Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team might have made a comeback with the ball but they are still way too far from a win in the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test which is being played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj wreaked havoc with the ball but Australia riding on their massive 105-run lead managed to post a gigantic score in front of the visitors. Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon's partnership raised Australia's lead to 333 runs by stumps.
Bumrah and Siraj turn on demolishing mode
Bumrah and Siraj sent back Australian openers Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja cheaply and later, Siraj did not allow Steve Smith to create an impact innings and cut short his time on the field on Day 4. Bumrah once again ensured that Travis Head would be returning to the dugout disappointed. The Indian pace duo rattled the Aussie batting line-up.
Marnus Labuschagne and Pat Cummins keep the fight alive
Marnus Labuschagne held on to one end as the other saw frequent changes. He played a crucial 70-run knock and ensured that the hosts didn't fall back behind too much. He also got the support from captain Pat Cummins. Their 57-run stand kept them alive in the game. Labuschagne got out after scoring 70 runs but ensured the Aussies were in a good spot. After him, Cummins' cameo knock of 41 runs also provided a good boost to the team.
Lyon-Boland's fifty stand changes the tide of the match
What turned out to be a hard-to-swallow pill for the Indian team was that Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland joined a 55-run partnership and changed the course of the match completely. Australia are now leading by 333 runs at stumps day 4. Now to win this match, India will have to break all previous records and create history. However, India's batting has not been promising in the series so far which means that chasing this will be an extremely hard task. Both Lyon and Boland will resume the play on Day 5.
Biggest chase at MCG
England has registered the record for the highest successful run-chase in Test cricket history at the MCG to their name after chasing down 332 in 1928. In Melbourne, England (8) and Australia (21) have accomplished it up to 29 times out of 34 successful chases. In February 1953, South Africa won by six wickets after chasing down 295.
Only India has accomplished this feat once among subcontinental teams, back in December 2020, when they chased down 70 to win by eight wickets. The only visiting team to successfully chase at the MCG in the twenty-first century, aside from India, is the Proteas, who chased down 183 to win by nine wickets.