PIX: Aus thump India at MCG, take 2-1 lead

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Last updated on: December 30, 2024 12:51 IST

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Images from Day 5 in the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.

Australia players celebrate after beating India on Day 5 of the 4th Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday 

IMAGE: Australia players celebrate after beating India on Day 5 of the 4th Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. Photograph: ICC/X

Australia took an incredible seven wickets after tea on day five to win the fourth Test against India by 184 runs and take a 2-1 series lead into the final match in Sydney.

 

India were coasting on the back of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant's partnership through the entire middle session but crumbled in front of a mammoth crowd of 74,362 to be all out for 155 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia captain Pat Cummins and fellow pacer Scott Boland finished with three wickets apiece, with spinner Nathan Lyon chipping in two on a dramatic final day which was tinged with controversy over the use of the Decision Review System (DRS).

"Fantastic way to finish the week. I think it's been five days of fantastic cricket," said Australia's Mitchell Starc.

"There was always belief in the group. I think this has been a feature of this group for a number of years - this calmness and just go with the flow and adapt to what's thrown at us."

Scott Boland celebrates the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja 

IMAGE: Scott Boland celebrates the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja. Photograph: ICC/X

India were 112 for three when they resumed after tea, with Jaiswal and Pant well set and tasked with batting out the game. However, after showing unusual restraint to bat through the middle session, Pant reverted to type to be out for 30.

He swung hard at a delivery from part-time spinner Travis Head and the miscued pull ended up caught at long-on by a sprinting Mitchell Marsh.

The wicket ending an 88-run partnership and triggered a collapse.

Boland hit the deck with renewed vigour and had Ravindra Jadeja caught behind for two with a delivery that reared off the pitch and found an outside edge.

Steve Smith then lunged for a brilliant catch at slip to remove all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who nicked Nathan Lyon to be out for one.

A screengrab of Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal, given out caught behind off Pat Cummins on the review.

IMAGE: A screengrab of Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal, given out caught behind off Pat Cummins on the review. Photograph: Screengrab/X

Controversy erupted when Jaiswal pulled at a short Cummins ball, prompting a big appeal for caught-behind, and the Australia skipped reviewed immediately when it was turned down.

Replays showed a clear deviation high off the bat but no evidence of a nick on the "Ultra Edge" technology.

The TV umpire decided the deviation was enough, though, and instructed on-field umpire Joel Wilson to overturn his decision.

Jaiswal initially refused to leave the crease, prompting sections of the crowd to chant, "Cheater! Cheater!"

Akash Deep was then dismissed for seven, again on review, caught by Head off the bowling of Boland with a thin edge deflecting off his pads. Australia referred the not-out decision and this time "Ultra Edge" showed a healthy nick.

 

Pat Cummins celebrates a wicket

IMAGE: Pat Cummins celebrates a wicket with team-mates. Photograph: ICC/X

That left tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj with the virtually impossible task of holding Australia out with some 40 minutes to stumps.

Both fell for ducks, with Lyon sealing the win by having Siraj out lbw.

"It's is pretty disappointing," said India captain Rohit Sharma.

"It's not that we went with the intent of not putting up a fight. We wanted to fight till the end but unfortunately, couldn't do it."

"If you look at the overall test match, we had our opportunities, we had our chances. We just didn't take them and we let Australia come back into the game when we had them 90 for six."

Yashasvi Jaiswal bats in India second innings on Day 5 of the fourth Test at the MCG on Monday.

IMAGE: Yashasvi Jaiswal steadied India’s second innings with a solid fifty on Day 5 of the fourth Test against Australia at the MCG on Monday. Photograph: BCCI/X

Earlier. opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a solid half-century in an unbroken partnership with Rishabh Pant as India pushed to safety at 112 for 3 at tea on Day 5.

With the five-Test series level at 1-1, India were 228 runs short of their victory target at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but well-placed to stave off defeat in the last session and look to regroup for the final match in Sydney in the New Year.

 

Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates dismissing K L Rahul in India's second innings

IMAGE: Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates dismissing K L Rahul in India's second innings. Photograph: Cricket.com.au/X

Jaiswal was 63 not out, with Pant on 28, in front of a huge Day 5 crowd of more than 60,000.

India resumed on 33 for 3 after lunch and were lucky not to be four wickets down soon into the session when paceman Mitchell Starc rapped Jaiswal on the pads when he was on 31.

Australia reviewed the not-out decision for lbw but the technology deemed it "umpire's call" even with more than half the ball projected to crash into leg stump.

In the morning session, Australia captain Pat Cummins struck twice in an over and left-armer Starc dismissed Virat Kohli cheaply to leave India reeling before Jaiswal and Pant's galvanising 79-run partnership after lunch.

Mitchell Marsh celebrates with Steve Smith after taking the catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma off the bowling of Pat Cummins.

IMAGE: Mitchell Marsh rejoices with Steve Smith after taking the catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma, off the bowling of Pat Cummins. Photograph: Cricket.com.au/X

After Australia were bowled out for 234 early on, Cummins ended a watchful 25-run partnership between Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma by dismissing Rohit for nine when the out-of-form opener edged straight to Mitchell Marsh at gully.

Five balls later, Cummins had his second victim when K L Rahul edged to Usman Khawaja in the slips to be out for a duck, delighting home fans.

Number four Kohli marched out to a mixture of boos and cheers from the rival supporters, four days on from his mid-pitch shoulder bump with Australia's 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas.

India's players celebrate a wicket

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with his India teammates after dismissing Nathan Lyon early on Day 5. Photograph: BCCI/X

He was out for five trying to drive Starc, nicking to Khawaja in the slips.

Jasprit Bumrah had earlier bowled Nathan Lyon for 41 to wrap up Australia's second innings as India's pace maestro finished with 5-57 and a total of nine wickets for the match.

Bumrah has now racked up five wickets or better in 13 innings in tests and has 30 wickets for the series at an average of 12.83.

His pace comrade Mohammed Siraj finished with 3-70 in a strong comeback after going wicketless for 122 in the first innings.

The big day-five crowd brought the total attendance in Melbourne to 365,537, a record for a Test match in Australia.

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