India vs Australia 4th Test: Jaiswal, Pant Shine on Day 5
India started the difficult chase of a 340-run target on Day 5 of the 4th Test at Melbourne against Australia. The early losses, including as many as three wickets, saw Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant sharing the responsibility of stabilizing the innings. At the time of Tea, India was 112/3 and still had a long way to go towards victory with 228 runs still required.
Jaiswal had 63 to his name while Pant contributed 28 to the score. Both the batsmen showed that they were not under any kind of pressure and thus assured that the team might not crumble before tea. While the teams kept the art alive, there was still so much happening at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, bursting at the matches with twists, and an exciting contest unfolding.
Match Summary
- A brilliant innings of a century from Smith laid the foundation for Australia to post 474 runs on the scoreboard.
- India fought back with a maiden Test century from 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy. However, they still trailed by 105 runs.
- A resilient lower-order performance helped Australia add 234 more runs to their total. India needed 340 runs to win.
India's Chase on Day 5
On this new chase of 340 runs, India had an opening stand of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma. The two openers continued playing cautiously, attempting to save their wickets in the early overs.However, things quickly turned for India as key players fell under pressure.
Despite the loss of key wickets, Jaiswal and Pant tried to steady the ship. Unfortunately, India fell short of a miraculous draw and lost the match by 184 runs with about half an hour of play remaining.
Match Highlights
- Australia posted 474 in their first innings, with Steve Smith scoring a match-defining century.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy, 21, scored his first-ever Test century, showing promise for the future.
- Jasprit Bumrah took five wickets in the first innings, his performance helping India stay in the contest.
- After Australia were reduced to 91/6 on Day 4, their lower order, including Nathan Lyon’s 41, helped them recover to 234 all out in the second innings.
- India needed 340 runs to win, with Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma opening the innings under pressure.
- Rohit fell for 9 after a stunning catch by Mitchell Marsh off Pat Cummins’ bowling.
- KL Rahul followed soon after, dismissed for a duck by Cummins in the same over.
- Virat Kohli was dismissed for 5, edging a delivery from Mitchell Starc to first slip.
- Despite the setbacks, Jaiswal and Pant counterattacked, with Jaiswal scoring a half-century.
- Despite a fighting effort, India lost the game by 184 runs, with Jaiswal and Pant’s resistance ending in the final session.
Match Statistics
Here are some important statistics from Day 5 of the India vs Australia 4th Test:
| Batsman | Runs | Balls Faced | Fours | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 63 | 159 | 8 | 0 |
| Rishabh Pant | 30 | 104 | 3 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| KL Rahul | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Rohit Sharma | 9 | 40 | 1 | 0 |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs Conceded | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | 9 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| Mitchell Starc | 7.1 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Scott Boland | 6 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Nathan Lyon | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
India's Batting Performance
India began the Day 5 opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Patiently they faced the new ball but soon after, Rohit got out after scoring 9 runs followed by KL Rahul who too went back without scoring.
Jaiswal, however, remained steadfast. He counterattacked with some crisp shots, showing maturity in his batting. Jaiswal played this innings despite the chase pressure, fulfilling all promises to score a fifty off 127 balls.
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant known for his aggressive strokes played a very restrained innings. Pant faced 104 deliveries, scoring 30 runs before being caught after a well-judged pull shot off the bowling of Travis Head.
Australia's Bowling Performance
Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were the two players who carried Australia’s attack. Cummins was fantastic, taking the first two Indian wickets. He kept the pressure on, finishing with figures of 2/10.
Starc continued his spell, dismissing Virat Kohli in the second session. The left-arm fast bowler was crucial in breaking India’s momentum.The Australian bowlers have not been spared. They have created several opportunities as though it was not difficult to make runs against India with their tight lines.
Conclusion
Ultimately, in spite of Jaiswal and Pant giving their best efforts, India could not chase the target set by Australia. The match revolved around the crucial moments – in particular, the early dismissals of Rohit and Rahul, the failure of Kohli to get going, and the lower order of India being unable to withstand the Australian onslaught.
Australia’s disciplined bowling and India’s failure to capitalize on key partnerships sealed the fate of the match. India lost by 184 runs, and Australia claimed a well-deserved victory to end the series on a high note.
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