India erased the absence of captain Jasprit Bumrah by dismissing Australia for 181 to reach 141-6 for a total lead of 145 on an extraordinary second day of the well-balanced fifth Test on Saturday.
On a sun-drenched day of cricket in Sydney, Bumrah took the first wicket to send India off, but left shortly after lunch with the team doctor due to back spasms.
Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped into the considerable bowling void left by their captain to crush Australia and India by four runs in the first innings.
There was still plenty of spice on the wicket, though, and paceman Scott Boland finished with 4-42 on Friday as Australia overcame the top of the Indian batting order and dug deep into the middle order.
Boland dismissed India skipper Virat Kohli, among others, in Sydney
Rishabh Pant threw off the shackles and produced some extraordinary knocks in a 28-ball half-century to stem the rot, but he too departed in the 61st minute in the final hour as Australian skipper Pat Cummins claimed his 14th wicket of the day.
There was still time for Boland to claim his fourth victim in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy, leaving Ravindra Jadeja, not out at eight, and Washington Sundar, unbeaten at six, at the crease late in the game.
The Sydney sun-soaked crowd of 47,257 certainly got their money’s worth as the momentum swung back and forth as it did throughout the series, which Australia lead 2-1.
India’s captain and star bowler Jasprit Bumrah had to retire with back spasms on Day 2.
Debutant all-rounder Beau Webster, whose 57 was Australia’s highest score, was buoyed by his half-century and again when he dismissed Shubman Gill for 13 later in the day to claim his first Test wicket.
Standing as India’s captain after Bumrah’s departure, Virat Kohli was whistled at the crease in what is likely to be his last innings in Australia, and happily returned to the boundary rope after Boland slipped him for a timid six.
Boland is fast becoming a cult hero in Australia and perhaps the loudest roar came when he bowled a peach to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal off stump and end a promising innings on 22.
Indian supporters also had plenty to cheer about, starting with Bumrah’s dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne in the morning session to take his haul to 32 wickets at an average of 13.06.
India captain Rohit Sharma walks out for the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney
Indian flags were also flying for Krishna when Steve Smith slipped for 33 to dissolve his 57-wicket partnership with Webster and leave the former Australian captain with five 10,000 Test runs.
India, who have ruled out captain Rohit Sharma, need to win in Sydney to complete the streak and retain the boundary Gavaskar Trophy.
Bumrah’s back spasm could keep him out of the remainder of the fifth Test
India could be without Bumrah for the remainder of the fifth Test against Australia after he left the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday for a scan on a back problem.
The fast bowler, who has been the most influential player in the five-match series, left the ground with India’s team doctor about an hour after the lunch break.
“He had a back spasm,” his teammate Prasid Krishna told reporters after the game.
“He’s gone for a scan and the medical team are monitoring him, so we’ll know when the medical team get back to us.
Bumrah, India’s leading man and top performer of the series, is now in doubt for the rest of the fifth Test
“Irrespective of who is leading us as a team, I think we are very well prepared as a bowling unit. The plan was pretty clear even without Bumrah.”
Krishna took 3-42 as India dismissed Australia for 181 on Saturday, but at the end of the game they were only 145 runs with four wickets in hand, three if Bumrah fails to strike.
His absence would be more noticeable if Australia were chasing a relatively small victory target, given that the skipper has taken 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 in the series so far.
“If he wasn’t there, India would have to come up with a new plan,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said.
“He’s the leading wicket-taker of the series, so you can tell that’s going to be a bit of an advantage for us. He can bowl on any surface. He’s a threat at any time. We knew that going into the series an incredibly talented bowler.”
