Key posts
‘I think my eyes are still there’: Smith proves critics wrong
By Roy Ward
Australian star Steve Smith has admitted he reflected on critics questioning whether his eyes and reflexes were fading by stepping forward and moving closer to the bowler.
He believed batting out of his crease takes the game to the bowler but also makes it harder for him to be trapped lbw.
“You’ve got to have faith, I was hitting the ball really nicely and people were saying “Is he too old? Are his eyes going?” So I thought I would go out of my crease and make my impact point closer to the bowler, so it all comes a bit quicker,” Smith told Fox Sports this morning.
“I think my eyes are still there which is nice. For me, it is about keeping the faith and knowing that I’m hitting the ball well. There is a difference between being out of form and out of runs – I was just out of runs and I’ve played long enough to know that things can turn around quickly.”
Today’s weather
There could be a hint of rain later today but, otherwise, looks to be a brilliant day for cricket.
‘He’s hearing every bit of negativity’: Ponting on Kohli
By Daniel Brettig
‘One of the best barbecues I’ve seen’: Lyon sledges Kohli, Indian superstar reacts to crowd
By Tom Decent and Andrew Wu
Virat Kohli came close to an angry confrontation with the crowd after he was involved in a calamitous run out in which veteran spinner Nathan Lyon later pinned him as the guilty party.
Kohli was almost out of sight from the crowd in the players’ race after his dismissal before he returned to glare at hecklers. An ICC official then placed a consolatory arm around his shoulder and shepherded him down the race.
It is not clear from the video of the incident that surfaced on social media on Friday night what sparked Kohli’s backturn, and though boos were clearly audible, no racial or personal abuse could be heard.
Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club had not received a complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the time of publication. The BCCI have been contacted for comment.
Good morning
G’day everyone. I’m Roy Ward and welcome to our Boxing Day Test live blog.
We are at day three of this match and it really feels like both this match and this series are both on the line today as Australia tries to bowl out India and the tourists aim for a mid-innings recovery after falling to 5-164 at stumps yesterday.
India trails by 310 runs and have the dangerous Rishbah Pant and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, both are capable of posting big scores.
Scott Boland, Pat Cummins and the rest of the Australian attack will aim to break this partnership up early and then power through the tail.
Play begins at 10.30am AEDT. Enjoy the hours to come.
