Australia surged ahead on the second day of the fourth Test at the MCG, powered by Steven Smith's sublime second consecutive century and a late bowling burst by Scott Boland, which derailed India's hopes. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli had steadied India with a century partnership, but both fell in the final 30 minutes of play, leaving the visitors in a precarious position.
Jaiswal, who was batting fluently in the 80s, was run out after a misjudged single. Driving firmly to mid-on, he set off, only for Kohli to remain rooted at the crease, allowing Pat Cummins to deliver a direct hit. Shortly afterward, Boland found Kohli's outside edge, igniting wild celebrations at the MCG. To compound India's woes, nightwatchman Akash Deep was caught at leg gully in the dying moments, leaving India with a dismal scoreline of 3 wickets for 6 runs in a matter of overs.
The day had begun on a sour note for India, as their bowling lacked sharpness. Australia added a blistering 143 runs in just 27 overs in the morning session. Smith showcased his mastery with his 34th Test century, moving to within 51 runs of the 10,000-run milestone. His 112-run partnership with Cummins for the seventh wicket was pivotal, with Cummins falling one run short of a half-century after lunch.
India's reply started poorly. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who returned to the top of the order, managed just 3 runs before succumbing to Cummins' short-ball ploy, continuing a woeful run of form with just 155 runs at an average of 11.07 in his last 14 innings. The pressure on his Test career intensifies ahead of the Sydney Test.
After KL Rahul was bowled by Cummins with a peach of a delivery, Jaiswal and Kohli raised Indian hopes. Jaiswal, yet to make a significant first-innings contribution this series, played aggressively, hitting Mitchell Marsh for a six and cutting Boland for a boundary to reach his half-century. However, his innings ended abruptly with the ill-fated run-out.
Kohli, looking determined following his sanction for a shoulder-bump incident the day before, appeared focused. While leaving deliveries outside off with restraint, he still played some exquisite shots, including a trademark cover drive and a flick through midwicket. However, his dismissal to Boland late in the day, edging to the slips, proved a crushing blow for India.
Earlier, Australia resumed on 311 for 6 and quickly put the Indian bowlers under pressure. Smith brought up his century with a classic cover drive and found support from Cummins, who played positively to frustrate India. After lunch, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Cummins and Mitchell Starc in quick succession, and Smith was bowled by Akash Deep in an unusual fashion, dragging the ball onto his stumps.
With up to three innings still left in the series, Smith is on the brink of joining cricket’s elite 10,000-run club. As the day closed, Australia held all the momentum, and India faces a steep climb to salvage the Test.
Updated on 27th December, 2024 by MyFortune11 Team.