MELBOURNE: Australia’s experienced batter Steve Smith’s anchoring century, followed by late wickets left India struggling on the second day of the fourth Test at here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday.
Smith’s second consecutive century set the platform for the hosts to post a daunting total of 474 before Scott Boland and Pat Cummins chipped in with two wickets each against India.
In-form Smith and skipper Cummins stretched their overnight seventh-wicket partnership to 112 runs to take their team’s total past the 400-run mark.
Cummins had an agonizing end to his valiant knock as he fell just one run short of his well-deserved fourth Test fifty as India got a much-needed breakthrough via Ravindra Jadeja.
Smith, on the other hand, stood his ground firm and put together crucial partnerships with Mitchell Starc (15) and Nathan Lyon (13) before falling victim to Akash Deep in a bizarre fashion.
The right-handed batter remained the top-scored for Australia with 140 off 197 deliveries, studded with 13 fours and three sixes.
For India, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah once again led the pack with four wickets, while Jadeja bagged three. Akash, on the other hand, chipped in with two scalps.
The visitors got off to a shaky start to their innings as their captain Rohit Sharma (three) once again fell cheaply.
Jaiswal was then involved in a brief 43-run partnership with KL Rahul, who made a cautious 24 before getting cleaned up by Cummins.
India’s most vital partnership came for the third wicket when Jaiswal and Virat Kohli added 102 runs to the total.
The duo batted with command against a spirited Australian bowling attack until a mix-up while running between the wickets drew curtains Jaiswal’s gritty knock.
The left-handed opener top-scored with a defiant 82-run knock, comprised of 11 fours and a six.
Kohli followed the suit an over later as he once again faltered against an outside-off stump delivery and walked back after a cautious 36 off 86 balls.
Scott Boland further jolted India’s batting expedition by dismissing Akash in his next over, reducing the touring side to 159/5.
After a brief collapse, wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, unbeaten on six and four, could add seven runs to the total until Stumps were drawn.
The pair will resume India’s first innings from 164/5 on the third day as they still trail by 310 runs.
- Steve Smith
