11.18AM POLLOCK DOUBTS OVER CALL TO BOWL FIRSTFormer South African skipper Shaun Pollock says South Africa can create doubt in Australia’s minds if it reaches 15 overs without losing a wicket.
Pat Cummins won the toss at the MCG and elected to bowl, presumably to try and expose a South African line-up still reeling from the Brisbane bloodbath.
Despite a sharp caught-and-bowled chance going down and the Australians considering a review or two, South Africa hasn’t looked anywhere near as troubled as at the Gabba on its way to 0-23 after nine overs.
The MCG pitch hasn’t offered anywhere near as much assistance as Brisbane so far.
“There’s been enough to maybe justify it,” Pollock said on Fox Cricket.
“But we all know having played, you start to get that slip corden talk about ‘hmmm, I wonder if we should have batted first’.
“The longer the South Africans last here, you get the 15-20 overs without any damage being done, people start to question. Then you have to get your mindset around the fact (that), ‘OK, we didn’t get the start we’re after, maybe (it’s) not doing as much as we thought it would, but we still have to now go and bowl them out.”
11.12AM BOLAND INTO THE ATTACK
Scott Boland is on. This is not a drill. The MCG is rocking.
Pat Cummins grasses a sharp return catch off Dean Elgar. South Africa 0-9. In the next over, Mitch Starc has two appeals against Erwee turned down and Cummins opts not to send either decision for review.
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10.45AM BOY THE FANS LOVE SCOTT BOLAND
Can you imagine the scenes if they had dropped Scott Boland for the Boxing Day Test?
So far he has bene cheered when his name was announced, cheered for running to fine leg and then there was a huge roar when he fielded a ball in the first over.
There’s no doubt Victorians are a parochial bunch!
They’ll have to wait a while to see their hometown hero though as it’s Pat Cummins sharing the new ball with Starc.
South Africa has made a sturdy start, reaching 0-6 after two overs.
10.32AM PLAY UNDERWAY
Mitch Starc has the new ball in hand with South African captain Dean Elgar and fellow opener Sarel Erwee at the crease. Ricky Ponting says on Channel 7 he wonders if Pat Cummins has given South Africa a chance to dictate the Test by bowling but understands the decision to bowl first when conditions are most likely to favour the Aussie quicks.
10.20AM SHANE WARNE TRIBUTES UNDERWAY
Both teams have floppy hats on and there and hundreds of thousands in the stands as the MCG prepares to celebrate the life of Shane Warne. David Warner’s three daughters are with him to mark his 100th Test. If you missed Warner’s tell-all interview with Ben Horne, catch up here.
A tribute video of some of Warnie’s best moments is playing on the MCG scoreboards with Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’. It’s a pretty amazing moment as players from both teams pause and turn to watch some of the best moments from Shane Warne’s legendary career. The crowd, players and officials stand as one and applaud.
10.12AM TEAM NEWS
As we found out yesterday, Australia is unchanged with local hero Scott Boland retaining his spot with Josh Hazlewood still not 100 per cent. Theunis De Bruyne is in to bat at No.3 for South Africa. As the tourists hinted at on Christmas Day, they will again go in with Marco Jansen listed at No.7. There was police applause throughout the team announcements until Scott Boland’s name was read out and the MCG went wild.
AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Khaya Zondo, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
10:02AM AUSSIES WILL BOWL AFTER WINNING TOSS
Pat Cummins has won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat at the MCG. The pitch isn’t expected to be anything like Brisbane’s green monster but there is grass covering which will offer assistance for the Australian bowlers early. It will be a big test of South Africa’s mettle after rolled cheaply twice in Brisbane.
9:50AM CONCERN FOR CRICKET FAN IN LEAD UP TO PLAY
A section of the MCC members has been cordoned off with staff appearing to attend to a patron just before 10am. Medical staff and police are in attendance on the level 2 balcony.
LYON BRACING FOR ‘EMOTIONAL’ TRIBUTE TO THE REAL GOAT
Star spinner Nathan Lyon is bracing for an emotional Boxing Day Test as cricket farewells the real GOAT – his childhood hero, Shane Warne.
The Australian team will be just like most fans sitting in the stands at the MCG on Monday when they honour a sporting icon who inspired them to love the game.
Fox Cricket has prepared a stirring tribute video that will be played on the big screens when the players, all wearing white floppy hats, are lined up on the field before play to pay tribute to one of the most larger than life characters Australia has known.
Warne’s son Jackson will join Fox Cricket’s coverage during the day for what the network is calling ‘The Shane Warne Boxing Day Test’, in memory of their beloved commentator.
Lyon, an all-time Test great in his own right with more than 450 Test wickets, has paid tribute to the cricketer he looked up to ahead of a special day at the MCG.
“I’ve got the nickname of the GOAT, which is a bit ridiculous,” Lyon said.
“That’s Shane. He is the greatest.
“It’s going to be a very emotional Test for everyone. It’s going to be very special that this is going to be the first Test since his passing at his home ground.
“For us to be out in the middle with everyone else who is honouring Shane Warne, it’s going to be special.”
Warne’s cap number 350 will be emblazoned on the MCG outfield for the duration of the Test and at 3.50pm on Boxing Day Warne’s image will appear on the big screen.
During the Test, the Warne highlight reels will roll.
Lyon admits he never quite got used to the thrill of turning up to a Test match and bumping into Warne out in the middle before play.
After play finished on day four of the first Test of the 2019 Ashes tour in England, Warne asked to meet Lyon outside the dressing rooms.
With Australia needing to take 10 wickets on the last day to take a 1-0 victory, Warne spoke to Lyon about how he must realise he had the power as the spinner in the side to “control the tempo” of the game and make England play on his terms.
The next day Lyon took six wickets in a resounding victory which set the platform for Australia to reclaim the Ashes for the first time in two decades.
“When you think back at it now, it’s absolutely incredible,” Lyon said.
“Mind blowing stuff.”
For Lyon, Warne made spin bowling cool, and the Australian star is committed to continuing his hero’s legacy of inspiring a new generation of young Aussie kids to give it a tweak.
“It’s all about trying to keep the legacy alive I guess,” Lyon said.
“I think it’s a massive role and massive opportunity for myself to keep the spin culture alive and well inside Australian cricket.
“Warnie was obviously the biggest (influence) you could ever imagine. Especially as a young kid growing up in Australia, all I wanted to do was be like Shane Warne.
“If I can keep that dream going for a lot of kids, boys and girls out there in Australian cricket, then I’m doing my role.”
Warne’s son Jackson, who spoke so brilliantly at the public funeral at the MCG earlier this year, will appear alongside his father’s old commentary sparring partners during the tea break on Fox Cricket.