Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s costly mix-up with Virat Kohli triggers late session collapse as visitors tumble from 153-2 to 159-5 to end Day Two on a disappointing 164-5 in reply to Australia’s 474 all out
Australian players are ecstatic after running out Yashasvi Jaiswal (right) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
A manic 20-minute passage of play late on Friday undid all the good work of the preceding two hours. Consequently, India found themselves in all sorts of trouble after Day Two of the fourth Test, allowing Australia the leeway from which the hosts can now aspire to kick on and grab this five-match series by the scruff of its neck.
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Visitors falter
India fought back superbly from allowing Australia to pile up 474 on the back of lacklustre bowling first up, keeping themselves in the contest with a measured, untroubled century stand for the third wicket between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli. Against the run of play with 25 minutes left to stumps, Jaiswal was run out after a mix-up with his partner, who then seemed to lose his concentration when he nibbled at Scott Boland outside off and was caught behind. Nightwatchman Akash Deep, sent in at No. 5 to protect Rishabh Pant, also fell prey to Boland, caught at leg gully, as India lost three for six in 22 deliveries from 153 for two.
Eventually, Pant and Ravindra Jadeja steered them to 164-5 when the draw of stumps provided them temporary relief. India are 310 runs behind and 111 short of making Australia bat again, and will rely on their all-rounders — Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy are due in next — to get as close to the Australian total as possible on what is still a pretty good batting surface.
India’s reply to Australia’s intimidating total began an hour after lunch and quickly encountered familiar trouble. While Jaiswal staved off another first-over exit to Mitchell Starc, Rohit Sharma’s return to the opening slot lasted a mere five deliveries when he was caught on a half-pull off Pat Cummins, his opposite number who had helped Steve Smith add 112 in the morning. Smith, overnight 68, made a special 140, which was his 34th Test century and his second in two weeks after having gone 18 months without one.
KL Rahul, dropping down to No. 3, again played beautifully, late and close to his body even as Jaiswal produced his first meaningful first-innings knock of the series. They looked untroubled but Cummins, captain fantastic, came up with a beauty that tailed away late to hit Rahul’s off-stump off the last ball before tea.
Kohli misjudges again
Post the interval, it was the Jaiswal-Kohli show. Jaiswal played his strokes with impunity, his carefree batting never bordering on the careless, while Kohli looked primed for a big knock. His judgement outside the off was impeccable, he turned a blind eye to any ball in the channel and forced the Aussies to come to him, picking them off in style. As the stand gained in magnitude, Australia feared the worst. Cummins knew from experience that this was a good track to bat on, a track that tested and challenged even the great Jasprit Bumrah, and must have been delightfully surprised when Jaiswal threw Australia a lifeline by hitting to Cummins himself at mid-on and setting off, only for Kohli to steadfastly stand his ground.
Kohli fell a few deliveries later, fatally nibbling at Boland, and when Deep was caught fending at a Boland lifter, India’s evening went from promising to disastrous. The end couldn’t come quickly enough; a long road to safety awaits them over the next three days.
Brief scores
Australia 474 all out (S Smith 140, M Labuschagne 72, S Konstas 60, U Khawaja 57, P Cummins 49; J Bumrah 4-99, R Jadeja 3-78, A Deep 2-94) v India 164-5 (Y Jaiswal 82, V Kohli 36; S Boland 2-24, P Cummins 2-57)
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