4th Test
Day-4 Afternoon Session Highlights:
Australia team has extended the lead to 240 runs despite Jasprit Bumrah’s magical spell
At The Tea of Day-4:
Australia scored 474 (1st Innings) & 135/6 (2nd Innings), where as India scored 369 (1st Innings).
So, finally Australia lead by 240 runs.
A superb effort from Jasprit Bumrah – now a familiar sight in Test cricket – rattled Australia briefly in the first hour of the afternoon session at the MCG.
He claimed his 200th Test wicket, along with two more, but Marnus Labuschagne responded with his second fifty of the match, extending Australia’s lead to 240 at Tea.
After conceding a first-innings lead of 105, India’s fast bowlers came into their own in the morning session.
Bumrah led the charge, removing his first-innings tormentor, Sam Konstas, and celebrating by egging on the crowd in a manner reminiscent of the 19-year-old’s earlier antics.
Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja had a tough time, surviving numerous plays and misses, as well as occasional edges, but India couldn’t capitalize.
Eventually, Khawaja fell to Mohammed Siraj, who had found his rhythm after a lackluster first innings.
Siraj and Akash Deep supported Bumrah brilliantly, keeping the Australian batters under pressure.
The trio then combined to pick up three wickets in just 10 deliveries early in the second session.
Steve Smith was dismissed for a low score, caught behind off Siraj, while Travis Head fell to Bumrah, flicking a delivery to Nitish Reddy at mid-wicket.
This marked Bumrah’s 200th Test wicket, achieved with an average under 20, a feat unmatched by any bowler in the format.
In the same over, Mitchell Marsh’s miserable run in Tests continued as he edged to Pant.
Bumrah then seamed one in from a good length to breach Alex Carey’s bat-pad gap, leaving Australia in a precarious position at 91/6.
Labuschagne, watching in frustration as his partners came and went, had a stroke of luck when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a sitter at third slip off Deep’s bowling.
Labuschagne made the most of this opportunity, scoring his second fifty of the match as Australia extended their lead past 200.
Jaiswal’s tough day continued when he failed to take a chance at silly point, reprieving Pat Cummins.
The Australian captain and Labuschagne then managed to calm things down, taking Australia to 135/6 at the break.
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