India vs Australia 4th Test, Day 4 Live Cricket Score:India vs Australia (IND vs AUS) 4th Test, Day 4 Live Cricket Score Updates: Australia are extending their lead over India on Day 4 of the 4th Test at the Gabba on Monday. At Tea, which was called early after a drizzle came on, they had a lead of 276 runs.
Debutant Washington Sundar and number eight batsman Shardul Thakur conjured a defiant rearguard action on Sunday to drag India back into the contest in the deciding fourth test against Australia being played in Brisbane. Drafted into the playing XI because of injuries to India’s frontline bowlers, the duo smashed maiden test fifties to deny Australia a substantial first-innings lead. Having finally bowled India out for 336, Australia finished day three on 21 for no loss, an overall lead of 54 runs in the final match of a see-saw series which remains level at 1-1.
4th Test, The Gabba, Brisbane, 14 Jan, 2021
A drizzle has come down - a sign from the Gods for Rahane's men - and an early Tea break is taken. Australia lead by 276 runs at the break, with Mitchell Starc having joined Pat Cummins.
Tim Paine is on the charge. Cracks consecutive fours off Washington Sundar. 9 runs come off the over. Rushes back to complete a second run after a punch through the gaps. But then falls! Shardul has the last laugh. Shardul's third wicket of the innings. Paine tries to pull him but gets an edge through to Pant.
AUS 242/7, lead by 275
Out! Shardul Thakur draws the edge from Green with an offcutter. Rohit grabs the catch at slip. What a great delivery from Shardul when chances seemed hard to come by for India. Pat Cummins joins Paine.
AUS 227/6, lead by 260
Runs come fluently against what has turned into gentle medium pace from Saini. Paine gets his first boundary too with a drive down the ground. 9 runs come off one Saini over. The lead goes over 250. Around half an hour of play left in the session. Can we expect an acceleration now, given that there is rain forecast for the last session?
Weather reports indicate rain is about 30 kms away from the Gabba.
AUS 227/5, lead by 260
236 is the highest fourth innings target chased down at the Gabba. So, India will be chasing down a record 4th innings target in any case. With the pitch starting to misbehave, Australia are firm favourites at the moment. Saini returns to the attack. Green stands tall and crashes a cut for four.
The big question, though, is WHERE IS THE RAIN?
AUS 216/5, lead by 249
Siraj is getting the Australians to dance. Got one to rear up on Smith. Now gets one to rear up on Paine. Siraj is causing trouble to the Australians with his pace and bounce. Also something the Aussie pacers will be looking at with interest. Green pulls Sundar for four to take Australia across 200.
AUS 202/5, lead by 235
Siraj drops another catch - this time a much more difficult chance. Has a chance to get Green caught and bowled but the ball does not stick to Siraj's outstretched hand. But then is the big wicket! Smith caught for 55 off the bowling of Siraj. His glove is knocked from his bat handle by Siraj's pace. Smith takes a Review but the wicket stands.
AUS 196/5, lead by 229
31st Test fifty for Smith. Off 67 balls. Smith, dropped a while earlier, is playing a matchwinning - and even possibly series-winning - knock here on Day 4. Green, though having played as many balls as Smith, is still just on 14.
Meanwhile, some big news on the weather front: A storm is brewing and is heading south-east towards Brisbane. It is reportedly one hour away from the ground.
AUS 185/4, lead by 218
India throw in some off spin from Washington Sundar now. Gets an LBW appeal against Green as the batsman comes down the crease to meet his turn. Smith moves into his 40s with a four driven against the spinner. The lead crosses 200. The partnership reaches 50 runs. And then there's a missed catch! Smith miscues an aerial shot. Siraj spills the catch at the ropes. India give a life to Smith.
AUS 178/4 after 50, lead by 211
An edge flies off Smith's bat. Falls just short of Rohit at leg gully. Smith then pulls a short ball from Shardul for a four - lifted overhead the inner circle. Some more concern for the India physio as Shardul takes a fall in his follow-through. He is good to continue though.
AUS 166/4, lead by 199
Australia cross 150 as Natarajan partners Shardul. Some signs of urgency from Smith, who is the man in the spotlight at the moment. If he gets to a second innings century at the Gabba, it's as good as game over for India. India's pacers seem to be targeting a leg stump line. The lead swells to 186.
AUS 153/4
Green and Smith stride out to resume the innings. Shardul Thaku initiates proeedings for India. Under blue skies and bright sunlight. The batting team's approach is a mater of a lot of speculation now? Will they look to add a quick 100 runs and put India in today itself?
AUS still lead by 182
35 overs 128 runs 4 wickets - that is how the morning session went on Day 4. It looked like Marcus Harris and Warner would run away with the game but there was a period in the middle, when 4 wickets fell for 34 runs, that India managed to claw back.
End of the first session. Rain had been expected on Day 4, but for now, the only clouds are the ones the Australian innings is precipitating in Indian imaginations. Smith and Green have looked solid in their time in the middle. Australia's lead is inching close to 200, and with a fair bit of batting to come after this, one must imagine there will be some batting India will be made to do today itself. At the break, Australia are 149/4, leading by 182. Smith is not out on 28, Green is on 4.
Smith and Green look to see off the session with their position of dominance intact. Natarajan back into the attack for one last spell before the session ends. Pant convinces Rahane to go for an LBW Review against Green, but India lose their Review.
AUS 149/4, lead by 182
Is India doing the right thing by bowling Saini here? The fast bowler has dropped his pace to the late 120s and early 130s. Smith slashes at one delivery for him which goes for four. Not the runs, but the risk involved in bowling a less-than-fit Saini at this stage is the questionable decision by India.
Meanwhile, the other big news from Brisbane is that the Sun is out in full force. The double wicket salvo from Siraj has made the Australians go into a bit of a shell. Another wicket now would put India firmly in the driving seat. So, we saw very circumspect batting from Green, even as Saini is only slowly building up pace.
AUS 131/4, lead by 164
Cameron Green and Steve Smith are the batsmen in th middle for Australia. For India, the big news is that Navdeep Saini is bowling again. The pacer, struggling with a groin strain, bowls his first over with the last passage of play remaining in the morning session.
One wicket brought more though. David Warner was caught lbw by Washington Sundar soon after. Steven Smith came in and batted with Labuschagne for a while, till India struck twice in one over.
The first wicket was a long time coming on Day 4, Warner and Harris added 89 for the first wicket, but there have been more wickets since then. At the end of the first hour, Australia had a sizeable lead of 122 runs, having lost just the 1 wicket.