India vs Australia 2nd Test, day 4: Ajinkya Rahane’s side need 70 runs to win match

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took three wickets apiece as India made relatively short work of Australia’s lower order to put themselves in the driver’s seat in the first session of day 4 of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Australia were bowled out for 200 as they set India a target of 70 to win the match. It was once again the clinical exhibition of Ajinkya Rahane’s proactive captaincy that saw India get the better of Australia’s batsmen as they came a step closer to levelling the series and eliminating the scars of their loss in Adelaide in which they were bowled out for 36. That total was their lowest in their 88-year history but this performance in Melbourne has once again rekindled interest in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and heading into 2021, the momentum is with the Indian cricket team as they ended a turbulent year on the ultimate high.

The day began with Cameron Green and Pat Cummins holding their own and frustrating the Indian bowlers with their solid defence. Pat Cummins had shown his mettle in the 2018 match in Melbourne in which he took the game into the fifth day. However, India took the second new ball and immediately, it was Jasprit Bumrah who struck. The bowler bowled a brilliant bouncer that zipped off the Melbourne deck and Pat Cummins could only fend it off to slip a India finally broke the partnership that had taken the match into the fourth day. The 57-run stand was the only bright spot in yet another poor display of batting by Australia in Melbourne. Ajinkya Rahane rotated his bowlers as Australia looked to extend their lead.

Cameron Green looked in great touch and struck a couple of boundaries as he neared a fifty. It looked like Australia's tail would once again frustrate India like the way they did in Adelaide.

Siraj strikes

Green negoatiated with the swing of Mohammed Siraj as he approached a fifty but on 45, he suffered a lapse in concentration and he gave a catch to Ravindra Jadeja which effectively ended Australia's hopes of a lead in excess of 100. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc hung on but when Siraj took his third wicket by getting Nathan Lyon to edge to Rishabh Pant, the game was all but up. The first session was extended and although India gifted some bonus runs to Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, it was only a matter of time.

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc frustrated India when the extended half hour was taken but in the final over before lunch, Ravichandran Ashwin cleaned up Josh Hazlewood as India need 70 runs to win the match and level the four-match series 1-1.