Match Report
Aus vs Ind (Fourth Test): Day 4 – Weather Dominated The Day But India Enforce The Follow-On After Kuldeep’s Fifer
By Sandy - Jan 6, 2019 1:38 pm
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The day four of the Sydney Test majorly affected due to the rain and bad light. In the very short day, India have enforced the follow-on and Australia batted shortly in their second innings before bad light stopped the day.

India
Indian cricket team

Due to the rain and bad light, it was a delayed start on day four of the Test match. Even after the lunch break, it took more time to finally begin the day. Starting the day on their overnight score 236/6, Australian batsman Pat Cummins (25 runs) was bowled without adding any runs on the day.

Another unbeaten overnight batsman Peter Handscomb followed Cummins soon after scoring 37 runs off 111 balls (5 fours). In the very next over, Nathan Lyon was dismissed for a duck.

For the last wicket, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood put a 42-run partnership to reach a total of 300. While Starc was not out on 29 runs, Hazlewood scored 21 runs before losing his wicket.

Among the Indian bowlers, the left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav bagged five wickets as he had a bowling figure of 31.5-6-99-5. Also, Ravindra Jadeja (2/73) and Mohammed Shami (2/58) picked up two wickets each while Jasprit Bumrah (1/62) claimed the other wicket in that innings.

Kuldeep
Kuldeep Yadav claimed his second five-wicket haul in Test career

Leading by 322 runs at the end of the first innings clashes, Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to enforce the follow-on. However, when Australia was batting on 6/0 in their follow-on innings, the bad light stopped the remaining day’s play.

Some important stats of day 4 of Sydney Test between Australia and India

  • Australia were bundled out for 300 runs in their first innings. Their third lowest first innings (1st or 2nd innings of a Test match) total against India in Sydney (Sydney Cricket Ground) Test history. The top two in this list are 107 (in 1947) and 131 (in 1978).
  • At the end of the second innings of this Test match, India had a 322-run lead over Australia. The second most first-innings lead for the Indian cricket team against Australia in a Test match while the record is 400 runs lead during the Kolkata Test in March 1998.
  • The visiting side India have enforced the follow-on after achieving their first-innings lead of 322 runs. It is the first time since 1988 when the hosts Australia have been enforced the follow-on in a Test match. Last time it also happened in the same venue against England.
  • Since 2005, it is the first time when Australia have been enforced the follow-on in a Test match. Last time it happened against England in 2005 Trent Bridge Test.
  • Indian left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav had the first innings bowling figure of 31.5-6-99-5. It is the third best bowling figure in a Test innings by a left-arm Indian spinner on the Australian soil. Bishan Singh Bedi is holding the top two records (5/55 & 5/89).