India vs Australia 2nd Test Highlights: India steadied its innings after losing two quick wickets to comfortable chase down the small target of 70 runs from their second innings and level the Border-Gavaskar series after dismissing Australia for 200 in the Boxing Test at the MCG.
Struggling opener Mayank Agarwal fell for five before the dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujura (three) gave the hosts a glimmer of hope with India wobbling at 19-2. But Shubman Gill and stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane saw the visitors home without further ado to secure a comprehensive eight-wicket victory.
Australia survived the entire first session of day four but India took the extra half-hour on offer with only one wicket left.
Bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood almost got to lunch but spinner Ravi Ashwin bowled the latter for 10 for his second wicket. Australia’s lower-order, spearheaded by young allrounder Cameron Green, added 67 runs on Tuesday after resuming on 133-6. But Green’s dismissal for an innings-high of 45 left only the tail to try to set India a defendable run-chase.
Playing in just his second Test, Green lasted for most of the session to frustrate India’s bid to level the series at one-all. His promising innings ended when he mistimed a pull shot off Indian debutant Mohammed Siraj, who finished with figures of 3-37. The West Australian received solid support from fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
IND vs AUS 2nd Test, Day 4 LIVE Commentary and Score
Ajinkya Rahane | India captain | Player of the Match: Really proud of all the players. Played really well.
Australia have problems and they seem more mental than anything else. Rarely have you seen an Australian batting unit play this defensively in home conditions, even when the surface got better to bat on. Credit is definitely due to India’s bowlers who were relentless but the hosts’ approach was also not the greatest. Smith has suddenly hit that lean patch and Labuschagne isn’t converting starts, and the duo’s failures have dented the batting. The home side will hope that the duo get back to form soon, and with Warner expected to be back as well, they will be a touch relieved. Green’s batting in the second innings comes as a boost in that regard. Their catching will also need to be better. As for India, this is a massive win but they also have concerns with Umesh being the latest casualty in the injury list. The top-order also is a bit shaky, and with Rohit now available, there is a selection dilemma as well. All this for later though, as they will be partying for now.
8:54: 9th over: India 36-2 (Gill 20, Rahane 8)
Josh Hazlewood replaces Starc and he’s immediately on a perfect line and length, forcing Rahane to play consistently from the crease. The Indian skipper does so with a perfect technique, using soft hands, playing the ball under his nose, and keeping his bat and pad together.
8:35: Australia continue fightback
With two quick wickets in Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara, Australia continue their fightback in a low total defence. One more wicket, especially of Ajinkya Rahane will make the game interesting.
The plan brilliantly executed by Cummins, and Green, again. Pujara gone! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/BD9e1FKcwV
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2020
Well bowled, Starcy #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/JOInlkXkRW
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2020
8:27: 4th over: India 15-0 (Agarwal 5, Gill 10) Chasing 70
Cummins keeps Agarwal circumspect for most of a probing over but he still manages to push a couple through the covers.
8:00: Agarwal and Shubman Gill are at the crease. Agarwal is on strike. Starc will open the attack
7:40: Australia all out with 69 runs
Not so nice. India have turned this series around, and now only need to finish off their work. Australia could still create some nerves with two or three early wickets, but given the tailenders looked relatively comfortable batting out there, it should be fine. The roller is on the wicket, the lunch break is taken, and India’s batsmen will emerge in 40 minutes to try to level this series 1-1.
7:27: 101st over: (Starc 12, Hazlewood 9)
This last-wicket pair just coasting along calmly. No massive swipes, no gallops. Starc glances Siraj for another single. Hazlewood defends. They’re doing well.
7:10: 99th over: (Starc 10, Hazlewood 7)
Goodness me, lovely bowling. The control of line from Siraj has been excellent, a right-armer bowling across a left-hander, but always close enough to make him play. Another maiden.
7:01: WICKET!!! Siraj to Lyon, out Caught by Pant!!
Lyon has gloved one down leg and India are one wicket away from mopping up Australia – a visibly frustrated Lyon thumps his bat with the gloves as he walks away – short of a length and angling down leg, Lyon was looking to help it on its way, was very late into the shot and can only glove it into Pant’s hands. Third wicket for the impressive Siraj – Australia’s lead is 54.
6:49: 95th over: (Starc 7, Lyon 3)
The field keeps changing: a leg slip in now for Lyon facing Siraj, with cover left open. Short midwicket, three in the cordon, two out for the hook. A couple of bumpers to start the over have Lyon getting out of the way, and I think asking the umpire how many short balls they’re allowed to bowl. Maybe he was just wiping sweep from his forehead. Siraj comes around the wicket for some reason, and pitches full, and predictably it hits Lyon’s pad and goes for a leg bye. Siraj was spinning to appeal just by muscle memory before remembering that there was no way he could get an lbw when bowling from outside the line of the player’s leg stump. Starc hasn’t scored a run in a while, but flicks a single nicely to fine leg. We still haven’t seen a single big shot from Starc today, which is uncharacteristic.
The lead is 52.
6:31: WICKET!!! Siraj to Green, out Caught by Jadeja!!
Oh dear! That’s such a soft dismissal, Green has been dismissed against the run of play. Is it the game for India?
6:30: 90th over: Green 42, Starc 3)
Jadeja on for Ashwin, left-arm orthodox for off-spin. He’s giving the ball air against Starc, outside off. Just watch for the faster one darted in at the stumps. Three flighted deliveries in a row. From the fourth, Starc swishes across the line and gets a run to deep backward square.
6:16: 87th over: (Green 41, Starc 1)
Green to Bumrah, just wanting to soak him up. He’s helped when Bumrah strays down the leg side, smashing the thigh pad en route to four leg byes. Last ball of the over, no strike-farming, but it’s the shot of his life from Green! A slashing cut shot, down on one knee, through backward point for four! He sees the width but has to get down to it, and I’ve never quite seen a batsman drop like that for that style of shot. That deserves a phwoar. Suddenly the lead is 38, more than India made in Adelaide.
6:00: WICKET!!! Bumrah to Cummins, out Caught by Agarwal!!
Now then, now then. Just as it looked like the Aussies had found some rhythm and just as it looked like Bumrah was looking non-threatening, he produces an absolute unplayable snorter. It’s quick, short, skidding on off the deck, so much so that Cummins can only manage to stick his bat out in front of his throat in self-defence before freezing. The ball finds that glove and lobs tamely in front of second slip. India can breathe easy again, they’ve gotten rid of their thorn.
A brute of a ball #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/xdnOOYOLOO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2020
5:37: 76th over: Australia 144-6 (Green 23, Cummins 20)
Ashwin convinces Rahane to go up for a marginal lbw review against Cummins, but it’s clearing the stumps on the projection. Pitched relatively short so it was likely to struggle. Cummins gets a run from the next ball.
05:15 Justin Langer on Fox Cricket when asked about how he views Joe Burns right now:
“I’ve said about the first three innings of this Test series it hasn’t been great, we need to get better at it. We’ll keep working hard at that and our players know performance – runs are the currency of value, performance is the currency of value, you have to keep performing to be selected.
5:09: 68th over: Australia 136-6 (Green 20, Cummins 15)
So Ashwin has been handed the ball. It is unsurprising to see him start from the Southern Stand End. Rahane employing his bet two bowlers until the new ball comes in. Green taking his time to settle down, taking a huge stride forward to just about every ball and defending it stoutly away.
05:03: Rishabh Pant before start of the game
It was a very good day for us. We need to concentrate and keep it simple and bowl good lines. (Update on Umesh) I have no idea, I’ll have to ask the physio about it. I have been training well, practising well but not getting a chance in the first Test is a part and parcel of the game. It is good to back in the side and try to do well for the team. Keeping in Australia has been good so far and I am working on opening my right and left leg to adjust to the bounce. The key is to give yourself a little more space against Ashwin and Jadeja. Wade was probably looking for some sort of discussion or banter so that he could concentrate more, but I didn’t want to give that to him.
05:02: Hello, hello. There’s a thick line between 1-1 and 2-0, and given how things stand at the moment, that line is Pat Cummins. It could’ve been so much simpler for the Indians had Rishabh Pant held onto his catch last evening, but Cummins – the thorn that he’s become with the bat – has not only restored some calm in the proceedings, but has taken Australia into the lead. Remember MCG 2018 and the thorn he was with the bat? Australia would that thorniness today, lots of it. Or maybe you never know, a 37-run target and India doing an Adelaide all over again could do just as well. On that note, hello again ..
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