India closed in on their maiden Test series triumph in Australia before bad light and rain combined to delay the inevitable, adding more hours to a wait of 71 years.
Bad light stopped play in the final session of day three of the fourth Test as the hosts, responding to India’s mammoth first-innings total of 622 for seven declared, were reduced to 236 for six in 83.3 overs on Saturday.
With two full days play left in the game and Australia still 386 runs adrift of India’s score, the visitors will fancy their chances of winning the four-match rubber 3-1.
India first went Down Under back in 1947-48 under Lala Amarnath’s captaincy, and are yet to achieve series triumph there despite eleven attempts.
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Day 3: Kuldeep’s magic makes survival tough for Aussie batsmen
Day 2: After Pujara falls for 193, Pant delights with century
Day 1: Pujara seizes the day with a well-crafted, unbeaten ton
Soon after making an instant impact in his maiden Test on Australian soil, India spinner Kuldeep Yadav said he needs “more time” to improve as a Test bowler, stressing that playing red-ball cricket is vital for his growth.
The 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner scalped three wickets to leave Australia struggling for 236-6 in reply to India’s first-inning score of 622-7 declared on the third day of the fourth Test.
Australia opener Marcus Harris on Saturday rued missing out on a hundred and said batsmen unable to convert starts have left his team with a mountain to climb in the fourth Test against India.
Harris (79) scored his second Test half-century in the morning session, but was out within three overs on resumption, playing on to his stumps off Ravindra Jadeja.
“I got out playing a pretty half-arsed (sic) shot. I am more disappointed in myself than anything. I think it is always a goal against the spinners is to be aggressive early and once you’re able to get those sweepers out, it is to be able to hit them hard and just not milk them as much as you can,” said Harris after the hosts were reduced to 236-6 when bad light and rain interrupted proceedings on day three.
Australian skipper Tim Paine on Friday insisted there was no difference of opinion between him and his bowlers on the opening day of the fourth Test, contrary to the claims of bowling coach David Saker.
It was a surprise mid-Test press conference by the Australian captain on day two when India declared for 622 for seven.
Paine said that they did get some plans wrong, but there was nothing as worrying as a disagreement.
Rishabh Pant blasted a Test century in England last year and now he has done so in Australia. The lad from Delhi is growing in confidence.
He said after his innings here on Friday, “Every hundred I score in international cricket is special for me because I have just started my career. The team has given me the freedom to express myself.”
He said, “The team plan was to bat on for as long as possible. I played according to the team plan, and then the runs took care of themselves.”
Pant conceded he was a tad nervous getting into the 90s since he had, on two occasions, missed hundreds against the West Indies at home. “So I was scared slightly but I got through that phase quickly.”