Jasprit Bumrah and the Indian pacers took charge, dismissing two Australian batsmen early in the second innings on Day 4 of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
At lunch, Australia was 53/2, with Marnus Labuschagne (20*) and Steven Smith (2*) unbeaten. As a result, Australia still held a lead of 158 runs.
India’s First Innings Ends
India resumed at 358/9. However, the Australians quickly took the final wicket, ending India’s first innings at 369. This brought an end to Nitish Kumar Reddy’s remarkable knock.
Despite the loss of quick wickets, Reddy and Washington Sundar’s 127-run partnership was crucial. Their efforts helped India recover and avoid a worse position. Nevertheless, Australia still led by 105 runs.
Australia’s Second Innings Struggles
In their second innings, Australia’s openers, Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja, faced intense pressure from India’s pacers. In the 7th over, Bumrah dismissed Konstas for 8 runs off 18 balls. The openers could only manage a 20-run partnership before both were removed.
Later, in the 19th over, Mohammed Siraj dismissed Khawaja for 21 runs off 65 balls. Following these breakthroughs, India’s bowlers were eager to claim more wickets in the second session.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked to build a solid partnership and set a challenging target for India.
Key Contributions in India’s First Innings
Earlier, on Day 3, Washington Sundar showed great resilience, scoring 50 runs off 162 balls with just one boundary. His partnership with Reddy, which added 127 runs, was vital for India’s recovery. Sundar was dismissed by Nathan Lyon shortly after Drinks, leaving India at 348/8.
Reddy’s century came off 171 balls, making him the third youngest Indian to score a maiden Test century in Australia, after Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant.
Australian Bowlers Stand Out
For Australia, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland took three wickets each, while Nathan Lyon claimed two. However, bad light and rain led to early stumps being called.
Brief Score
Australia 474 & 53/2 (Steve Smith 140*, Marnus Labuschagne 72*, Jasprit Bumrah 1/18)
India 369 (Nitish Kumar Reddy 114, Yashasvi Jaiswal 82; Scott Boland 3/57)
