Australia 474 (Smith 140, Labuschagne 72, Bumrah 4-99) and 234 (Labuschagne 70, Bumrah 5-57) beat India 369 (Reddy 114, Jaiswal 82, Boland 3-57) and 155 (Jaiswal 84, Cummins 3-28, Boland 3-39) by 184 runs
After India had slid to 33 for 3, Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant added 88 in 32 overs to take India into the final session with seven wickets in hand, but Travis Head burgled the wicket of Pant and Australia seized their moment as India lost 7 for 34. The quick bowlers were immense, Mitchell Starc bowling in the mid-140kph region despite a back niggle, while Cummins and Boland added further chapters to previous MCG heroics. Cummins earned the Johnny Mullagh Medal as Player of the Match for an outstanding all-round Test in which he also contributed 90 runs alongside his six wickets.
India were very cautious early on against some extremely testing new ball bowling; Rohit Sharma later said they set out wanting to lay a platform for a chase but it always looked a long shot. Australia were made to wait for their opening incisions before, as has so often been the case, it was Cummins who came to the fore. He had the struggling Rohit edging to gully, where Mitchell Marsh took a sharp catch, and five balls later squared up KL Rahul with a superb delivery which ended in the hands of first slip.
In the final over before lunch, Starc was rewarded for battling through the pain barrier when he lured Virat Kohli into his latest drive outside off, the edge reaching Usman Khawaja. The wicket ended a controversial time in Melbourne for Kohli, and made it clear that there was no realistic chance of India chasing down the target.
Jaiswal and Pant played very solidly through the afternoon to repel everything Australia threw at them. Jaiswal, who dropped three catches yesterday, including a vital chance off Marnus Labuschagne, survived a tight lbw appeal against Starc on 31 and brought up his second fifty of the match off 127 balls.
AUS vs IND 2024/25: Australia vs India 4th Test, Day 5, Melbourne Match Report
The highly anticipated 4th Test match between Australia and India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground came to a thrilling conclusion on Day 5, with both teams giving it their all in a bid to emerge victorious.
Australia started the day in a strong position, needing just 2 wickets to secure a series-clinching win. However, India’s lower order batsmen had other plans as they put up a spirited fight to delay the inevitable.
Despite some valiant resistance from the Indian tail-enders, Australia’s bowlers were relentless in their pursuit of victory. Pat Cummins, leading from the front, claimed the crucial wickets of Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin to put Australia on the brink of victory.
In the end, it was Nathan Lyon who delivered the final blow, dismissing Mohammed Shami to seal a 3-1 series win for Australia. The home team’s dominance with both bat and ball throughout the series was evident, with individual performances from Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Mitchell Starc standing out.
India, on the other hand, showed glimpses of brilliance but ultimately fell short in key moments. Captain Virat Kohli’s century in the first innings was a standout performance, but the team will be left ruing missed opportunities and the inability to capitalize on crucial moments.
As the two teams shake hands at the end of the match, Australia can celebrate a hard-fought series win, while India will reflect on areas for improvement as they look ahead to their next challenge. The series may be over, but the rivalry between these two cricketing giants is as fierce as ever, setting the stage for more thrilling encounters in the future.
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