New Delhi: Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj impressed with the ball and had Australia cornered for most of Day 4 of the ongoing 4th Test between the two sides at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. However, a gritty batting display from the tail-enders helped Australia stage a brilliant comeback and finish with 228/9 at stumps to extend their lead by 333 runs in their second innings.
After Marnus Labuschagne’s fighting 70-run knock, Australian skipper Pat Cummins led the hosts’ resistance as the tail combined to lift their side from 91/6 to 228/9, leaving the Indian bowlers frustrated. Cummins played a sublime knock of 41 runs off 90 balls before Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland shared a defying unbeaten 55-run stand for the 10th wicket.
Bumrah and Siraj got India off to a flyer with the ball during Australia’s second innings as the duo ran through the hosts’ top order to leave them reeling at 91/6 at one stage. Bumrah got rid of Sam Konstas and Travis Head cheaply while Siraj dismissed Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja to breathe fire.
Bumrah then went on to dismiss Mitchell Marsh on a duck before sending Alex Carey packing on just 2 off 7 balls to leave the hosts in tatters. However, Labuschagne combined with Cummins to lead Australia’s fightback before the tail-enders joined the party and kept India at bay till the final ball on Day 4. Australia finished Day 4 in a commanding position with a 333-run lead, aiming to set a huge target for India in their second innings.
Major talking points from Day 4 of India vs Australia 4th Test at MCG:
1) Jasprit Bumrah continues stellar run, achieves huge milestone
Jasprit Bumrah continued his stellar run in Australia’s second innings on Day 4 as he once again led the show with the ball for India after the visitors were bundled out for 369 runs in their first innings to concede a 105-run lead. Bumrah cleaned up Sam Konstas to exact his revenge on the Australian opener before running riot by dismissing Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey in quick succession to leave Australia in tatters.
He was well supported by Mohammed Siraj, who bowled his heart out on Day 4 and finished with three wickets. Thanks to Bumrah and Siraj, India had Australia reeling at 91/6 at one stage before the hosts managed to make a comeback in the game. Bumrah finished with 4 wickets to become the fastest Indian pacer to complete 200 wickets in Test cricket, surpassing the legendary Kapil Dev.
While it took Kapil 50 matches to complete 200 wickets in Tests, Bumrah managed to reach the feat in his 44th Test match. He also became the fourth fastest to complete 200 wickets in Test cricket in terms of balls taken, behind only the likes of Waqar Younis, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada.
2) Tail-enders frustrate India
Australian tail-enders frustrated India in the hosts’ second innings on Day 4 as the visitors failed to take all ten wickets despite the fiery start from Bumrah and Siraj. After Marnus Labuschagne’s fighting 70-run knock, skipper Pat Cummins combined with the tail-enders to propel Australia’s lead past the 300-run mark in their second innings.
Cummins scored a gritty 41 off 90 balls and shared an important 57-run stand with Labuschagne for the 8th wicket. He added another 17-run stand with Nathan Lyon for the 8th wicket before getting dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. After Cummins’ dismissal, Lyon combined with Scott Boland to share an unbeaten 55-run stand for the 10th wicket.
The duo showcased remarkable composure and defended with all they have against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Jadeja to propel Australia to 228/9 at stumps and extend their lead by 333 runs. Lyon finished the day with unbeaten 41 while Boland scored 10 not out after facing 65 deliveries.
Australian tail-enders frustrated India with a gritty batting display to help the hosts finish with 228/9 at stumps on Day 4, extending their lead by 333 runs. After Pat Cummins’ resilient knock, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland added an unbeaten 51-run stand for the 10th wicket. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
