Cricket-Ashwin strikes twice as India dominate early in Melbourne

Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed two wickets and dismissed Steve Smith for his first duck in four years as India dominated the opening session of the second test against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.

Australia, who won the series opener at Adelaide, were 65 for three at lunch, having won the toss and elected to bat on a glorious morning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Marnus Labuschagne was 26 not out, having survived two reviewed decisions for lbw, with Travis Head on four.

Spinner Ashwin, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane's first bowling change, had an immediate impact, removing Matthew Wade for 30 in his second over and having Smith edge to leg slip on his eighth ball faced. It was Smith's first duck in a test since he was dismissed lbw by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj in defeat to South Africa in Perth in 2016.

Trailing 1-0 in the series after being dismissed for 36 in a calamitous defeat in Adelaide, India began life without skipper Virat Kohli, who has returned home for the birth of his first child, on a positive note. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah gave the tourists a flying start, having opener Joe Burns caught behind for an uneasy 10-ball duck in his second over.

It was an exquisite delivery that did for Burns, nipping back off the seam and tickling an edge on the way through to recalled wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Makeshift opener Wade survived an early nick to the slips off Umesh Yadav and kept India's bowlers at bay for the first hour.

However, he ended up throwing away his wicket with a foolhardy attack on Ashwin, sending a top edge skywards. Recalled all-rounder Rahindra Jadeja clattered into debutant Shubman Gill as he took the catch but held onto it superbly. Following Smith's dismissal, India lost a review trying to remove Labuschagne lbw after Bumrah struck his pads.

The batsman overturned another lbw decision on review in the last over before lunch, with Ashwin finding his pads. Australia were unchanged from Adelaide, but India made four changes including two debutants in Gill and Mohammed Siraj.

Gill replaced opening batsman Prithvi Shaw, with paceman Siraj replacing the injured Mohammed Shami. Pant also came in for wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, with Jadeja recalled as another slow bowling option.