New Delhi, December 30, 2024.
Pat Cummins and Scott Boland took three wickets each while Nathan Lyon took two as Australia wiped off seven wickets in the third session and won the epic fourth Test by 184 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s long stay in the middle was ended by Australia captain Pat Cummins and that has exposed India’s tail. Washington Sundar is the last recognised batter out there. Jaiswal absorbed 208 balls for his 84 runs before going for a hook shot and perishing rather controversially. Rishabh Pant earlier showed in the second session that he can drop anchor when needed but then ended his great act of resistance in the most horrible way early in the third session. Pant went for a big shot out of nowhere against Travis Head and ended up being caught in the deep. That ended an 88-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal which lasted 197 balls. Ravindra Jadeja then fell to Scott Boland and Nitish Kumar Reddy to Nathan Lyon in the over after that.
Pant and Jaiswal ensured that India lost no wickets in the second session after three fell before Lunch. Jaiswal started the session aggressively and there was an over against Nathan Lyon in which he got away with trying to hit him out of the park and failing. But the young opener has largely been India’s anchor throughout the day after Australia set them a target of 340 to chase. Pant and Jaiswal’s resistance in the second session meant that Australia went back to the dressing room at Tea rather frustrated.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul earlier fell in the same over to Pat Cummins shortly after the drinks break in the first session of Day 5 of the 4th Test between India and Australia at the MCG. Rohit and Jaiswal dealt with some utterly unplayable deliveries from Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and later Scott Boland but the Indian openers were a picture of concentration as they survived the early pace salvo. Rohit in particular looked far better than ever on this tour but fell for just nine runs off nine off 40 balls. India are chasing a target of 340, much higher than the record for the highest succesfull Test run chase at the MCG which was set all the way back in 1928.
It was Jasprit Bumrah once again for India at the start of the day. Mohammed Siraj bowled the first over of Day 5 and then Bumrah took just four balls to uproot Nathan Lyon’s middle stump and end his extraordinary last wicket stand with Scott Boland. Australia were all out for 234 in their second innings.
