India will need to pull out a record-breaking chase in order to take an upper hand in the series during the final day of the fourth Test against Australia at Melbourne, according to Wisden.
After shaving off the first innings lead to just 105 runs in reply to Australia’s 474 with their score of 369/10, India restricted Australia to 228/9 at the end of day four, though they were heavily frustrated by a half-century stand between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland for the final wicket.
No team has managed to chase as many runs at MCG, with the most successful chase being by England, who completed a pursuit of 332 runs back in 1928. It is also the only time that a 300-run total was chased at the venue in Tests, with the second-highest chase being a 297-run chase by England against Australia in 1895, Wisden reported.
Coming to the match, Australia won the toss and opted to bat first. Half-centuries from Konstas (60 in 65 balls, with six fours and two sixes), Usman Khawaja (57 in 121 balls, with six fours), Marnus Labuschagne (72 in 145 balls, with seven fours) and 34th Test ton from Steve Smith (140 in 197 balls, with 13 fours and three sixes) took Australia to 474/10 in their first innings.
Bumrah (4/99) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/78) were the lead pacer and spinner for the team, while Akash Deep got two wickets and Washington Sundar got one scalp.
India lost two quick wickets and was reduced to 51/2, but a century stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (82 in 118 balls, with 11 fours and a six) and Virat Kohli (36 in 86 balls, with four boundaries) stabilised the innings. However, Jaiswal’s run-out and Virat’s outside off-stump woes made India end day two on 164/5.
Then it was a 127-run stand between Washington Sundar (50 in 162 balls, with one four) and Nitish (114 in 189 balls, with 11 fours and a six) helped India reach 369. Scott Boland (3/57), skipper Pat Cummins (3/89) and Nathan Lyon (3/96) were the top bowlers for Aussies.
In their second innings, Australia was reduced to 91/6, but Labuschagne (70 in 139 balls, with three fours) and skipper Pat Cummins (41 in 90 balls, with four boundaries) took Australia to 228/9.
