket day in Melbourne
It took just three extra millimetres of grass from last year's Boxing Day Test for the Melbourne pitch to turn mischief-maker this time, producing 20 wickets, the joint third-most on an opening day in Australia. The hosts were bowled out for 152 inside 46 overs before England went one step further and folded for just 110 in under 30 overs, all played out in front of an all-time record MCG crowd of 94,199.
The day ended with fitting drama. Scott Boland walked out to open alongside Travis Head and safely negotiated a full over, much to the delight of the full house crowd who were already on their feet after a day of thrill-a-minute action.
Ben Stokes won the toss and sent Australia in, but there was a quiet irony in England once again playing on a green seamer after years of preparing at home on flatter pitches, shaping their fast-bowling plans around height and bounce for an Australian challenge that ended up asking different questions. This time though, his bowlers responded better, hitting fuller lengths and finding immediate reward.
Travis Head, who had hurt England earlier on the tour on another spicy surface, chopped on to his stumps off Gus Atkinson, but it was the introduction of Josh Tongue as first-change bowler that truly shifted momentum. Jake Weatherald was unfortunate to be strangled down the leg side, but the deliveries that followed underlined what a big miss Tongue was in Perth and Brisbane. Marnus Labuschagne edged behind an away-moving ball whereas Steve Smith was bowled through the gate by a sharp in-dipper.
At 51 for 4, Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey came together to steady Australia, taking them to 72 for 4 at Lunch. But the 38-run stand was broken in the fourth over after the break when Atkinson found Khawaja's edge. This time, the sound and spike on Snicko aligned and the on-field decision was overturned.
Stokes, who had opened the bowling with Atkinson in the afternoon session, then had Carey caught at leg slip to a well-set plan, leaving Australia wobbling at 91 for 6. It could have been worse, but Michael Neser enjoyed two slices of fortune as edges fell short in the cordon, first in front of Jamie Smith and later Joe Root, prompting questions around whether England's keeper and the slip cordon were standing too deep.
Neser made full use of the reprieves and counterattacked, taking four boundaries off a Josh Tongue over, while Cameron Green showed application and patience on a tough surface. Their 52-run stand for the seventh wicket pushed Australia past 150, though Green's innings ended with a high-risk single and a direct hit from Brydon Carse at the non-striker's end.
Mitchell Starc arrived averaging over 50 in the series but fell cheaply for once, caught by Stokes who ran behind at mid-off to complete a superb catch. Replays showed Carse's front foot was tight, but the third umpire ruled in the favour of the bowler.
Tongue then cleaned up the tail, removing Boland and Neser, the top-scorer of the innings, in the same over to complete his first five-wicket haul in Australia.
England's reply began poorly. Ben Duckett chipped Starc to mid-on early, while Neser, playing his first red-ball Test, removed Jacob Bethell with an edge outside off. Zak Crawley followed soon after, pushing hard at a ball away from his body, leaving England tottering at 8 for 3. The catch, taken by Steve Smith at second slip, saw him go past Rahul Dravid's tally of 210 for the most catches by a fielder. Only Joe Root (214) has more.
Neser then added another, ending Root's fruitless ordeal at the crease with a familiar outside edge and condemning the veteran batter to a 15-ball duck. It was the 15th duck of his Test career; seven have come against Australia.
Harry Brook smacked the next ball for six and looked eager to run down the track even with the ball misbehaving routinely, but he was ironically dismissed lbw, stuck in the crease to a ball from Boland that nipped back. The seamer then did what he does at the MCG, running through the middle order; Jamie Smith was bowled through the gate and Will Jacks edged behind.
At 83 for 7, England looked to Stokes, but the captain fell driving loosely and edging to second slip. Neser picked up his fourth wicket when Carse miscued a pull, though he was denied a fifth after being taken off following a short four-over spell.
England were bowled out for 110 when Cameron Green dismissed Atkinson, whose 28 off 35 balls spared England a heavier deficit. Brook's Bazball-y 41 off 34 remained the highest score of the innings.
Australia opted for the heavy roller and safely negotiated the final over with Boland once again in the thick of action, this time with the bat, and the hosts will hope for easier batting conditions come the second day in Melbourne.
@B0$ Australia 152 (Neser 35; Tongue 5-45) & 4/0 (Boland 4*) lead England 110 (Brook 41; Neser 4-45, Boland 3-30) by 46 runs
