India vs Australia: India clinch series-levelling win on Day 4
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India buried the ghosts of the Adelaide debacle in the first Test by clinching a series-levelling win on Day 4 of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Even as the odds were stacked against them, in the absence of ace batsman and captain Virat Kohli and pacer Mohammed Shami, India’s ensemble cast helped them pull through and secure an important victory in the context of Indian Test cricket.
Having won the Boxing Day test, India will go into the third Test with full confidence of getting a lead in the series. The third Test is also expected to take place at the MCG due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Sydney where the third Test was supposed to take place. With the return of Rohit Sharma for India and potentially David Warner for Australia, the Test could be a hotly contested one.
Indian bowlers ensure low target; Batters chase it down
Australia began Day 4 on 133/6 with a lead of 2 runs. Cameron Green and Pat Cummins who had offered resistance in the latter part of Day 3 begun cautiously. However, they couldn’t last long as the latter was removed by Jasprit Bumrah. The all-important wicket of Cameron Green then arrived when Mohammed Siraj had him caught by Ravindra Jadeja. Siraj then followed it up by removing Nathan Lyon before Ravichandran Ashwin completed formalities by dismissing Josh Hazlewood.
Australia were bowled out for 200 which meant the target for India was only 70. The Indian openers strode out confidently and Shubman Gill played some cracking shots but Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara lost their wickets cheaply. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane – the first innings centurion and Gill then played confident cricket with intent to chase the down the total with ease.
Scores
1st innings – Australia
| Batsman | Mode of Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Joe Burns | c Pant b Bumrah | 0 | 10 |
| Matthew Wade | c Jadeja b Ashwin | 30 | 39 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | c Gill b Siraj | 48 | 132 |
| Steve Smith | c Pujara b Ashwin | 0 | 8 |
| Travis Head | c Rahane b Bumrah | 38 | 92 |
| Cameron Green | lbw b Siraj | 12 | 60 |
| Tim Paine | c Vihari b Ashwin | 13 | 38 |
| Pat Cummins | c Siraj b Jadeja | 9 | 33 |
| Mitchell Starc | c Siraj b Bumrah | 7 | 8 |
| Nathan Lyon | lbw b Bumrah | 20 | 17 |
| Josh Hazlewood | not out | 4 | 1 |
Total: 195 all-out in 72.3 overs
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 16 | 56 | 4 |
| Umesh Yadav | 12 | 39 | 0 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 24 | 35 | 3 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 5.3 | 15 | 1 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 15 | 40 | 2 |
1st innings – India:
| Batsman | Mode of Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Mayank Agarwal | lbw b Starc | 0 | 6 |
| Shubman Gill | c Paine b Cummins | 45 | 65 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | c Paine b Cummins | 17 | 70 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | run out (Labsuschagne/Paine) | 112 | 223 |
| Hanuma Vihari | c Smith b Lyon | 21 | 66 |
| Rishabh Pant | c Paine b Starc | 29 | 40 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | c Cummins b Starc | 57 | 159 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | c Lyon b Hazlewood | 14 | 42 |
| Umesh Yadav | c Smith b Lyon | 9 | 19 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | c Head b Lyon | 0 | 1 |
| Mohammed Siraj | not out | 0 | 2 |
Total: 326 all-out in 115.1 overs
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Mitchell Starc | 26 | 78 | 3 |
| Pat Cummins | 27 | 80 | 2 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 23 | 47 | 1 |
| Nathan Lyon | 27.1 | 72 | 3 |
| Cameron Green | 12 | 31 | 0 |
2nd innings – Australia
| Batsman | Mode of Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Matthew Wade | lbw b Jadeja | 40 | 137 |
| Joe Burns | c Pant b Umesh | 4 | 10 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | c Rahane b Ashwin | 28 | 49 |
| Steve Smith | b Bumrah | 8 | 30 |
| Travis Head | c Agarwal b Siraj | 17 | 46 |
| Cameron Green | c Jadeja b Siraj | 45 | 146 |
| Tim Paine | c Pant b Jadeja | 1 | 9 |
| Pat Cummins | c Agarwal b Bumrah | 22 | 103 |
| Mitchell Starc | not out | 14 | 56 |
| Nathan Lyon | c Pant b Siraj | 3 | 15 |
| Josh Hazlewood | b Ashwin | 10 | 21 |
Total: 200 all-out in 103.1 overs
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 27 | 54 | 2 |
| Umesh Yadav | 3.3 | 5 | 1 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 21.3 | 37 | 3 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 37.1 | 71 | 2 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 14 | 28 | 2 |
2nd innings – India
| Batsman | Mode of Dismissal | Runs | Balls |
| Mayank Agarwal | c Paine b Starc | 5 | 15 |
| Shubman Gill | not out | 35 | 36 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | c Green b Cummins | 3 | 4 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | not out | 27 | 40 |
Total: 70/2 in 15.5 overs
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Mitchell Starc | 4 | 20 | 1 |
| Pat Cummins | 5 | 22 | 1 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| Nathan Lyon | 2.5 | 5 | 0 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 1 | 9 | 0 |
Also Read: India vs Australia: ‘Can’t imagine the pressure that Ajinkya Rahane was under,’ says Tom Moody
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Nevin Clinton
(2399 Articles Published)