Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrated his return to the side with three wickets as England continue to struggle on day one of the third Ashes test in Melbourne on Sunday.


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Fast bowler Cummins removed both of England`s openers, Haseeb Hameed (0) and Zak Crawley (12), cheaply after winning the toss and electing to bowl on a green-tinged Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket.


He then broke a budding 48-run partnership between England captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan, having the number three caught in the slips for 14 in the final over before lunch.


Mitchell Starc removed a well-settled Joe Root after lunch on Day 1. "Good start," said Cummins as his team walked off the ground to warm applause from a festive Boxing Day crowd after end of first session of play.



Hameed is England's 50th duck in 2021


England opener Haseeb Hameed lasted a total of 10 balls on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test.


Cummins got his wicket in just his first over of the spell, marking return to the Test side. He pitched it outside the off stump and the ball shaped away slightly, Hameed defended but was not totally behind the ball and it got the edge to the keeper. Hameed's woes continue in Australia and it has severaly affected his side's chances as well in the Test series. 


After his dismissal in the first Test, Hameed bacame England's 50th duck in Tests in 2021. That's some record for England and Hameed would not be liking to be a milestone man in this way. 


With Reuters inputs