On the final day of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Monday, with the stakes soaring, Pat Cummins took charge as captain and rocked the Indian top order to put Australia in a comfortable position.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal undefeated at 14(83), India managed to post 33/3 on the board at the stroke of lunch, 307 runs from victory.
India quickly began to move in the direction of chasing down the formidable 340-run total. Nathan Lyon (41) was cleaned up by Bumrah, who nipped it back into the right-handed batsman in the opening minutes of Day 5.
India chose to go in a different direction as spectators packed the MCG, anticipating to see a T20 version of cricket in Test colours.
The seasoned opener chose to play defensively when India captain Rohit Sharma was anticipated to put on a daring display with his bat.
In order to prevent any early damage, Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal chose to proceed cautiously because the Indian team was constantly threatened by new balls.
While Jaiswal’s miss-and-hit tale against Mitchell Starc persisted at the other end, Rohit’s front foot and back foot defence remained flawless.
India appeared to be in good control prior to the drink break and appeared to be charging at the Australian bowlers as the ball grew comparatively old.
However, a brief pause caused the Indian captain to lose focus. Cummins took the first casualty in the fight of the captains.
When Rohit attempted to flick away Cummins at Gully, he gave Mitchell Marsh a thick edge because he was determined to leave deliveries wide off stump. The final score for Rohit’s resistance was 9 (40).
At the legendary MCG, Cummins ran wild in front of an electrifying crowd. The in-form KL Rahul was sent packing for the dressing room by Cummins just four balls later in the same over.
As soon as Rahul became confused, it was confirmed that he would be returning to the Indian dugout. As the ball continued to curve in from the outside, he was undecided about whether to play or leave.
Cummins’ double-wicket maiden over ended when Rahul played it and edged it straight to Alex Carey.
With Australia seeking a speedy resolution, Indian mainstay Virat Kohli stepped at the crease with a determined expression. He made an effort to resist the urge to drive the ball away, but ultimately it won out.
Mitchell Starc’s pitched-up ball from around the wicket was the decisive factor. Kohli was sufficiently drawn to go for a drive by a delivery that he would have left on any other day. The stadium reverberated with the sound of edge, and as soon as Usman Khawaja finished the catch, Starc and the entire MCG went off in jubilation.
The umpires chose to halt the first session after Australia hooked the huge fish for a cheap score of 5(29). India has to score 307 runs to win, but Australia is only seven wickets away from victory.