It seemed that the Christmas break infused new life into the Australian top order that fired in unison on return to action in the fourth round of the Border-Gavaskar tussle on Boxing Day, helping the hosts pile up 311 for 6 even as late strikes helped India share the honours after the opening day’s play at the jam-packed Melbourne
Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Teenage debutant Sam Konstas inspired Australia’s pre-game ambition of “throwing something different” at India’s dominant pace bowlers at the MCG with a belligerent half century to provide the impetus for the old guards — Usman Khawaja (57), Marnus Labuschagne (72) and Steve Smith (68 not out) — to put up the most consistent top-order effort of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series thus far.

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After skipper Pat Cummins won his first coin toss of the series and opted to unleash his batters, Australia dominated through the first two sessions, and almost an hour into the final session to reach 112/1 at lunch and went on to reach 237/2 without any hiccups, India managed to pull things back claiming three wickets in 23 balls to restore parity.

Forced to change their opener midway through the series, Australia finally found their answer in the 19-year-old Konstas, whose 60 was an innings of far greater significance than a simple scorecard can relay. Konstas went out with a clean slate, and showed great confidence in tackling the menace of Jasprit Bumrah and Co, to provide a 89-run opening stand — Australia’s most productive stand for the first wicket since Usman Khawaja and David Warner’s 90 in the corresponding MCG
Test against Pakistan last summer.

The young right-hander overcame a nervy start and the ugly mid-pitch exchange with Virat Kohli in between overs that drew murmurs from a massive MCG crowd in excess of 87,000, with the Australian debutant displaying all his teenage flair to blast India’s potent fast bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Fired up after the concentration with the Indian superstar, he came up with all kinds of ramp shots, scoops, audacious pulls and plenty of edges to race to an entertaining maiden Test 50 in just 52 deliveries, before adding 10 more to his 65-ball innings – that included six fours and two massive sixes before being trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (1/54) to break the stand.

Jasprit Bumrah, who has been Australia’s nemesis this summer, continued to be a threat and had Khawaja mis-time a pull shot during the middle session and was caught at mid-wicket by KL Rahul, as both sides fought hard for the momentum and edge towards a place at next year’s ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.

Labuschagne and Smith comfortably took the home side to tea at 176/2 and looked set to build a big partnership reaching 237/2. But almost an hour after the break, once Labuschagne holed out to off-spinner Washington Sundar in an attempt to recapture some of the day’s earlier impetus, the floodgates opened up for the opposition, and the Indian crowd finally found their voice.

Bumrah sprung into action from the other end, ending Travis Head’s golden run ingloriously when he was bowled for a duck without offering a shot, before stretching his wicket-tally for the series to 24 when allrounder Mitchell Marsh’s attempted heave over mid-wicket marked his fifth single-figure score from six Test knocks.

After Bumrah’s timely intervention quickly reduced Australia to 246/5, his second new-ball partner Akash Deep (1/59) was rewarded for his persistence and got in on the act to dismiss Alex Carey (31) after the southpaw added 53 runs with Smith.

Smith survived a couple of confident lbw shouts early in his innings—one (on 18) that brought an unsuccessful review from India and another they sorely considered  but came to revel in the stifling conditions. He took a special liking for fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, whose feisty demeanour was at odds with his unflattering figures, as shown when Smith imperiously lifted him beyond the square leg fence.

Earlier, India made one change to their side, with Shubman Gill left out of the XI in a massive surprise to accommodate the off-spinning all rounder Sundar, while  the home side went in with two forced changes — Nathan McSweeney and the injured Josh Hazlewood making way for Konstas and Scott Boland.

Brief Scores: Australia 311 for 6 (Sam Konstas 60, Usman Khawaja 57, Marnus Labuschagne 72, Steve Smith 68 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 3-75) vs India.