Australia win ‘amazing’ Test thriller to take series lead

MELBOURNE: Australia ripped out seven Indian wickets in the final session of a dramatic fourth Test in Melbourne on Monday to win a thriller by 184 runs and go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

India crumbled to 155 all out with just 12.5 overs left in the match and will need to win the final Test starting in Sydney on Friday to level the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"What an amazing Test match," said Australia captain Pat Cummins, who was named player of the match for his six wickets and 90 runs in a pulsating contest played out in front of record crowds at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"I reckon that´s one of the best I´ve been part of. I mean, all week, the crowd´s been ridiculous and the cricket´s been just as good." Set an unlikely 340 to win, India looked well placed to salvage a draw when opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant batted through the second session in unflustered fashion to take their side to 112-3 at tea.

But Pant perished trying to slog part-time spinner Travis Head for six to spark a collapse as India´s last seven wickets fell for 34 runs from 20.3 overs. Top-scorer Jaiswal was out for 84 to Cummins, who took 3-28 in the innings, and Nathan Lyon ended the contest when he trapped Mohammed Siraj lbw to spark wild scenes of celebration among the home team.

Pace bowler Mitchell Starc said Australia never lost faith they could force victory in the last session. "There were a few patches through the day with the wicket not doing a whole lot, but we managed to find a way," Starc said.

"I think that´s just a feature of the group at the moment, is that calmness, to have that belief that we can get the job done." The departure of Pant for 30 ended an 88-run partnership with Jaiswal and rejuvenated the Australia bowlers.

Ravindra Jadeja and first-innings centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy went quickly before Cummins ended Jaiswal´s gritty 208-ball knock in controversial fashion. The 23-year-old was given not out to a caught-behind appeal from an attempted hook.

But the decision was overturned by the TV umpire on visual evidence that the ball had changed direction, even though no noise was picked up by technology. Akash Deep was caught at short leg off Scott Boland, who took 3-39, before Jasprit Bumrah scored his second duck of the match.

A tenacious Washington Sundar was left not out five after facing 45 balls. Cummins completed an inspirational Test, with his 90 runs in the two innings being the best match tally of his career. "Yeah, you never really know what you´re going to get with my batting, so fortunately it came off this game," he said.

Australia won the toss

Australia 1st Innings 474

India 1st Innings 369

Australia 2nd Innings

India 2nd Innings (T: 340 runs)

Jaiswal c Carey b Cummins 84

Sharma (c) c Marsh b Cummins 9

Rahul c Khawaja b Cummins 0

Kohli c Khawaja b Starc 5

Pant c Marsh b Head 30

Jadeja c Carey b Boland 2

Reddy c Smith b Lyon 1

Sundar not out 5

Deep c Head b Boland 7

Bumrah c Smith b Boland 0

Siraj lbw b Lyon 0

Extras (b 5, lb 5, nb 2) 12

Total 79.1 Ov (RR: 1.95) 155

Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Sharma, 16.1 ov), 2-25 (Rahul, 16.6 ov), 3-33 (Virat 26.1 ov), 4-121 (Pant, 58.4 ov), 5-127 (Jadeja, 62.2 ov), 6-130 (Reddy, 63.2 ov), 7-140 (Jaiswal, 70.5 ov), 8-150 (Deep, 76.1 ov), 9-154 (Bumrah, 78.3 ov), 10-155 (Siraj, 79.1 ov)

Bowling: Mitchell Starc 16-8-25-1, Pat Cummins 18-5-28-3, Scott Boland 16-7-39-3, Mitchell Marsh 3-2-2-0, Nathan Lyon 20.1-6-37-2, Travis Head 5-0-14-1, Marnus Labuschagne 1-1-0-0

Result: Australia won by 184 runs

Player of the match: Pat Cummins

Umpires: Joel Wilson, Michael Gough