India vs Australia Live Score 4th Test Day 4 (India National Cricket Team vs Australia National Cricket Team Match Scorecard): Hello and welcome to the live blog of the fourth day of the ongoing Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
After remaining unbeaten on 105 runs from 176 balls on Saturday, Nitish Kumar Reddy added nine runs to his individual score on Sunday to take India’s total to 369 before Nathan Lyon dismissed him on the third ball of the 120th over to bring an end to India’s innings.
Thanks to Reddy’s 189-ball-114-run knock, India scored 369 in their first innings and managed to cut Australia’s first innings lead to just 105 runs.
For Baggy Greens, Pat Cummins, Lyon, and Scott Boland accounted for the dismissal of 3 Indian batters each.
In Australia’s 2nd innings, Jasprit Bumrah bowled a perfect nip-backer to remove Sam Konstas before the Mohammed Siraj jettisoned Usman Khawaja with a peach as Australia crawled to 53 for 2 at lunch on the fourth day.
Playing XIs:
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
LIVE FEED
118.6 – DRAMA! Absolute drama at the MCG! Pat Cummins is not happy with the decision one bit! And wants to review it again. The Australians appeal in unison for the catch but the umpire shakes his head and straightaway walks to the third umpire and sends it upstairs. Coming to the delivery, Cummins yorks it outside off, Mohammed Siraj bends low to shovel it out and does get some part of the bat and it goes towards the second slip where Smith takes a good sharp catch. Now, the thing to be checked here is whether it has bumped to the surface off the edge or has the bat bumped on the ground with the ball going straight and flat to the slip. The Australians believe the latter and are really confident, and request a review from their end. But the umpires on-field tell Cummins that they cannot review it. They go on with the TV umpire’s verdict in the end. So, Siraj will stay NOT OUT!
Batsman_1 : Mohammed Siraj 4(15)
Batsman_2 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 114(186)
Bowler : Pat Cummins 3/89(29)
Over : 119
Run : 2
Wicket : 0
Score : 369/9
80.1 – A bit of shape in to begin with, full and tailing back in from outside off, Sundar leaves.
We are back! The umpires are out in the middle as the Indian players take their places on the field. It will be Usman Khawaja and the debutant Sam Konstas to open the innings for Australia. Jasprit Bumrah has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let’s play…
We are back! The umpires are out in the middle as the Indian players take their places on the field.
Right then, Australia have the lead and the pitch is still more than decent to bat on. India will be buoyant after that late fightback with the bat and Jasprit Bumrah will be crucial with the new ball. Can the Aussies see the new ball off and core freely? Or will India rise up as a bowling order? Let’s find out as Australia’s second innings is up next.
Has Siraj edged it to the slips? The Australians celebrate and Carey has even taken off his helmet as they are very certain they have got their man. The on-field umpire though has sent the decision upstairs and the TV umpire has been summoned. The question is, has the ball bumped on the surface on the way to the slips? After checking, the TV umpire deems that it has bumped off the surface. But it looked really close.
Pat Cummins was prolific for the hosts early on with the ball and even triggered that run out but there was another fightback from India as Washington Sundar and a confident Nitish Kumar Reddy put on a record 100-plus stand for the 8th wicket and took India from 221/6 to well over the 300-run mark. However, Nathan Lyon got some purchase late on Day 3 and picked up crucial wickets but not before Reddy brought up one of the iconic hundreds at the MCG.
Talking about India’s batting, the chop and change in the order didn’t work as skipper Rohit Sharma’s return to the opening spot didn’t last long. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul started to find their feet but Pat Cummins snatched the wicket of Rahul with a ripper on the stroke of Tea on Day 2. Then came the stand between Jaiswal and Virat Kohli that really instilled confidence amongst the Indian team and they were going great guns until one huge moment of mix up. Jaiswal got run out in the 80s and then Kohli lost his temperament as well, leaving India reeling a bit.
118.6 – DRAMA! Absolute drama at the MCG! Pat Cummins is not happy with the decision one bit! And wants to review it again. The Australians appeal in unison for the catch but the umpire shakes his head and straightaway walks to the third umpire and sends it upstairs. Cummins yorks it outside off, Mohammed Siraj bends low to shovel it out and does get some part of the bat and it goes towards the second slip where Smith takes a good sharp catch. Now, the thing to be checked here is whether it has bumped to the surface off the edge or has the bat bumped on the ground with the ball going straight and flat to the slip. The Australians believe the latter and are really confident, and request a review from their end. But the umpires on-field tell Cummins that they cannot review it. So, it will stay NOT OUT!
Batsman_1 : Mohammed Siraj 4(15)
Batsman_2 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 114(186)
Bowler : Pat Cummins 3/89(29)
Over : 119
Run : 2
Wicket : 0
Score : 369/9
Finally, the end of India’s first innings and they have conceded a first-innings lead of 105 runs. It was a topsy-turvy innings that initially began on Day 2 and has lasted till the start of Day 4 but in the end, the hosts will have the triple digit lead and a chance to really set a huge target heading forward.
Finally, the end of India’s first innings and they have conceded a first innings lead of 105 runs.
118.6 – DRAMA! Absolute drama at the MCG! Pat Cummins is not happy with the decision one bit! And wants to review it again.
Batsman_1 : Mohammed Siraj 4(15)
Batsman_2 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 114(186)
Bowler : Pat Cummins 3/89(29)
Over : 119
Run : 2
Wicket : 0
Score : 369/9
119.3 – OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Probably the first ball Nitish mistimes and perishes! With this, India’s innings comes to a close!
Batsman_1 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 114(189)
Batsman_2 : Mohammed Siraj 4(15)
Bowler : Nathan Lyon 3/96(28.3)
Over : 119.3
Run : 0
Wicket : 1
Score : 369/10
119.3 – OUT! c Mitchell Starc b Nathan Lyon.
119.2 – Full again, on the stumps, defended well by Nitish.
119.1 – Nice and full, on middle and leg, Nitish Kumar Reddy leans on and defends it ahead.
Is that Siraj caught in the slips? The on-field umpire has sent the decision upstairs and the TV umpire has been summoned. The question is, has the ball bumped on the surface on the way to the slips? After checking, the TV umpire deems that it has bumped off the surface.
118.6 – DRAMA! Absolute drama at the MCG! Pat Cummins is not happy with the decision one bit! And wants to review it again.
Batsman_1 : Mohammed Siraj 4(15)
Batsman_2 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 114(186)
Bowler : Pat Cummins 3/89(29)
Over : 119
Run : 2
Wicket : 0
Score : 369/9
Is that Siraj caught in the slips?
118.5 – Nitish now takes the single in the penultimate delivery! Fired in full and on middle, Nitish Kumar Reddy shuffles across off and clips it to deep backward square leg for a single.
118.4 – Gets to the other end! A low full toss from Cummins, outside off, Mohammed Siraj opens the bat face and guides it to deep backward point for a single.
118.3 – Sharp bumper, slanting down leg, Mohammed Siraj ducks and lets it go through to the keeper.
118.2 – Hard length, on the middle stump line, Mohammed Siraj is solid in defense, brings the bat in front of the pad, and blocks it back to the bowler.
118.1 – Back of a length, just around off, Mohammed Siraj gets behind the line and defends it into the off side.
117.6 – Loops it up, fuller and on leg, Nitish Kumar Reddy charges down the track and pushes it firmly to short mid-wicket.
Batsman_1 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 113(185)
Batsman_2 : Mohammed Siraj 3(10)
Bowler : Nathan Lyon 2/96(28)
Over : 118
Run : 8
Wicket : 0
Score : 367/9
117.5 – FOUR! What a shot! Lyon drops it a tad bit short and outside off, Nitish Kumar Reddy shuffles way outside leg, gives himself enough room, and flat-bats it down the ground for a cracking boundary!
117.1 – Looped up from around the stumps, full and drifting on off, Nitish Kumar Reddy charges down the track and lofts it over mid on for a single.
117.2 – Siraj takes a single now! Slows it up, full and outside off, Siraj strides across and leans on the ball. Defends it with an open bat face to short third for a single.
117.4 – Floated up, fuller and on off, Nitish dances down the track and eases it to the right of the bowler.
117.3 – ‘Two, two, two’ is the call and they will get it! Excellent running! Nice and full, on middle, Nitish steers it to deep square leg and hares back for the second run.
Nathan Lyon to operate from the far end.
116.6 – BEATEN! Cummins spears it in, on a fuller length, just around off. It lands and nips away a shy bit, and beats the outside edge of the bat as Siraj tries to block it forward.
Batsman_1 : Mohammed Siraj 2(9)
Batsman_2 : Nitish Kumar Reddy 106(180)
Bowler : Pat Cummins 3/87(28)
Over : 117
Run : 1
Wicket : 0
Score : 359/9
116.5 – Solid defence by Siraj! Aims the stumps does Cummins, Siraj commits on the front foot and blocks it off the inner half of the bat.
116.4 – First runs of Day 4! Much fuller and on the fourth stump, Nitish gets on the front foot and drives it past mid off for a single.
All in readiness for Day 4 to commence at the MCG! The sun is out and shining to its glory with barely any cloud cover. The umpires and the Australian players make their way out to the middle. Nitish Kumar Reddy, unbeaten on 105 and Mohammed Siraj are the two overnight batters for India. The tourists trail by 116 more runs. It will be Pat Cummins to kick off the proceedings with the ball. Off we go…
116.3 – Straight and full on off, Nitish prods forward and blocks it straight.
