Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: When India’s score read 112/3 at tea, Yashasvi Jaiswal was unbeaten on a controlled fifty and Rishabh Pant showed remarkable restraint. In the chase of 340, a draw looked imminent, especially after playing a wicketless second session. but when it mattered the most, India suffered a batting collapse in the final session by losing their last seven wickets for 34 runs and suffer a 184-run defeat to Australia in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 30.
In front of a record 74,362 fans, Australia looked on course for the win after reducing India to 33/3 in the first session. But Jaiswal and Pant kept them at bay in the second session, as the old ball began to soften.
But in the final session of the gripping Test match, Pant fell to Travis Head and that opened the door for Australia to barge in as India collapsed from 121/3 to 155 all out. Captain Pat Cummins and Scott Boland picked three wickets in a terrific bowling performance from Australia, who now have a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, ahead of next week’s Test match in Sydney.
India will be disappointed as it was a game which they could have drawn, but have now ended up on the losing side. The shot selection of the batters in second innings to fall like a pack of cards along with failing form of their senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will come under scrutiny.
The inability to bowl out Australia’s lower order quickly and lack of bowling depth, especially with three all-rounders picked in, along with inability to seize crucial moments will come under scanner too for India as the final Test in Sydney now becomes a must-win affair for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In the morning, India took only ten balls and conceded just six runs to wrap up Australia’s second innings on 234 in 83.4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah got his fifth wicket by sending Nathan Lyon’s stumps flying with an inswinger sneaking through the gate. It also took Bumrah’s match figures to 9/156, with his tally of wickets in this series standing at 30.
Chasing 340, India had an extremely watchful start as Australia’s bowlers beat them consistently with great deliveries. It meant Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal had to curb their run-scoring shots, allowing Australia to settle into great rhythm.
Rohit’s first attempt in playing an aggressive shot caused his downfall – in a bid to whip off Cummins through the leg-side, he got a leading edge and was caught by gully on second attempt to be out for nine off 40 balls.
