India add insult to Australia’s injury

Sydney, January 6 

Rain and bad light prevented India from closing in on a big win in the fourth Test here today but they were well on course for their maiden series victory in Australia after forcing the hosts to follow-on for the first time at home since 1988. Australia were 6/0 in 4 overs after Kuldeep Yadav’s five-wicket haul in his maiden Test Down Under helped India bowl the home team out for 300 in the first innings.

Umpires took players off the field with eight minutes remaining in the afternoon session. Marcus Harris (2) and Usman Khawaja (4) were the unbeaten batsmen with Australia still trailing by 316 runs after just 25.2 overs could be bowled on Day 4. The play didn’t resume at all after the tea break due to bad light. The umpires waited for nearly an hour before calling off the play at 5pm.

After the morning session was washed out, India took the second new ball immediately and made quick inroads. Mohammed Shami (2/58) bowled Pat Cummins (25) with a ball that kept low on the sixth ball of the very first over after the play resumed. At the other end, Jasprit Bumrah (1/62) got rid of Peter Handscomb (37). Yadav then trapped Nathan Lyon (0) lbw as Australia lost three wickets for 22 runs in the space of 44 balls. Yadav could have immediately completed his five-wicket haul but Hanuma Vihari put down a skier from Josh Hazlewood (21) at mid on. In the process, Vihari hurt his left shoulder and didn’t take the field later on in the session, with Hardik Pandya coming on as a substitute fielder.

Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc (29 not out) added 42 runs for the 10th wicket as Australia reached 300 despite another pitiful batting display. Yadav got his five-for by trapping Hazlewood LBW. — Reuters 

Scoreboard

India 1st innings: 622/7 decl

Australia 1st innings 

U Khawaja c Pujara b Kuldeep 27

M Labuschagne c Rahane b Shami 38

S Marsh c A Rahane b Jadeja 8

T Head c&b Kuldeep 20

P Handscomb b Kuldeep 37

T Paine b Kuldeep 5

P Cummins b Shami 25

M Starc not out 29

N Lyon lbw Kuldeep 0

J Hazlewood lbw Kuldeep 21

Extras: (B-4, LB-2, W 5) 11

Total:  (all out, 104.5 overs) 300

Fall of wickets: 1-72 2-128 3-144 4-152 5-192 6-198 7-236 8-257 9-258 10-300

Bowling

Mohammed Shami 19-2-58-2

Jasprit Bumrah 21-5-62-1

Ravindra Jadeja 32-11-73-2

Kuldeep Yadav 31.5-6-99-5

Hanuma Vihari 1-0-2-0

Australia 2nd innings 

Usman Khawaja batting 4 

Marcus Harris batting 2

Extras: (0) 0

Total:  (0 wickets, 4 overs) 6

Bowling

Mohammed Shami 2-1-4-0

Jasprit Bumrah 2-1-2-0