Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Report For Day 4 Of India vs Australia 4th Test

83,073 spectators were present at the MCG on Day 3. [Source: @MCG/X]

India scored 194/4 across the 70 overs bowled on the third day of the ongoing fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 Test match against Australia in Melbourne. While a run rate of 2.77 is low by modern-day standards, that India lost just four wickets proves that Australian bowlers had to toil hard on Saturday.

Without undermining a heroic 127-run eighth-wicket partnership between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, it wouldn’t be wrong to say the two comparatively rookie campaigners made the most of batting-friendly conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

As predicted yesterday, the MCG pitch was expected to behave in this very manner. If truth be told, it’s a shame that more accomplished Indian batters didn’t make the most of these conditions on Day 2 and 3.

---

ALSO READ

[Watch] Nitish Reddy Keeps His Bat On Helmet After Conquering MCG With A Blistering Ton

---

Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Report For Day 4

As far as the imminent Day 4 is concerned, expect spinners to get more assistance primarily due to the wear and tear from the 238.4 overs bowled across the first three days. All in all, it wouldn’t change drastically despite some visible deterioration.

Having bowled a cumulative total of 55.4 overs between them, India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and Australia fast bowler Scott Boland revealed the true nature of this particular MCG pitch today.

“The wicket has been really good. I was jokingly telling Pat Cummins that this wicket is a Christmas present to the batters that he’s given,” Bumrah was quoted as saying by 7Cricket before the start of play on Day 3.

"Not as consistent as I'd like as a bowler, but I think it's going to be a pretty good Test match wicket," Boland told the reporters after the day’s play.

Having bowled the joint-highest number of overs among his teammates and conceded runs at an economy rate of 2.11, Boland’s assessment of the surface can be trusted. For the unversed, MCG is the 35-year-old player’s home ground.

As far as the historic evidences are concerned, 312/14 in 89 overs were scored on the fourth (and last) day of the last Boxing Day Test here. In 2022, South Africa had scored 189/9 in 61.5 overs in what also ended up becoming a four-day encounter. While 2021’s Melbourne Ashes Test had culminated on Day 3, the last Australia-India Test at this ground had also witnessed a Day 4 finish as an Indian victory was achieved on the back of just 137/6 in 53 overs.

Back in 2018, another Indian victory was sealed within 4.3 overs on Day 5. During an Ashes Test, it was seven years ago when a Melbourne Test had been decided on Day 5 in real sense.

---

ALSO READ

IND vs AUS, 4th Test: What Are The Session Timings For Day 4 Of Melbourne Test?

---