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The MCG turns silent for Ben
The MCG crowd went silent in tribute to Ferntree Gully teenager Ben Austin, who tragically died after an accident while training in the cricket nets on Tuesday.
Players from both sides, umpires and representatives from Ferntree Gully, Mulgrave and Eildon Park cricket clubs all stood on the MCG to honour the teenage cricketer.
The Australian cricket side pays tribute to Ben Austin during a moment of silence at the MCG tonight.Credit: Getty Images
It’s a tragedy that resonates around the cricket world as players from all over can put themselves in the place of his parents and loved ones.
The silence was absolute. Fitting for the young man.
Both teams are wearing black armbands in his honour.
WICKET: Inglis is out
Inglis played some crafty sweep shots to Kuldeep to open the over buy he is a canny spinner and he has battled back with lbw shouts twice in the over.
Both saw not out decisions given but the Indians went of the review and the ball was found to be hitting leg stump.
Inglis made 20 runs from 20 balls.
Australia are 4-112 from 11.3 balls with Marcus Stoinis coming in.
Warner talks up Marsh recall, Crowd announced as 82,438
By Roy Ward
The debate over whether Mitch Marsh could be recalled to the Test team will continue after tonight’s innings and David Warner sounds like he is all for it.
Even if Marsh has made it clear he doesn’t expect to be recalled and has tickets for the Ashes.
David Warner and Marcus Stoinis of Australia chat pre-game.Credit: Getty Images
“I’ll be six beers deep by lunch on day one,” Marsh joked to ABC earlier this month.
But Warner was happy to stir the pot for his old teammate tonight.
“Why couldn’t he come out and bash the Poms around the park?” Warner mused during commentary on Fox Cricket.
“Does he not want to give up his tickets? He can trade them for a player pass.”
Meanwhile, an embarrassing mix-up in the field just led to India droping Mitch Owen.
Australia are 3-104 and the attendance is 82,438 for tonight’s match – not quite a record between the two sides, but still a super-impressive figure.
WICKET: Varun beats David
Tim David took a step back from his crease after being distracted by something – this happened just as Varma was moved to bat-pad.
Then Varun did the same, holding the ball instead of bowling the next delivery.
It did nothing for either player but made for some fun theatre.
Then Varun tricked David into chipping up a defensive shot that sailed into his hands.
David is out caught-and-bowled. Australia need to regain some ascendancy here.
Australia are 3-90 from 8.4 overs.
WICKET: Marsh is out
“He must be hungry,” David Warner joked after watching Marsh go four, six and four in three deliveries in the past over.
Marsh has been teeing off but not in a wild way – playing stand-and-deliver cricket to march to 46 from just 25 balls.
Kuldeep needed a pep talk, and he had a pained expression on his face, but whatever was said worked as Marsh skied the ball and was caught on the last ball of Kuldeep’s over.
Australia are 2-87 from eight overs.
Marsh goes straight down the line
That was a powerful blow from Mitch Marsh who hit a straight drive that crashed into the top half of the sight screen.
Varun has given the Aussies some trouble with his unpredictable deliveries, but he went for 10 this past over as the home side passed the half-way mark of its run chase.
An Australian fan cheers on his side.Credit: Getty Images
India has to shut Marsh (26 runs from 20 balls) down, and do it in a hurry, otherwise this game will be over fast.
Australia are 1-67 from seven overs.
WICKET: Head caught on fence by Varma
Travis Head thought he had hit Varun for six but his drive fell just short of the rope and Tilak Varma caught the ball in-stride, flicked it up in the air so he could run over the rope, and then stepped back inside the field of play and caught it.
That’s sensational coordination from the Indian star.
Head made an entertaining 28 runs from 15 balls, but he’s done for the night.
India are not going down without a fight here.
Australia are 1-51 from 4.2 overs.
Marsh hits Rana into the second tier
Mitch Marsh has played a crushing pull shot to Rana and hit him into the second tier of the stands.
“That’s the power of ‘the Bison’,” Ravi Shastri said on Fox Cricket, referencing Marsh’s nickname.
The Aussies are sprinting away at the MCG and, except for the roar when Marsh hit that six, the crowd noise is now more of a murmur. The Indian fans clearly don’t like that they are seeing.
Australia are 0-49 from four overs chasing 126.
Costly over from Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah of India bowling at the MCG.Credit: Getty Images
Travis Head has played his shots to Bumrah in the Indian superstar’s second over, and it paid off big-time for the home side.
The Aussies took 18 runs from Bumrah’s over, but he almost had Marsh caught behind on the last ball as there was a “woody” noise. The umpire was right to remain unmoved – the ball had clearly come off Marsh’s thigh pad.
Head hit Rana for six in the first ball of the next over.
Australia are cruising at 0-35 from 3.1 overs.
Marsh passes 2000 T20I runs
Mitch Marsh is just the fourth Australian to reach 2000 runs in Twenty20 internationals.
He’s looked solid so far as the Aussies improved to 0-10 from two overs, chasing 126.
They need 116 runs from 109 balls from here with all 10 wickets in hand.
Travis Head is in imposing touch in the white-ball game.Credit: Getty Images
Bumrah firing
Bumrah has been right on the attack in the first over beating the bat twice, but the Aussies still kept the scoreboard ticking while protecting their wickets.
“He looked like he had a half-taped tennis ball,” David Warner exclaimed on Fox Cricket after Bumrah made the ball shoot away from Head.
This feels like where the game will be won and lost – in the remaining three overs from Bumrah.
Australia are 0-4 from one over.
Indian fans cheer at the MCG on Friday night.Credit: Getty Images
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