Australian lower-order batsmen have forced the visiting side India to wait longer for their Melbourne Test victory. Chasing down the 399-run target, Australia was batting on 258/8 at the stumps of day four of the Test match.
India started the day on their overnight score of 54/5 with 346 runs lead. The unbeaten overnight batsmen Mayank Agarwal and the wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant added 29 runs more on the fourth day morning before that partnership was broken. They had the 39-run partnership for the sixth wicket before the opener Agarwal was bowled by Pat Cummins on 42 runs off 102 balls (4 fours and 2 sixes).
Soon, Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed on 5 runs while Pant lost his wicket on 33 runs (43 balls; 3 fours and only six) and the Indian skipper Virat Kohli declared that innings on 106/8. India set the 399-run target for the hosts to win the game.
Australian pacer Pat Cummins bagged six wickets in the second innings as he had the bowling figure of 11-3-27-6. In this entire game, Cummins picked up nine wickets. Also, another pacer Josh Hazlewood (2/22) claimed two wickets during India’s second innings of this Test match.
Chasing down 399 runs target, Australia lost their wickets in regular interval. After both the openers were dismissed cheaply (Marcus Harris 13 and Aaron Finch 3), Usman Khawaja (33), Shaun Marsh (44), Travis Head (34) and the skipper Tim Paine provided the crucial fights but failed to carry those for the longer periods.
At one stage, Australia was struggling on 215/8 and still almost 15 overs left of the day. It seemed like India was going to win the game on the fourth day of the Test. However, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon’s brilliant fight-back stretched the game for a longer period. Cummins completed his second Test half-century in 86 balls.
Our top 6 ought to be embarrassed watching Cummins bat. And watching Lyon defend #AUSvIND
— Martin Pakula (@MartinPakulaMP) December 29, 2018
When your No 8 is your best technically correct Batsman you know your team has a problem …. #Cummins #AUDvIND
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 29, 2018
At the stumps on day four, Cummins and Lyon have an unbroken 43-run partnership for the ninth wicket. Cummins remained unbeaten on 61 off 103 balls while Lyon was batting on 6 off 38 balls as Australia was battling on 258/8 at the end of the day. India needs just two wickets to win the game while Australia still needs 141 runs to win the game.
2 wickets away from a famous win. But admirable grit from Pat Cummins. A few of the Aussie batters need to learn from him. #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/fdk6TR6q35
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 29, 2018
Pat Cummins for Prime Minister!? 💁🏼 doing it alllllll 💪🏼🌟 #AUDvIND #canhewicketkeepthough
— Megan Schutt (@megan_schutt) December 29, 2018
What a top quality package is Pat Cummins….best Australian Cricketer in this Team. By a country mile. #AusvInd #7Cricket @7Cricket @1116sen
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 29, 2018
Among the Indian bowlers, the left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3/82) picked up three wickets while the pacers Jasprit Bumrah (2/53) and Mohammed Shami (2/71) bagged two wickets each and another pacer Ishant Sharma (1/37) got one wicket.
Most of the cricket is quite bad for Australia, and the next few days will be spent sorting though the mess.
So let’s just spend tonight in blissful ignorance and focus on one single question – how bloody good is Pat Cummins?https://t.co/7XVUCuvtq4 #AUSvIND
— Dean Bilton (@Dean_Bilton) December 29, 2018
Take a bow Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Proper Test cricket: Commitment, temperament, desire, skill and pride.
Great effort to take the third Test into a fifth day. Who knows what the Melbourne weather will bring #AUDvIND
— Christy Doran (@ChristypDoran) December 29, 2018
Some important stats of day 4 of Melbourne Test between Australia and India
- India declared their second innings on 106/8. It is India’s third lowest declared Test innings total. The top two in this list are 97/1 decl. against England (at Kanpur in 1985) and 100/6 decl. against Bangladesh (at Chittagong in 2007).
- Also, it is the third lowest declared Test innings total for any visiting side on the Australian soil. England has the record of the two lowest declared Test innings total in Australia – 68/7 decl. at Brisbane (1950) and 76/9 decl. at Melbourne (1937).
- India has set the 399 runs target in the fourth innings for Australia to win the game. It is the third largest fourth innings Test target set by the Indian side against the hosts Australia. The top two records are 443 runs target during the 2004 Sydney Test and 413 runs target during the 2008 Perth Test.
