Nine’s Wide World of Sports
Updated . First published
Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Jhye Richardson
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue
Khawaja punches through the off-side for a couple of runs.
Big job here for him and Smith to make sure they get through until the lunch break.
Smith faces 14 dot balls in a row but then explodes with a beautiful off-drive for a boundary down the ground.
Big appeal for caught-behind from Tongue, who is sure that Smith got an edge down the leg-side to the keeper Smith, but the umpire turns it down.
England send it upstairs, but the decision stands.
Steve Smith misses the ball Fox Cricket
Tongue squares up Labuschagne and he edges it, but it falls short of the slips.
The next ball, Labuschagne looks to drive but edges it straight to Root in the slips.
Aussies are three down inside an hour at the MCG!
"He set him up beautifully there … relentless bowling," David Warner said on Fox Cricket.
Brett Lee says the Aussies are "on the ropes" on Boxing Day and it's hard to argue.
Joe Root catches Marnus Labuschagne Fox Cricket
Change in the bowling with Tongue into the attack now for England.
He picks up a wicket immediately as Weatherald nicks off to Smith behind the stumps.
Aussies in a bit of trouble now less than an hour into the Boxing Day Test.
Smith walks out onto the MCG to a smattering of boos from the Barmy Army.
Jamie Smith catches Jake Weatherald Fox Cricket
Just when it looked like the Aussies were getting on top early, Atkinson strikes and knocks over Head, who chops onto his own stumps.
Big breakthrough and a crucial one for England in the seventh over.
"They needed that," Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
Travis Head is bowled by Gus Atkinson Fox Cricket
Weatherald plays a perfect drive off Carse through the off-side for another boundary.
"Both the southpaws dining out on Brydon Carse," Adam Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
Loose stuff from the England quick and he's let the Aussies off the hook.
"Time for a spell," Mark Waugh said.
Weatherald slashes at a ball outside off-stump and it drops just short of Bethell at gully, who dives low and saves a likely boundary with a brave piece of fielding.
Plenty of chat on commentary about Bethell's choice of underpants, with footage of him pulling down his pants during the warm-up to reveal some Budgy Smugglers.
Atkinson bowls out a maiden over and Head then drives Carse through the off-side for two boundaries in a row, relieving any pressure that Atkinson had built up.
Jacob Bethell during the warm-up Fox Cricket
Head flicks a delivery from Carse off his pads to the leg-side for two runs.
There's a man at short-leg in Duckett, but the ball goes over the top of his head.
A light appeal for caught behind is turned down by the umpire and replays show the ball brushed Head's thigh pad on the way through to the keeper.
The ball clips Travis Head's thigh pad Fox Cricket
Weatherald gets off the mark with a punch through the off-side for two runs.
Solid start from Atkinson with the ball and he looks threatening.
"Encouraging signs there," Adam Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
Head is looking a little bit nervous, but Carse bowls a no-ball from his first delivery.
"A few shaky shots early here," Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
Four leg-byes come off Head's thigh pad down to the boundary.
Carse drops it in short and Head attempts to pull it, but it narrowly avoids the edge.
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