3rd Test
Day-4 Evening Session Highlights:
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja as well as the final-wicket stand has ensured India avoid the follow-on
At The Stumps of Day-4:
India scored 252/9 (1st Innings), where as Australia scored 445 (1st Innings).
So, finally India trail by 193 runs.
Australia was left with just two frontline pacers, saw more overs wiped out by rain, and had their victory push halted by solid half-centuries from KL Rahul (85) and Ravindra Jadeja (77), along with a determined unbeaten 39-run stand for the last wicket between Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah, which helped India avoid the follow-on.
At the end of Day 4, India was still 193 runs behind Australia’s first-innings total of 445, but with a maximum of 98 overs left (weather permitting), the hosts aimed to close out India’s innings, build a quick lead, and ensure their Hazlewood-less bowling attack had enough time and cushion to push for victory.
With their fast bowling partner missing, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc worked tirelessly, bowling 18.5 and 16 overs, respectively, out of the 54.5 delivered on Day 4.
They might have had the chance for victory if luck had favored them.
Cummins was denied early when Rahul, resuming on 33, edged a length ball to Steve Smith, who dropped the regulation chance at second slip.
Looking back, that miss was pivotal, as India was already in a difficult position to reach the 246-run mark that would force Australia to bat again and take more time away from the game.
India had recovered from 51 for 5 to reach 74 for 5 in the first hour of play.
Captain Rohit Sharma, the other overnight batter, made the mistake of playing an ambitious shot, having been worked over by Cummins.
Rohit, trying to capitalize on a rare scoring opportunity, edged a delivery to the ‘keeper.
Then Rahul and Jadeja partnered to add India’s best stand of the innings.
Rahul, in particular, showed great control, playing only the fuller deliveries and choosing his shots carefully.
The partnership, which reached 67 runs, was broken by Smith, who atoned for his earlier error by leaping to his right and holding onto Rahul’s attempted cut off Nathan Lyon.
Jadeja then formed another important stand with Nitish Reddy, as Australia raced against time, with only 13.2 overs played during the middle session.
Jadeja, playing his first match of the series, reached his 22nd Test fifty.
However, after a 67-minute rain delay, Jadeja and Reddy managed to see off a spell from Starc, but Reddy’s wicket fell to Cummins, who struck with a nip-backer that clipped the inside edge onto the stumps.
India still needed 51 to avoid the follow-on, with just the three fast bowlers left to partner Jadeja.
Mohammed Siraj, batting at No. 9, faced six deliveries from Starc, but Jadeja’s decision to leave him to face the left-arm quick proved costly, as Starc found Siraj’s outside edge for a sharp catch.
Jadeja, aiming to farm the strike, hit Lyon for a six and then benefitted from a fortunate four off Cummins before falling for 77 as Cummins claimed his fourth wicket.
At this point, India was still 33 runs from avoiding the follow-on.
Deep and Bumrah held firm against the two-man pace attack, which was visibly fatigued.
Bumrah pulled a short ball from Cummins for a six and calmly nudged singles.
Deep added a crucial boundary off Starc.
With India 14 runs from the follow-on target, Cummins had to turn to Lyon, but his efforts were in vain.
Cummins, seeking his fifth wicket, conceded seven runs in his 20th over, and in the 21st, Deep edged him for four, taking India past the follow-on mark.
Celebrating this milestone, Deep slogged Cummins for a six before bad light forced the players off the field.
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