Hindustan Surkhiyan Desk: The Indian bowlers have perfectly contained the Australian run flow after the lunch break on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. The hosts were reduced to 138 for five, with skipper Tim Paine (1*) and Travis Head (29*)at the crease and were 261 runs adrift of the target.
Post lunch, Usman Khawaja (33) and Shaun Marsh (44) came out playing attacking shots and the scoring rate peaked at its highest for the duration of this Test. The duo added 30 runs for the third wicket as India went on the back foot a bit, and were waiting for a breakthrough to come along.
It did as Mohammed Shami (1-32) trapped Khawaja lbw in the 21st over, but the batsman went for DRS review. It stayed in India’s favour as he was too far back in his crease and was out a plumb.
Shaun Marsh though continued to play his aggressive strokes and added 51 runs with brother Mitchell Marsh (10), as Australia crossed 100 in the 37th over.
Looking good for a tall score, Shaun Marsh was unlucky to be given out lbw against Jasprit Bumrah (2-22) in the 33rd over. He went for DRS review as well and the ball was shown clipping the stumps only marginally, thus out on umpire’s call.
Mitchell Marsh looked to attack Ravindra Jadeja (2-63) but it didn’t work as Australia lost the third wicket in this session. He mishit the ball straight to Virat Kohli at extra cover in a bid to clear the ropes.
Earlier, Australia were placed at 44-2 at lunch after India declared at 106-8 in their second innings with Pat Cummins taking career-best figures of 6-27.
Needing to bat five and a half sessions to save the match, Australia didn’t get off to the best start as Aaron Finch (3) edged Bumrah to second slip in the second over. Mayank Agarwal couldn’t latch on to a tough chance at short leg off Khawaja three balls later otherwise it would have been an even poorer start.
The batsman then added 27 runs for the second wicket with Marcus Harris (13). The duo checked their shot selection, even as India wasted a review against Khawaja in Jadeja’s first over.
The spinner struck in the 10th over though as a bat-pad chance got stuck under Agarwal’s arm at short leg and Harris had to walk back, causing further trouble for Australia.
Earlier, India had batted 52 minutes and extended their second innings from overnight 54-5 even as the threat of rain loomed largely. Mayank Agarwal (42) opened up with a couple sixes off Nathan Lyon (0-40) and made intentions clear, but was bowled off Cummins before he could get a second half-century in his maiden Test.
Rishabh Pant (33) and Ravindra Jadeja (5) threw their bats around to add 17 runs. They didn’t waste time in the farming strike, with Cummins missing out on his five-wicket haul when Tim Paine dropped Pant early in the session.
He returned to pick up his sixth wicket when Jadeja gloved a catch to gully, beating his previous best of 6-79 against South Africa back in 2011.
