Melbourne [Australia], December 26: Australia's Marnus Labuschagne is unfazed with India managing to keep his side to a minimal total in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, stressing that they are still very much in the game.

Indian bowlers dominated the Aussie batters on the opening day of the second Test and ended the hosts' first innings on 195 on Saturday. Jasprit Bumrah picked four wickets while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was once again in his elements as he picked three wickets, including the all-important wicket of batting mainstay Steve Smith. Debutant Mohammed Siraj also bowled a brilliant spell, scalping two wickets.

"I think we are in the game... It is pretty hard for me to make an assessment on the wicket currently, I think you are going to have let both teams bat on the wicket. Both teams have got very good batting line-ups... I think we got to make sure we adapt and make sure that whatever they get, we get a big score in the second innings," Labuschagne said in the virtual press conference, after the end of the day's play.

It has become quite evident that Smith has struggled to play against Ashwin. Therefore, India fully exploited Smith's vulnerability in the second Test as well and Ashwin did not disappoint as the batsman return to the pavilion on a duck.

Labuschagne said teams are these days employing new techniques to get on top and it is all about adapting well to any given situation.

"Something that we are realising quickly is that people are coming with new ways, thinking about the game slightly differently. Today, they came in with a heavy leg-side field and bowled very straight. You just need to understand what they are doing and I think that is key," he said.

Labuschagne, who missed his half-century by two runs, was dismissed by debutant Mohammed Siraj. Commenting on the bowler's performance, he said "He is a little bit more of a swing bowler than a seam bowler... He showed his skills. We just got to make sure to understand what they are trying to do and combat that."

India suffered an early blow after Mitchell Starc dismissed Mayank Agarwal in the first over. But after that Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara tackled the hosts' lethal attack well to ensure they do not lose more wickets. At stumps, India's score read 36/1 with Gill batting on 28 and Cheteshwar Pujara giving him company on 7. The visitors trail by 159 runs with nine wickets in the bag.

Ind vs Aus, Boxing Day Test: I think we are in the game, says Labuschagne

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