Bumrah finishes with nine as India retain Border-Gavaskar trophy
After rain delayed the final day in Melbourne, India needed just 27 balls to wrap up victory
25/12Result
3rd Test, India tour of Australia at Melbourne, Dec 26-30 2018
-
![India]( "India")
443/7d & 106/8d -
![Australia]( "Australia")
151 & 261 (89.3 ov)
Player of the Match
25/12Result
3rd Test, India tour of Australia at Melbourne, Dec 26-30 2018
-
![India]( "India")
443/7d & 106/8d -
![Australia]( "Australia")
151 & 261 (89.3 ov)
Player of the Match
Day 5
Tim Paine's Australia in dire need of Steven Smith and David Warner's return
After the Melbourne defeat, the Australia captain bluntly admitted that the team has been unable to fill the hole left by the duo
Kohli sits back and listens as bowlers dictate terms
Overseas wins used to seem like miracles to Indian fans not too long ago. With the attack the team has now, this is no longer the case
'Don't want to be facing Bumrah' - Kohli
India's captain singled out the quick for special praise after they secured a 2-1 series lead over Australia and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Virat Kohli joins Sourav Ganguly on top of India's away pile
Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant also hit the statistical heights during India's win at the MCG
Day 4
Gritty Cummins makes India wait for victory
An unbeaten 61 from Australia's No. 8 left India two wickets from going 2-1 up in the series
Kerry O'Keeffe 'devastated' by Indian reaction to on-air comments
'I am coming to terms with how negatively those words have been interpreted. That interpretation is not who I am. It is not what I represent'
Has Jadeja done enough to be lead spinner overseas?
If Ashwin is fully fit for Sydney, and if the pitch demands only one spinner, India might have an interesting decision to make
Australia slip well behind India in old-ball duel
The numbers show Bumrah, Ishant and Shami have been markedly more effective at using the ageing Kookaburra than Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood
Day 3
Jasprit Bumrah's 6 for 33 puts India in command
Pat Cummins took four late wickets to keep Australia's fight going after India claimed a 292-run first-innings lead
Five reasons why Kohli didn't enforce the follow-on
Despite having a 292-run lead, Virat Kohli decided to bat in the third innings against Australia at the MCG. These are the probable reasons why
Reactions: 'Bumrah, bowling equivalent of the 360-degree batsman'
What they said about Jasprit Bumrah's unplayable slower ball to Shaun Marsh
The making of Jasprit Bumrah's slow yorker to Shaun Marsh
The Indian quick explains how Rohit Sharma had a role in the ball, and why yorkers are scarce in Test cricket in general
A dream year for Bumrah and India's quicks
Bumrah's 2018 tally of 45 wickets is the highest by an Indian bowler in away Tests, and he could become the fastest Indian pacer to 50 Test wickets
India's perfect team effort produces near-perfect day
India burst through the tiny opening left by a side that let its guard down on a supposedly dull pitch, and that was all down to their fine planning and execution
Exhausted Pat Cummins gets belated reward
Having taken four quick wickets late on day three, the fast bowler said Australia could still 'dare to dream' on a pitch he felt was still 'pretty good' to bat on
Australia's MCG meltdown the best PR for Smith and Warner
At a time when their faces fill your TV screens and newspapers, their names are glaringly absent from the scoreboards
Day 2
Pujara, Kohli and Rohit set Australia stiff task
India declared late on day two, leaving Australia to negotiate a pitch that is beginning to show signs of wear
The year of Cheteshwar Pujara's blossoming
His place in the side has never been entirely secure, but three away hundreds in 2018 have given India's No. 3 some hard-earned and well-deserved breathing room
Pujara confident India have 'enough on board' to win
Calling the MCG a "tough pitch to score runs on", the Indian batsman believes the visitors have done well to seize the initiative
Resourceful Cummins abides with Australia's needs
The dropped chance aside, Pat Cummins once again showed his value to the Australia side, whether it was with his intelligent bowling or his readiness to bat as nightwatchman
Day 1
Agarwal, Pujara and Kohli make Australia toil
Pat Cummins claimed Australia's two wickets in a superbly wholehearted display on a largely docile Melbourne pitch
Australia's Kohli mirage sums up MCG dilemma
After such a build-up, the behaviour of the MCG track on the opening day was a disappointment, and while the ground staff and management may be looking at long-term development, the clock is ticking for the venue
'Disappointing to see MCG boo Marsh' - Head
The loud booing appeared to be an expression of the Victorian crowd's disapproval that Peter Handscomb was dropped
Wait over, weight off Agarwal on near-perfect debut
His debut at the MCG came about through a combination of circumstances but his confident 76 helped settle his nerves and would have calmed the batsmen who follow
Others
Mitchell Marsh's bowling edges out Handscomb's chance
While Handscomb's batting technique has been widely dissected and analysed, Australia captain Tim Paine stressed that Mitchell Marsh's bowling was a significant factor in the selectors' decision
MCG spectators evicted over racist taunts
Chants of 'show us your visa' were a regular feature of the first two days, leading to a formal warning from CA to spectators in the bottom tier of the Great Southern Stand
Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal's chance to shine amid opening combination chaos
One pushed out of his middle-order station only in his third Test, the other not adequately acclimatised, the pair can make a career out of this opportunity if they are able to deliver at the MCG
Inside the MCG's pitch reboot
The need for a rethink at the MCG was clear after a "poor" pitch rating last year. Matt Page, the ground's curator, deconstructs the process and planning behind the changes to the pitch
Aaron Finch-Marcus Harris union a Boxing Day gift for Victoria
For the first time in 45 years, the MCG will witness two Victorian batsmen walking out as openers - a mark of the state's evolution from a successful system that wins trophies to one that has created an effective pathway for national cricketers
Don't judge MCG pitch by its grass cover - Marcus Harris
The batsman is expecting slow scoring but the opportunity for runs to be made by batsmen diligent enough to play within their lanes
India drop both openers; Jadeja plays; Mitch Marsh recalled
All eyes are on the MCG pitch which has led to both teams making changes to the XIs for the Boxing Day Test