MCG Test: India fail to cash in on Bumrah’s brilliance
The fast bowler had Australia reeling on Day 4 but dropped catches let the hosts build a 333-run lead
Melbourne: As we head into a rare fifth day of a Test match, the promise of what is to come is enticing. Very few sports give you the opportunity to go back, switch off and reset the way Test cricket does and that is what makes the second innings such a tantalising prospect. You can stare at a deficit but there is a clear opportunity to put all that behind and start anew.
At close on Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia were in command with a lead of 333 runs. The highest successful run chase at the MCG is the 332/7 by England way back in 1929. The highest successfully chased target at the MCG in this century is 231 but despite that the hosts resisted the urge to declare the innings.
Maybe they weren’t ready to risk it or maybe they felt, having batted on the wicket all day, there wasn’t enough there for the bowlers. Not yet. Either way, not having to bat late in the day would have pleased the Indian team. After long hours in the field, no batter wants to contend with a short session.
It was a topsy-turvy day largely due to the consistent brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah (24-7-56-4), who had the Aussies on the mat at 91/6. However, a mixture of dropped catches (three by Yashasvi Jaiswal alone) and grit saw Pat Cummins and Co end the day on 228/9. Mohammed Siraj, after a disappointing first innings, also impressed to take 3/66.
At the heart of the Aussie fightback on Sunday was Marnus Labuschagne, who seemed to be back to his usual lucky self during the course of his vital 70. He was the only batter to play Bumrah with some degree of confidence and his runs went a long way towards pushing the Australia total into safe territory.
Given that memories of some famous chases by India still linger, the hosts were keeping a close eye on the wicket and what it was doing. Will Day 5 see it deteriorate to a point where batting will become tougher?
“I can’t probably predict tomorrow,” said Labuschagne. “But I can just sort of talk about today. I think from the first innings there was some movement, obviously. There was a lot there. It was hard work in that first probably, especially the first 40 to 50 overs. But as the game’s gone on, the bounce has got less and more inconsistent.
“So, we’re just getting more balls hitting the stumps. More balls are skidding through. And we’re getting that coming through on the data. And that’s probably the major difference. The seam movement’s probably been the same.”
Usually the pitch won’t suddenly right itself on the fifth day but would this mean that batting will be tricky for a fair bit of the fourth innings as well. There are many who will be talking about a win but one look at how the Australian innings panned out and it was clear that India will have to exercise a lot of caution.
Australia lost regular wickets through the day with their highest partnership (57 runs) coming only after the Indian attack had scythed through the top order. Labuschagne found an able and willing partner in Cummins and their stand got the team out of a potentially dangerous situation. And then when the innings seemed to be winding down, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland put together an unbroken stand of 55 runs for the last wicket.
It also ensured that Australia played out time. Give India too much time and a chase might be on. It still might be but the timing will have to be right now and the visitors won’t look to get too aggressive, too early.
Is it too early for Indian fans to start dreaming of a Gabba-like miracle? Labuschagne does feel there are some important differences.
“That wicket in the Gabba was flat,” said the Australian No.3. “There were some cracks appearing there from memory, but the main part of the wicket was really nice. It was like a Day 2 two wicket on Day 1. It was quite firm. The ball was, you know, a little bit of bounce there as you do get in Brisbane, but it was a nice wicket.
“And we were also in that position in that test where we had to win the series. So, we had to try and set a total. And, ideally we would have liked to set India more in that game and probably bowl a few less overs, but because we had to win, we had to risk it a little bit more.”
India still need to get the last Australia wicket and they wouldn’t want to get ahead of themselves. But to go into the last day with all four results still possible is a blessing for true fans of Test cricket. Of course, the teams may at some point decide that a draw is their best result, but for now we can all dream a little.
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