Ind vs Aus, Boxing Day Test: Visitors require 70 runs to level series
Dec 29, 2020
Melbourne [Australia], December 29 : Mohammad Siraj struck twice while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin picked a wicket each in the first session as Australia were folded for 200 on day four of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday.
Having weathered the storm in the first hour of play, it was Bumrah's bouncer that ended Pat Cummins' stint at the crease after India took the new ball.
If Bumrah provided India the breakthrough, it was Mohammad Siraj's twin strike with the bouncers which ensured India maintain the advantage in the game.
The first session was extended after Australia lost their ninth wicket and Mitchell Starc ensured India toiled hard for the final blood.
Australia were folded for 200 and India require 70 runs to win the match and draw the series. While the session saw Australia scored 67 runs from 37.1, the visitors picked up the wicket of Cummins, Green, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood.
Resuming day four, Green and Cummins continued their resistance and brought up the fifty-run stand for the seventh wicket. However, the new ball did the trick for India as Bumrah produced a sharp bouncer to dismiss Cummins in the 83rd over.
Mitchell Starc then joined Green to stitch a brief partnership for 21 runs before Siraj dismissed the all-rounder five runs short of his maiden Test half-century.
Siraj struck again as Nathan Lyon was caught behind to leave Australia reeling at 185/9. Ravichandran Ashwin picked the final wicket as Australia were bundled out on 200.
Earlier, Australia ended day three at 133/6 after folding India for 326 in the first innings. After Australia's top-order collapsed, it was Green and Cummins' resilience that ensured that the horror of an innings defeat was avoided after their score read 99/6 at one stage with skipper Tim Paine sent back to the pavilion by Ravindra Jadeja.
With another 31 runs needed to make India bat again and just 4 wickets left, the game was spoilt to go either way. But the duo of Green and Cummins put their foot down and battled it out in the third session of day three.
Brief Scores: Australia 195 and 200 (Cameron Green 45, Matthew Wade 40; Mohammed Siraj 3/37, Jadeja 2/28); India 326 (Ajinkya Rahane 112, Ravindra Jadeja 57; Nathan Lyon 3/72)
