The inevitable has happened. It’s pouring in Brisbane and hence the day’s play has ended. India finish on 4/0, still needs 324 runs to win the fourth and final Test. It’s been another enthralling day of Test cricket with Australia upping the ante before India hot back with quick blows. Steven Smith struck 55 off 74 with seven fours as Australia were bowled out 294 in 75.5 overs. Mohammed Siraj took maiden five-wicket haul while Shardul Thakur took 4/61.
Shardul and Sundar have been extremely impressive throughout the Test. Not to forget, debutant T. Natarajan also rose to the occasion in his maiden Test, but what about Mohammad Siraj… He picked up his first five-wicket haul in Tests and bowled with a heart. Now it is over to the batsmen, who have a mountain to climb.
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India was bundled out for 336, falling 33 runs short of the hosts’ first-innings total. Thakur top-scored for India as he made 67 runs while Sundar accumulated 62 runs.
Thakur and Sundar’s 123-run resilient partnership enabled visitors to reach the 300-run mark after losing six wickets under 190 runs in the first innings.
Meanwhile, both the batters completed their half-centuries. The duo also registered the highest seventh-wicket partnership for India at The Gabba, Brisbane. Thakur and Sundar broke Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar’s 58-run partnership record for the seventh-wicket set in 1991.
The partnership was finally broke by pacer Pat Cummins as he sent Thakur (67) back to the hut in the final session of the game. His knock was studded with two sixes and nine fours off 115 balls.
Navdeep Saini, in a hurry of scoring runs quickly, was bagged by Josh Hazlewood after scoring five runs.
Sundar, who became the highest scorer at number seven as a debutant, held the one end strong until pacer Mitchell Starc got rid of him to reduce the visitors at 328/9. The debutant amassed 62 runs studded with six and seven fours. The visiting team was finally bowled out for 336.
Australia 369 and 21 for 0 lead India 336 (Thakur 67, Sundar 62, Hazlewood 5-57) by 54 runs
