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Yashasvi Jaiswal's Grit And...? 3 Major Talking Points From Day 5 Of IND vs AUS 4th Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal during Day 5 of IND vs AUS 4th Test (Source: AP Photos)Yashasvi Jaiswal during Day 5 of IND vs AUS 4th Test (Source: AP Photos)

Australia have defeated India by 184 runs in the fourth Test to gain a 2-1 lead in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 with a match to be played. India, who emerged as winners during their last four bilateral series against the Aussies, will not be able to defeat them for the first time since 2015.

Thus, bringing an end to a rare winning streak. While India can still retain the trophy, they have lost six Test matches in a year for the first time since 2018. Let us go through the main talking points of Day 5:

Recipe For Disaster In The Beginning

Needing to score 340 runs in 92 overs (approximately) to win their third consecutive Melbourne Test, India batted at a run rate of 1.56 before captain Rohit Sharma (9) became the first batter to be dismissed, yet again. Yashasvi Jaiswal (84) and Sharma’s 97-ball 25-run partnership sowed the seeds of only the second Test innings with a run rate of less than 2 this year.

“We tried to set a platform and keep wickets in hand for the last two sessions, but they bowled perfectly as well,” said Sharma during the post-match presentation ceremony.

While the plan made sense on paper, India needed a much better balance between attacking and defending. In addition to Sharma, India losing the likes of KL Rahul (0) and Virat Kohli (5) before the lunch break put the tin lid on the aforementioned plan.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Resolute Refusal To Give Up

Having scored 14* (83) in the morning session, Jaiswal scored 70 (125) post lunch to up the ante in a bid to keep India away from a loss. Second-highest run-scorer in the series and one of the two batters to be averaging over 50 before the last Test, Jaiswal’s maiden tour of Australia will be remembered for the times to come.

Having witnessed three more batters walking back to the pavilion in the final session, Jaiswal remained India’s only hope to salvage a draw. While he couldn’t prevent a loss following a debatable dismissal, the left-handed batter’s resolute has been nothing short of impressive in this series.

The Sheer Brilliance Of Pat Cummins

Australia captain Pat Cummins, who finished 2023 with a match-winning performance during the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, made sure to replicate a similar effort in a successful attempt to win his third Player of the Match award in as many years.

Cummins, 31, contributed as a batter, bowler and captain across both the innings to not let a second consecutive opportunity of beating India go waste. Responsible for sending Sharma and Rahul back to the pavilion in the same over, Cummins’ third top-order wicket came in the form of Jaiswal to all but secure a win.