At the end of the fourth day of the fourth Test in Melbourne on Sunday, Marnus Labuschagne’s tenacious half-century put Australia ahead by 333 runs and set India on course for a record-breaking victory.
Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland performed to a standing ovation from the home fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as they combined for an unbeaten 55-run partnership for the final wicket as Australia thrashed stumps 228-9.
Lyon were eliminated in 41st place, No. 11 Boland was 10th, and India’s hopes of victory faded in the final hour.
India’s pace dynamo Jasprit Bumrah threatened to turn the match around with a three-wicket burst before tea in front of 43,867 fans.
But No 3 Labuschagne (70) and his captain Pat Cummins (41) set Australia up with a 57-run partnership before Boland and Lyon frustrated India further.
Nathan Lyon at 41 could not derail India’s hopes of winning in Melbourne
The day ended on a sour note for the tourists when Bumrah Lyon faced juggler K.L. Rahul in the final no-ball.
Only one team has chased more than 300 in an MCG Test; England beat Australia by 332 runs in 1928.
While Boland and Lyon eased things up, Labuschagne said the Australian bowlers had enough on the field on day five.
“The movement (off the seam) has probably been the same, but it’s just that the amount of bounce is significantly lower,” Labuschagne told reporters from the changing wicket.
“So it makes for quite a difficult batting because more balls are hitting the stumps from a shorter length.”
As impressive as Australia’s backline resistance was, it was followed by some shoddy middle-order batting.
Commanding 80-2, Australia crumbled in a Bumrah-led attack, slumping to 91-6.
Mohammed Siraj caused the collapse when Steve Smith chased a wide, full delivery and was edged behind wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant for 13.
Bumrah caught Travis Head at square leg to claim his 200th Test wicket.
Later, he again bowled four balls to remove number six Mitchell Marsh for a duck that gloved Pant before bowling Alex Carey through the bat and pad for two.
Australia wavered but Cummins stormed out with typical defiance.
Scoring 49 in the first innings, he made a crucial 41 to halt India’s momentum.
With Labuschagne out off Siraj, Cummins added another 25 runs with Mitchell Starc (five) and Lyon before falling to the spin of the all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
Yashasvi Jaiswal missed two chances, Labuschagne spared on 46 when he bowled Akash Deep to gully, and opener Usman Khawaja was delayed for two due to leg flooding.
Khawaja went on to make 21 before Siraj bowled him in the morning.
Lyons (left) and Scott Boland come off the field at the end of the fourth day
Nitish Kumar Reddy also missed a tough chance to dismiss Cummins for nine, misjudging the flight of the ball while chasing the Australian skipper’s slog through mid-on.
Reddy said it would be important to have “one or two good partnerships” to give India a chance of victory.
“We could see later on the fourth day when the pitch was working a little bit more,” Reddy said. “.
The five-match series is level at 1-1.The fifth and final Test is scheduled to begin on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
