Sydney, Jan 9 (IANS) After their poor show on the field during the second Test in Melbourne, where they dropped catches of opener Shubman Gill and centurion Ajinkya Rahane while leaking runs too, Australia ramped up their fielding in the third Test to leave India gasping.
The Aussie fielders were on the money with even fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, the least athletic of the Aussies, producing a brilliant piece of fielding. Hazlewood dived at mid-off and threw the ball straight at stumps while falling to run out Hanuma Vihari.
Australia effected three run outs in all, with Marnus Labuschagne getting rid of Jasprit Bumrah with a direct hit, while Pat Cummins’s throw reached wicketkeeper Tim Paine at the right time to catch R Ashwin short of his crease. Cummins later said that the team had worked on its fielding after the second Test.
“Doesn’t happen that often (two direct hits)… both Josh’s and Marnus’s direct hits, especially Josh getting a top-order batsman like Vihari out seemingly out of nowehere,” said Pat Cummins while speaking to the media after the match.
“The MCG effort gets spoken about quite a lot. In between Tests we did quite a bit of work on it. Not only the run out, I think the attitude was fantastic, you had everyone diving around the field. Wadey (Matthew Wade) and Marnus taking the balls on the body (at close-in). Really good effort today,” added Cummins.
–IANS
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