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Welcome to our live blog of the Boxing Day Test. If India win at the MCG, they retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If Australia triumph, they remain on course for a first series win over India in a decade.
A defeat for the home side willl raise eyebrows while if India lose, their WTC fortune is out of their hands, although retaining the series trophy would still be possible. With a favourable forecast, a draw looks improbable, particularly given the ground’s recent history. The action set to unfold could take place in front of more than 90,000 spectators.
The honours will be shared between India and Australia as the curtains are drawn on the fourth day’s play. Australia recuperated from 91/6 to go past 225 whereas India have managed to remain in the contest despite conceding a 105-run lead.
India could add only 10 runs to their overnight total. There was a hint of vengeance in India’s reaction as Bumrah cleaned up Konstas with an inducker. Siraj stepped up to the plate and bowled a fantastic spell either side of Lunch where he nabbed Khawaja, who enjoyed the rub of the green, and Smith.
Bumrah then returned to put Australia under the cosh through a whirlwind three-over spell. At that stage it seemed India had the upper hand but some sloppy catching from Jaiswal allowed Labuschagne and Cummins to stitch together a 57-run partnership.
India finally heaved a sigh of relief as Siraj trapped Labuschagne LBW after he notched up his second 70 in this Test. Starc’s run-out gave the impression that India were in the ascendancy as the lead was just 261 at that point. However, the last two wickets have added 72 runs, much to India’s chagrin, and stretched the lead to 333.
Will Australia continue batting tomorrow or be content with what they have and leave India a target of 334 in 96 overs? Day 5 promises to be a cracker. Do join us!
The last-wicket partnership is irritating India. These are extremely valuable runs and may well prove the deciding factor tomorrow as India have a crack at the target. The second new ball is due and India shall take it straightaway.
Jadeja gets Cummins caught at slip, so India only have to topple one last domino. But will Australia feel confident of defending this total of 300 approx? 231 is the highest successfully-chased target at the MCG in this century.
Six overs ago, Mitchell Starc charged back for a double but Cummins wasn’t interested. He had to turn back as the throw came in flat to Pant. He moved ahead of the stumps to collect the ball and then turned around to score an effectual direct-hit at the non-striker’s end.
Labuschagne is trapped in front but he elects for a review. Looks pretty adjacent to the naked eye. Was a back of a length ball that decked back sharply from outside off, Labuschagne was caught in the crease in defence. Missed the ball to get struck on the back leg and the umpire vindicated India’s appeal.
Snicko shows daylight between bat and ball. Over to ball-tracking and hitting is umpire’s call. The ball kept a shade low and that perhaps muddled Labuschagne’s judgement apart from the sharp inward movement of the ball. Siraj strikes with the first ball of his new spell and he is absolutely pumped up!
A wholehearted contributor, Siraj has three wickets to his name.
Three maidens in a row after Tea but the Australian batters are commanding the crease with a fair bit of solidity. Cummins and Labuschagne have added 50 to nudge the Australian lead towards 250.
Their partnership has grown to 34(55). India can not afford to let the lead blossom but as things stand, runs have come a touch swifter in the last 3 overs. Both Cummins and Labuschagne have slightly upped the ante.
Back in form after a lengthy lean patch, Labuschagne has glued the innings together amid the heap of wickets. Raises his bat to acknowledge the applause. Australia need him to kick on and usher the lead into comfortable territory.
Read Aryan Surana’s feature on the Australian No.3 reconnecting with his proactive side.
He bowled admirably without much reward in the first innings, and has fared well on the discipline quotient in the second essay too but the fruits of his labour are nowhere to be found.
Not for the first time in this series, Labuschagne late cuts in apprehensive fashion despite men in the cordon. Steers it straight into Jaiswal’s lap, but the young lad who had earlier spilled a tough chance to reprieve Khawaja makes another mistake, this one likely to prove costly given the way the game is poised. Labuschagne is, in fact, the last recognized batter.
Australia have lost four wickets in a space of 21 balls. India have kept a tight lid on the runs on the fourth day so this collapse that they’ve managed to inflict brings them back into the contest. Keeper-bat Carey is the latest to depart as Bumrah continues to embellish this fine display of seam bowling. The lead is still under 200 runs and India would feel they stand a chance at chasing if the target is under 250.
The penetration and accuracy with which India have bowled in this innings has finally paid dividends after luck eluded the visitors in the morning session.
Steve Smith, fresh off a hundred, was allowed only a single boundary in his 41-ball stay and he was itching to get a move on post Lunch. The desperation was evident in his call for a risky run and two uppish drives, with the stagnancy eventually proving too frustrating to handle as he threw his bat at a wide tempter from Siraj.
India have, through good planning and execution, managed to keep Travis Head quiet in the MCG Test. Back of a length ball on off, holding its line, Head hops and gets himself into a bit of a tangle. Can’t generate the power with his wrists as he flicks it in the air. The ball lobs towards mid-wicket where Nitish Reddy accepts the dolly.
Mitchell Marsh has crossed 10 just twice in his last ten Test innings now as Bumrah found extra bounce to graze his glove.
With each passing over, the ball is getting older and softer. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are just hanging in there until the bowlers tire a little, and run-scoring becomes comparatively easier. Between them, they’ve now faced over 100 balls.
Yesterday we saw that the bounce of the pitch can prove surprising at times. Washington Sundar certainly experienced that when he lunged forward at a 95kmph delivery from Nathan Lyon and it got big on him. Smith has driven uppishly twice now after Lunch.
One of the better sessions India have had on the field since Perth. Their spirits were high right from the word go and the intensity was maintained throughout.
Bumrah was once again in the thick of the action. Konstas got the upper hand against him in the first innings but India’s bulwark responded by castling him with an inducker in the second.
Akash Deep shared the new ball instead of Siraj and did an impressive controlling job from the other end. Australia were disallowed any breathing space unlike the start of the first innings.
Siraj too followed up with a sprightly spell where he troubled Khawaja and eventually worked over the southpaw with a brute of a ball. Australia lead by 158 runs and will have to make the move in the next couple of sessions if they plan on setting India a target on the final day.
Kindred spirits Labuschagne and Smith to resume on the other side.
Bowled him! Absolute ripper from Siraj who needed a wicket badly to lift his spirits. Khawaja’s feet are anchored to the crease and Siraj gets one to straighten against the angle after taking virtually everything away from round the wicket.
The southpaw just throws his hands at the drive, aiming down the ground, which takes his bat a long way in front of his body. Whooshes past the inside edge, and cannons into the top of off stump.
Khawaja and Labuschagne have managed to weather the storm even as the former lived dangerously against Bumrah. Australia are 137 runs ahead but India are spewing venom with the new ball so the left-right combo needs to be at the top of their game.
India have been right on the money with the new ball, which is their best bet to pull back the advantage conceded by a 100-run lead. Bumrah is breathing fire while Akash Deep has also operated in good channels. Khawaja is lucky to be still there given the frequency of plays and misses.
The field to the under-fire southpaw is an attacking one, with three slips, a gully and a short-leg. The fielders are screaming their lungs out to cheer the pacers and Virat Kohli is leading India’s charge, often getting involved with the field settings too.
India have an early breakthrough courtesy of Jasprit Bumrah, who eggs the crowd on to replicate Konstas’ gesture after the dismissal of Kohli late on the third day. India let him know that Test cricket isn’t that easy, after all.
The young debutant toyed around with Bumrah in the first innings but this time the experienced campaigner nips him out with a pearler. 139.7kph back of a length delivery which cut in substantially from outside off, Sam Konstas is caught in the crease and the ball sneaks through the bat-pad gap to ram into the top of middle.
MIDDLE STUMP! Jasprit Bumrah gets Sam Konstas with a pearler. #AUSvIND | #DeliveredWithSpeed | @NBN_Australia pic.twitter.com/A1BzrcHJB8
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2024
Australia required only 21 balls this morning to take the final wicket. That brings an end to Nitish Reddy’s fabulous knock. The hosts will be pleased to have secured a 105-run lead. The 127-run stand for the 7th wicket between Reddy and Washington Sundar has kept India afloat otherwise they were going downhill at 221/7. The visitors have fought back spunkily but they have an enormous job with the ball in hand.
