Green blitz leaves India staring at an uphill task

Brief Scores: Australia 338 & 312/6 dec (Cameron Green 84, Steve Smith 81, Marnus Labuschagne 73; Navdeep Saini 2-54, R Ashwin 2-95) lead India 244 & 98/2 (Rohit Sharma 52, Cheteshwar Pujara 9*, Ajinkya Rahane 5*; Josh Hazlewood 1-11, Pat Cummins 1-25) by 309 runs

Having oscillated to and fro between the protagonists, the dropping fever contracted India once again as they shelled as many as three chances to hand over a potentially irrevocable grasp of the match to Australia. Having resumed proceedings on the fourth day with a lead of 197, the hosts rode on fast-paced half-centuries from Cameron Green (84), Steve Smith (81), and Marnus Labuschagne (73) to set India a mammoth target of 407. Though Rohit Sharma dug in to compile an easy-going fifty, India lost both their openers to the typically rampant bowling late in the evening to end the day at 98/2, 309 away from a memorable victory.

Keeping the cricket aside for a moment, it was reprehensibly appalling that Mohammed Siraj had to put up with racist slurs on the fence yet again after BCCI lodged a formal complaint yesterday for a similar incident, with him and Jasprit Bumrah being on the receiving end. Play halted to a standstill for a while as the umpires asked the policemen to usher the miscreants to the exit door. 

India could have kick-started the day on a positive note but Hanuma Vihari grassed a dolly at backward square leg to reprieve Labuschagne on 47. The double-natured pitch saw runs come at a premium as India adhered to their leg-side tactics. Labuschagne stacked up his second half-century of the game before Navdeep Saini provided the much-needed breakthrough, albeit more by accident than by design. He was strangled down the leg for an attractive 73 as Wriddhiman Saha plunged across to pouch it safely. It was the extra bounce that did the trick, ending the 103-run partnership between him and Smith. Saini, who had bowled well in patches hitherto on debut, reaped the rewards of enhanced discipline today as Matthew Wade perished nicking behind soon thereafter. 

Having rediscovered his groove, Smith collaborated with Cameron Green to zip Australia's lead past 250 while also joining an elite club of batsmen to have scored a century and a half-century in a Test several times (11). Australia entered Lunch in pole position at 182/4, leading by an imposing 276. Smith came out firing on all cylinders after the break but fell to pet peeve R Ashwin as he missed an in-drifter to be adjudged leg-before for 81 after India sent the decision upstairs. The batting virtuoso was denied the glory of twin hundreds but the damage had already been done. 

Bumrah cut an angry figure as Tim Paine was dropped on 2 off his bowling, with Rohit Sharma proving the culprit this time around. He made sure the visitors pay for their benevolence as Bumrah and Ashwin were taken to the cleaners with an air of authority. Meanwhile, Green, following a duck in the first innings, bounced back vigorously as he drove and slashed and pulled his way to a fluid fifty, even though the reckless waft which took him to the milestone was a half-chance that was grassed by Ajinkya Rahane at gully. The declaration was just a matter of time now with Australia sitting atop an almighty lead, and hence the young rookie stepped on the accelerator. He showcased his range-hitting caliber as Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were treated with utmost disdain, brandishing eight boundaries and four sixes before getting a bottom edge to fall 16 shy of a maiden Test ton. Skipper Paine remained unbeaten on 39 as Australia declared their second innings on 312-6 to leave their arch-rivals with a mountain to climb. 

With approximately 138 overs yet to be bowled, playing possum in the pursuit of a draw would have been nothing but an invitation to defeat as far as India's approach is concerned. Their best bet was to go about their chasing business with a positive frame of mind and the flamboyant opening pair of Sharma and Shubman Gill did the same. Loose balls were meted out the punishment they deserved as the duo weaved another 50-run stand while also taking the sheen off the new ball. It certainly seemed as if India would sail through to Stumps unscathed but Josh Hazlewood had other ideas. He replaced Green into the attack to have Gill poking tentatively at one pitched in that trademark nagging zone to end his innings for a stroke-filled 31. Unsure of whether there was any contact at all, Gill reviewed the umpire's verdict only to find a clear mark on HotSpot. 

Cheteshwar Pujara was declared out lbw straightaway but technology did arrive to his rescue, with the ball soaring over the stumps. Rohit put his dancing shoes on to whip Nathan Lyon over mid-wicket as he breached the fifty milestone but frittered away another start with an uncurbed hook, his bread-and-butter shot, which landed down Mitchell Starc's throat at fine leg. It was the first occasion of Cummins banging it in short to Rohit and with the day nearing a close, the jury will be out on his shot-selection.

The experienced campaigners, Pujara and Rahane, negated Australia's venom in a calm and composed manner till the umpires called it a day. They will have to bat their hearts out on the morrow, regardless of India grinding for a stalemate or harbouring dreams as ambitious as that of triumph.

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