Australian summer was at its peak this morning bathed in gorgeous sunshine as we headed to day four of this enthralling test match at the MCG between Australia and India.
India was bowled out this morning for 368 runs, conceding a lead of 105 which will be challenging to them on the penultimate day in terms of restricting the home team’s lead to a minimum.
India’s seam attack did a sterling job with Bumrah, Siraj and Nitesh Reddy bowling in the right areas as the pitch offered plenty of assistance as envisaged.
From 58 for 2 wickets, Bumrah went on a wicket hunt and scalped 3 victims, namely Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Mitch Marsh whilst Alex Carey fell victim to a Mohamed Siraj delivery that kept low and disturbed the dreaded timber.
On 96 for 6, India for the first time in this test tasted the sweet pill. Jaiswal sadly had a bad day on the field dropping three catches whilst Rohit Sharma dropped one – altogether four sitters that helped Marnus Labuchange and Pat Cummins to build a partnership of 57 runs for the seventh wicket as Australia started heading to safety zone with the score now on 148 with Marnus Labuchange batting on 70.
Mohammd Siraj trapped in front whilst Cummins looked helpless at the non-striker’s end knowing at he back of his mind that Nathan Lyon, Scot Bolland and Mitchell Starch will face chin music, toe crushers, reverse swing and the chatter from the slip cordon which obviously be too much for his tailenders.
With the score on 156, Mitchell Starch gets himself run out adding salt to the wound.
The lead at this point in time was 263 with wickets in hand, tail enders at the wickets with Nathan Lyon joining Pat Cummins.
On the other side of the coin, if India had taken the dropped chances, Australia might even have been bowled out for even 150. However, we all know there are no IF’s and buts in Cricket.
The point I am making is a 255 lead at that time of the Australian innings, and if they were bowled out, it would have had India batting the second innings on day four with day five left with 96 overs to reach the target of 255. Honestly, these thoughts and figures are only a possibility because Indian bowlers with fresher legs could have exploited this plan during the run of play.
The tail wagged with Cummins making 41 and protecting Nathan Lyon from from the wrath of Bumrah. But he too faulted against the spin of Jadeja with Australia losing the fighting grit of Cummins at a crucial stage on 175 which meant the 280 lead looked within India reach.
Then comes the miracle of the match with the tiring legs of both Bumrah and Siraj prominent. They started to lose the sting as Nathan Lyon and Scot Bolland showed India what a tail ender’s wag is stitching an unfinished partnership of 53 for the tenth wicket ending the day on 228 for 9. Hence, India had conceded a difficult to get lead of 333 at the MCG.