 "India will have to pull off the joint-highest successful chase at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the final day of the fourth Test even if they strike in the first ball of the day. AP")
A spirited rearguard from the tail-enders ensured Australia stretched their lead past 300 after India fought back superbly with the ball on Day 4 of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. Jasprit Bumrah (4/56) and Mohammed Siraj (3/66) shared seven of the nine Australian wickets that fell on the penultimate day of the ‘Boxing Day Test’ at the MCG as the visitors crumbled from 80/2 to 91/6 in the afternoon session, and 173/9 after tea.
A gritty half-century by Marnus Labuschagne (70) – his second on the trot – as well valuable contributions from skipper Pat Cummins (41) and Nathan Lyon (41 not out) ensured Australia ended the day on 228/9, their lead currently worth 333. Lyon and Scott Boland, replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood in the Melbourne Test, stitched together an unbroken 10th-wicket stand that was worth 55 at close of play.
The highlight of the fourth day, however, was Bumrah dismissing in-form middle-order Travis Head cheaply for the second time in the ongoing Test and becoming the 12th Indian bowler to complete 200 Test wickets in the process . The 31-year-old also joined an elite company in the process, going past the legendary West Indian trio of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose to become the only bowler with 200 or more Test wickets with an average under 20.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEven if India strike off the first delivery of the final day, India will still have to pull off the joint-highest successful chase in Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground if they are to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a game to spare. England had chased down 334 against Australia at this venue, but nearly a century ago in the 1928-29 tour Down Under – the series in which a certain Donald Bradman had made his debut.
The five-Test series currently stands at 1-1, with India having won the series opener in Perth in dominant fashion, thrashing Australia by 295 runs under Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership. The Aussies, however, leveled the series in style with a 10-wicket victory in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide.
Australia were in the driver’s seat in the third Test at Brisbane’s Gabba as well after posting 445 on the board and collecting a sizeable first innings lead. Incessant rain throughout the match, however, resulted in the match ending in a draw, with a rearguard from the Indian middle and lower order ensuring they avoided a follow-on.
India have been in possession of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since their 2-1 come-from-behind victory at home in 2017. They would go on to pull off back-to-back series wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21 respectively, both by 2-1 margins.