AUS VS IND - 2nd Test, India tour of Australia, 2018-19

Virat Kohli at the moment can run through the stone wall for his team. He is carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulder formidably well. But battles aren't won by a single individual, he needs the rest of the troops to show fight and character too. It’s high time, he and his think-tank sitting in the dressing room get their team combinations right after looking at the 22 yards. That's it from all of us for the coverage of this debut Test match at this venue. We can trust the traditional Boxing Day Test at the MCG to be as thrilling as the first two matches have been and you can trust us to bring you the best coverage. This is Varun Dixit signing off on behalf of Ramakrishnan, KAD, Sriram, Abhinand and Venky.

India have a lot to ponder over. The opening woes have continued and both KL Rahul and Murali Vijay have been awfully out of form. It's about time team management take a tough call on the openers. Mayank Agarwal and Parthiv Patel are the opening options available on the bench. A makeshift opener like Hanuma Vihari can also be considered as he has looked pretty compact against the second new ball. Hardik Pandya and Ravi Ashwin should be available for the next match. Ashwin's inclusion would be a huge advantage but playing Pandya would mean that team combination would go back to 6-5 instead of 7-4. For Australia, everything looks hunky-dory. The form of Peter Handscomb is the only problem they have. But Langer and Co. believe in showing trust in their players and we can expect him to get another chance.

Nathan Lyon (Man of the Match): "It is amazing to play a role in a team victory and to have the support here in Perth and all around Australia has been fantastic. Thanks for all the support. It's pretty fair to say we have been in drought and to wrap up their tail pretty quickly was special. My role changed a fair bit to a more attacking role in Adelaide to a defending role here. Definitely those two wickets (Virat and Rahane) are special. Virat is the number one player in the world, to compete against him and to be able to take his wicket is pretty special. Pant is a wonderful striker of the ball, he's a special talent and it's always a great challenge to bowl to him. My brother (Brendan Lyon) has been helping me with the batting. I am not a very good batter, so I am trying to improve a little bit and play my role."

Tim Paine (2/2): "Day 1 was funny. We won the toss and decided to bat. We had our fingers crossed and hoped we play pretty well. Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch getting us to none for 100 was brilliant batting and probably the difference between the two sides. Khawaja has been batting really well for a long time. He is in a really good space. If he keeps batting the way he is right now, I am sure some big runs are going to come. It's great to have Lyon in our team. Every team would want to have him in their team. You can throw him the ball in any condition, at any end, any time against any team and he loves bowling to the best players in the world. It's a huge honour to captain the Australian side. Now to do it at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test is a special feeling. We all can't wait to get to Melbourne."

Tim Paine (1/2): "It's a big relief, because the first Test win has taken a while. Really proud of all our players and all our staff. We have been getting better over the last few months and I think this is a reward and we now shift our focus to the MCG. It was a difficult Test, both games were tough. Two really competitive sides and two really good fast bowling attacks. It's been hard work for batsmen and it was a great contest, because the ball was flying through here. The roller had a real effect in the morning because it had settled the pitch down but we knew we could open up the game later with our bowlers. It's about being patient in that first session."

Virat Kohli (2/2): "It was really pleasing to see the way our bowlers bowled relentlessly. When we looked at the pitch, we didn't think about that (Jadeja) option. We thought four quicks would be enough. Nathan Lyon bowled really well on this wicket. With the skill levels and consistency that he has to get something out of this wicket was really good. We never thought about the spin option to be honest. When you don't win, you don't rank your performance. We didn't get the result we wanted. I am focused on the next Test at the MCG and I hope I can contribute on a winning note. It was a decision made on the field (about his first innings dismissal), it stays there. There is nothing more to it. It's always going to be a special occasion. Boxing Day is going to be a full house, it's a memorable Test for all of us and we as a team are also excited and looking forward to that Test match."

Virat Kohli (1/2): "As a team I think we played well in patches and that's something that we can hold on to and take forward in the next game. Australia played better cricket than us, especially with the bat and getting 330 on that sort of a pitch was a bit too much. They deserved to win. When you are out in the middle, you don't think the target could have been lesser, but once you are out and see how difficult the situation was, that's when you think maybe we would have liked 30-40 less to chase. Australia got stuck into it for a long period and put up the score on the board which on a pitch that was lively was always going to be challenging. The second innings was beautiful to watch, they were outstanding together as a pack (the pacers). Just to see them dominating with the ball in the second innings was beautiful and that's something we want to build on and take forward to the next game as well."

Harsha Bhogle: I think Australia won this Test match with old fashioned stubbornness and grit on the 4th morning from Khawaja and Paine. It's been a good match in all respects for Paine

Harsha Bhogle: Very disappointing morning for India. They have been outplayed in this test match and the high of Adelaide is over.

India bowled way better than Australia's second innings score suggests, but Paine and Co. were rewarded for putting up a great fight. Khawaja held the innings together and the bowlers had fun towards the end to put this target beyond India's reach. 287 on a bouncy (two paced at times) pitch was a tough ask and the visitors' openers yet again disappointed, which lifted the mood further in the Aussie camp. Lyon removing Kohli and Vijay in quick succession hurt India badly and since then, Australia knew it was just a case of chipping away at the wickets and they did exactly that.

So then, Australia got this right, right from the team selection. India didn't the read the pitch right and got their combination wrong yet again, something that they have done in South Africa, England as well. A thick grass covering probably fooled them, but the surface underneath wasn't as hard as it had to be to suggest a four-man pace attack. But once the game started, the hosts were spot on for most bits. It all began with a wicketless morning on Day 1 with India unable to separate Harris and Finch. Then there was a good comeback, but Australia managed to post in excess of 300 with good support from the middle and lower orders. Captain Kohli led from the front with the bat, but none apart from Rahane could give him a strong hand and they lost their last 6 wickets for just 60 runs, which indeed helped Australia gain a healthy 43-run lead.

Elation in the Aussie camp and why not. Deserved victors. Very important that they won this game, because India could have run away with the series with the next two venues not expected to be as pacy as the one here in Perth. Australia are doing a bit of lap of honour. Justin Langer and Tim Paine have a happy chat and this win means a lot by the look of it. The Aussie fans applaud their heroes as they head back to the dressing room.

Pat Cummins to Bumrah, out Caught&Bowled!! It's a skier, Cummins calls for it, circles, circles under it and reverse cups it near the stumps at the non-striker's end. Australia win by 146 runs and level the series 1-1. A wonderful victory for the hosts. This was a short ball as expected, Bumrah pulls and top-edges it high in the air, Cummins has a good sight of it and takes a good catch to complete the game. Bumrah c and b Pat Cummins 0(3)

Pat Cummins to Bumrah, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

Pat Cummins to Bumrah, no run, and again, short and rising, swing and a miss

Pat Cummins to Bumrah, no run, Bumrah has a wild swing to this short ball and misses, smiles, wanted to hit that over the mid-wicket boundary

Jasprit Bumrah, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Pat Cummins to Ishant, out Caught by Paine!! Paine catches and throws the ball up in the air and the finger goes up as well. Short ball on the stumps, Ishant backed away and tried to slash hard, no balance, so he wasn't in control of the shot, thin edge and Paine indeed was right. Australia just a wicket away now. Ishant c Paine b Pat Cummins 0(5)

Pat Cummins to Ishant, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Pat Cummins to Ishant, no run, backs away and looks to swish it but misses

Pat Cummins to Ishant, no run, stays behind the line of the ball and blocks it out into the on-side

Pat Cummins to Ishant, wide, bangs the ball in and Ishant ducks under it. That goes well over the head