The fourth Test between India and Australia under the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 is being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Today is the last and final day of the match. At stumps on the fourth day, Australia scored 228 for 9 in their second innings.
Scott Boland is not out with 10 runs and Nathan Lyon is not out with 41 runs. Boland played 65 balls and Lyon played 54 balls. So far the duo had a partnership of 55* runs for the tenth wicket in 110 balls. Australia's total lead is 333 runs and they are in a slightly better position than India. Now Team India's target today will be to take the last wicket and then chase the target by batting with both patience.
Earlier, the Indian team scored 369 runs in their first innings. Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed 114 runs for India. Let us tell you that the Australian team was bundled out for 474 runs in the first innings of this match. That is, on the basis of the first innings, Australia got a lead of 105 runs.
Tails troubled the Indian team Australia did not start well in the second innings. He lost the wicket of debutant Sam Konstas for 20 runs. Konstas (8 runs) was clean bowled by a brilliant ball from Jasprit Bumrah. Then Siraj blew the stump of Usman Khawaja (21 runs). After this, Siraj dismissed Steve Smith (13) when India were looking for a wicket. Bumrah's magic began after this, first dismissing Travis Head (1) in the 34th over and then Mitchell Marsh (00) off the last ball of the same over. Bumrah completed 200 wickets in Test cricket by dismissing Travis Head in the second innings of the Melbourne Test.
Bumrah has taken 200+ wickets in Tests.
Bumrah then bowled Alex Carey (2) in his next over. When Smith was dismissed for the team's score of 80, Australia had scored just 11 runs and lost 4 wickets until the dismissal of Alex Carey. Marnus Labuschagne and captain Pat Cummins took charge of the Australian innings from here. Both added 57 runs for the seventh wicket. Siraj broke the partnership by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne. Labusche scored 70 runs off 139 balls with the help of three fours. India got their eighth breakthrough shortly after, when Mitchell Starc (5) was run out by a direct hit to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Australia's ninth wicket then fell in the form of Pat Cummins, who was batting vigorously. Cummins was caught out by Ravindra Jadeja in the slips by Rohit Sharma. Cummins scored 41 runs off 90 balls with the help of four fours. After this, the duo of Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland stuck to the crease. These two did not call themselves out in the fourth day's play. The Indian team also dropped some catches. In the last over of the day, KL Rahul took a catch off Bumrah, but a no ball saved the Lion from being dismissed.
Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland troubled the Indian team and put on 55* runs in over 100 balls for the last wicket. The team has been put in good shape.
Playing-11 for both teams for the Melbourne Test
India (IND): Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashshwi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep.
Australia (AUS): Pat Cummins (captain), Usman Khawaja, Sam Constas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
