Rishabh Pant had a huge part to play in the dismissal of Australian opener Matthew Wade in the first morning of the second Test match in Melbourne. Australia won the toss and opted to bat first in the Boxing-Day Test match. They did not have the best of starts as the Indian bowlers got into the act early. Jasprit Bumrah got the wicket of Joe Burns for 10 and swung the match India’s way.
Meanwhile, Wade was playing with aggressive intent in his short stay at the crease. He scored 30 from 39 balls at a strike rate of 80 hitting three boundaries. He was moving around a lot as well to unsettle Ashwin. He also played a couple of shots to Ashwin before getting out.
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Rishabh Pant Plans Matthew Wade’s Dismissal With R Ashwin
The ball he was dismissed, Wade swept Ashwin of his legs as he bowled a delivery outside the leg-stump. The incident happened in the 13th over of the Australian innings. Seeing this, Rishabh Pant asked Ashwin to keep it in the stumps saying that Wade will look to hit him across the line in the air. “Andar hi rakhna, ye maarega” said Pant to Ashwin.
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The very next ball, Ravichandran Ashwin bowled accordingly and Wade did hit him in the air and was caught just outside the 30-yard circle. Wade’s wicket was key for India as he was playing with aggressive intent. Rishabh Pant seemingly looked extremely happy as his plan helped India secure a massive breakthrough.
Soon after Wade was out in the 13th over of the Australian innings, Steve Smith was out for a duck in the 15th over. Smith who has had a good record in Boxing-Day Tests in the recent past, was out for a duck as he was caught by Ashwin in the slips.
In his seven Boxing Day Tests, the right-hander has scored 908 runs at 113.50 with four centuries and three other scores more than 50. At his home ground in Sydney, his next best average at home, he has an average of 67.88.
