India bowled out Australia on 200 in what turned out to be an extended first session of play on Day 4 of the second Test currently underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The tourists thus need 70 to win the Test and draw level at 1-1 with five sessions still remaining in the contest.
Resuming their on their overnight tally of 133/6 and an overall lead of 2, the Australian duo of Cameron Green and Pat Cummins seemed to started well, putting up a stubborn resistance. Both the teams though kept playing the waiting game before the second new ball was available.
They pair had added 23 runs to the total in the morning session when Jasprit Bumrah’s well-directed short delivery caught Cummins (22 off 103) by surprise as he could only fend it to Mayank Agarwal at first slip for a simple catch.
However, Green continued to offer fight and began growing in confidence despite having been left to bat with the tail. Two crisp fours of Jasprit Bumrah took him to 45 before he pulled one from Mohammed Siraj into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja at midwicket.
Nathan Lyon was caught behind off Siraj while attempting to pull one away and with one wicket left, the session was extended. The pair of Mitchell Starc (14*) and Josh Hazlewood (10) managed to take the score to 200 before latter shouldered arms to Ravichandran Ashwin and was bowled.
India may have bowled Australia out in one session but they failed to clean up the lower order quickly, an age-old problem of theirs.
Siraj finished with 3/37 while Jadeja, Bumrah and Ashwin took two wickets each.
Australia lead the four-match series 1-0 following their eight-wicket win in Adelaide.
Brief Scores: Australia 195 and 200 (Cameron green 45, Matthew Wade 40; Mohammed Siraj 3/37) lead India 326 by 69 runs