Virat Kohli of India celebrating his Hundred during day four of the fourth Mastercard Test Match between India and Australia held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on the 12th March 2023. | Photo Credit: SPORTZPICS for BCCI
Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s Live coverage of the fourth day of the 4th Test between India and Australia from the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This is Mayank and Nigamanth P bringing you all the updates.
Just two singles from Lyon’s over as India take a 22 run lead
Green replaces Murphy. Starts off with a couple of dots. Slashed through the covers for a FOUR! 100-run partnership! Yet another boundary this time on the on side, consecutive FOURS and that brings up Kohli’s 150! Single off the final delivery and India reaches 500. What an over that turned out to be for the men in blue!
CHANCE? marginally outside, Axar slashes and it takes an inside edge, Smith dives to his right with an one handed effort but the ball goes brushing past him. Five from the over
Axar cuts a short ball off Murphy for a FOUR. Six from the over
Lyon to Kohli, short delivery and Kohli slaps it on the leg side to pick up a double. Kohli picks up another double and India reaches 480! Scores level. Four from the over
Murphy continues. Slightly outside off, Kohli goes against the spin and the ball was in the air for a while but fortunately for him, went past the mid on fielder for a single
Lyon to Kohli, on the pads and he flicks it fine towards third man for a double. Three from the over
Centurion Kohli and Axar walk into the middle, hoping to continue the same momentum they gained at the end of last session. Lyon will bowl the first over
Last over before tea. Travis Head continues. He gives three runs as India goes to tea with just eight runs shy of Australia’s first innings total of 480.
Kuhnemann to Axar, outside edge and falls just short of Steve Smith at leg slip. Kuhnemann to Axar, FOUR! The ball turns sharply, and goes down the leg, Axar misses it and so does Alex Carey so four byes for India.
Travis Head bowls his second over. Just three singles off this over as India steadily coming close to Australia’s first innings total.
Matthew Kuhnemann continues. Gives three singles and a double.
Travis Head comes to bowl. Gives two singles.
Matthew Kuhnemann continues. Kuhnemann to Axar, FOUR! Cuts, and cuts away fine to get his third four. And with this India crosses the 450-run mark.
Todd Murphy continues, giving two runs from this one.
Change in bowling, Matthew Kuhnemann replaces Nathan Lyon. Only a run from his over.
A maiden over from Todd Murphy.
Nathan Lyon continues. Axar runs two and this brings up 50 run partnership for the sixth wicket, and with this India recorded a 50-plus partnership for all the wickets till now.
Murphy to Axar, SIX! Goes biggie this time. tremendous timing to almost clear the long-off. Usman Khawaja tries to save the boundary near the fence but fails to keep the ball inside the ground as Axar moves to the twenties with this shot. Murphy to Kohli, FOUR! Khawaja is struggling to run after he injured himself while saving the boundary. 11 comes from the over.
Lyon hits Kohli for a four. He takes a double to accumulate total six runs off the over.
Murphy to Kohli, FOUR! A loosener from Murphy and Kohli was quick to pounce as he clubs it off backfoot for a boundary.
A maiden over from Lyon as it is time for DRINKS.
Starc to Axar, FOUR! Onto the pads, Axar plays it late, and the ball races away to the deep fine leg. The runs are coming at a quick pace right now. Axar flicks it between mid-on and mid-wicket. Murphy’s last-second effort will save one run for Australia as batters ran three this time.
Nathan Lyon gives just a single from his over.
Ideally both the batters should start attacking now and look for quick runs as the clock is ticking against the time. Starc to Kohli , FOUR! A glorious straight drive will fetch Kohli four runs. He flicks the last ball for the second four of the over.
Virat defends the first five deliveries before taking a double off the last delivery.
A maiden over from Starc.
Lyon continues. This is it, the wait finally ends as Kohli gets to his 28th Test ton. Kohli scores a Test century after 1,204 days. Lyon to Axar, FOUR! What a way to get off the mark as Axar plays it late and the ball races away for a boundary. Axar takes a single off the next ball and this will bring 400 up for India.
Kohli flicks Murphy for a single off the first delivery as he moves to 99 with this shot. Axar plays out the rest of the over as Kohli will have to wait for the next over to get to his century.
Nathan Lyon strikes! He dismisses Bharat, who was looking in good touch. Soft dismissal against the run of play as Bharat gets out on 44 while defending the ball. Axar Patel comes out at number seven.
Srikar Bharat c Handscomb b Lyon 44(88)
Todd Murphy replaces Cameron Green who leaked 21 runs off his last over. Kohli flicks the first ball for a double followed by a single as he moves to 97.
Lyon gives three runs from the over, and Kohli takes a single off the last ball to keep the strike in the next over.
Green continues. Kohli takes a single, and Bharat is on strike. Green to Bharat, SIX! Uff what a shot! He pulls the short ball to register the ball for a maximum. Green to Bharat, SIX! Even bigger, two in two for Bharat as this time he muscles over long-on. Green to Bharat, FOUR! No Ball too! Bharat is showing some hitting right now as he cuts Green for the third boundary off this over. Expensive over from Green as he gives 21 runs from this.
Nathan Lyon comes from the other end. Gives three runs from his over.
Cameron Green starts with a maiden after lunch.
Virat Kohli and KS Bharat walk out in the middle and Green has the ball in his hands.
Our correspondent Shayan Acharya from the venue with an update:
Virat Kohli inched closer to his first century in Test cricket since November 2019 with a steady 88 as India headed into lunch at 362-4 on the fourth day.
Still trailing by 118 runs, India has lots to play for, but it being a Sunday, the Narendra Modi Stadium saw a good turnout with the fans hoping to witness a Kohli century after, what seems like, ages.
Kohli scored a century against Bangladesh in the Pink-ball Test on November 23, 2019 for the last time, and ever since, the batting ace has failed to reach the three-digits in the longer format.
Resuming at 289-3, India added 73 runs in the first session, with Ravindra Jadeja being the only man dismissed by Todd Murphy, Kohli, who is now just 12 runs away from a ton, rebuilt with KS Bharat, who was brought in early as Shreyas Iyer had to undergo scans after complaining of lower-back pain following third day’s play.
Steve Smith used his bowlers well and set up a tight field to put things tight, but Kohli ensured India had a smooth run.
Last over before lunch, Kuhnemann to bowl. Three runs from the over, Kohli finishes with a front foot defense. LUNCH BREAK. After Jadeja threw away his wicket early in the session, Kohli and Bharat have put on a 53 run stand to help India past 350, Australia though will not be bothered as not too many runs came in the session and the men in blue still trail by 118 runs
Green goes short Kohli evades an Carey misses too, as he was forced to come near the stumps, as the ball runs away to four byes. Quick double to follow and that’s a 50-run stand between Kohli and Bharat, crucial considering Shreyas might not be available this match
Following a 2-run over from Green, Kuhnemann continues. Brilliant running between the wickets as Kohli gets a double and that brings up 350 for India. Five runs from that over
Bharat gets a quick single off Kuhnemann, the partnership is now worth 35 off 118 deliveries. India needs a move on if they are planning to win this contest!
Cameron Green replaces Lyon. An opportunity for the batters to collect some runs? The answer is no as the same trend continues, just two from the over
A double and a single from Kuhnemann’s over. There has been just one six (no fours) since Jadeja’s departure, shows how tight the Aussie spinners have been
Kuhnemann with another maiden. Slightly fuller from Lyon, Kohli flicks it towards fine leg, Starc stops the ball from running away to the boundary with a timely dive and saved one run
Kuhnemann into the attack, replaces Murphy. Maiden to start off. Lyon gives away three from his over. The spinners are dictating the game now as Kohli and Bharat are finding it difficult to find gaps, might come back to bite India if they continue to score in this rate
Two singles off the first two Murphy deliveries. Three from the over. Lyon follows up with a maiden over
Wide outside off, Bharat rocks back and cuts it square for a FOUR to greet Lyon. Dot to finish
Murphy continues as live action resumes. Short and on to the hips, Bharat flicks it for a single.
Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been taken for a scan after he complained of pain in his lower back.
Just a run came from Lyon and it’s time for DRINKS
Quite a lot of spin yet again as the ball goes outside leg stump and runs away past Carey for two byes. Australia’s plan is clear, stack fielders on the legside and bowl to Kohli’s pads to restrict run flow and that has paid off, India has scored just 30 runs in the past 15 overs. Dot to finish
Murphy bowls a tidy maiden. Lyon from the other end now. Towards the leg side, Kohli decides to leave it alone but the ball went too close to the stumps, that spun a lot. On the pads, Kohli flicks it deep for a single and will retain strike
Wide outside off, Bharat tries a front foot defense and gets beaten. Lyon continues to trouble the Indian batters. Kohli has scored just five runs in the last 10 overs, speaks volumes about the Aussies restricting the flow of runs
Kohli goes through the line and plays a wonderful straight drive but Murphy’s reflexes stops it from going towards the boundary. A maiden over
Single to start off Lyon’s over. Tossed up and Bharat slog sweeps Lyon towards long on for a SIX. Seven off the over
Murphy to Bharat and he gets off the mark with a quick single. Mix-up in the middle as Bharat denies Kohli of a single and the latter doesn’t look pleased. Single off the final ball and Kohli will retain strike
Lyon continues, Kohli on strike. Quick maiden
Jadeja welcomes Murphy with a lofted shot over mid-on for a FOUR, tossed slightly up and Jadeja converted it into a half volley. Jadeja goes across the line and takes the ariel route but doesn’t get the expected elevation but its falls in no man’s land. MURPHY HAS THE LAST LAUGH! Jadeja’s aggression has made him pay as he departs for 28, he came down the track and played it across yet again but this time hits it straight to Khawaja at mid-on, unnecessary wicket! KS Bharat walks in at six ahead of Shreyas Iyer. Harsha Bhogle on TV says Shreyas felt a discomfort in his lower back and has gone for scans.
Jadeja c Khawaja b Murphy 28 (84b 2x4 1x6) SR: 33.33
Consecutive maidens from Lyon as Kohli treads carefully, afterall the 34-year-old is chasing his first Test century since 2019. Let’s not jinx it though!
Lyon continues with Jadeja on strike. Maiden over. Murphy concedes one from his over
Kohli starts with a single as he plays with soft hands, good running between the wicket from both the batters to cash in on every possible run. Murphy to Jadeja, a huge appeal for LBW but a clear-cut inside edge will save Jadeja this time. Two single comes from this over.
A quick change in the bowling as Smith jumps from Green to his evergreen wicket-taker - Nathan Lyon. Three singles in the first four deliveries as India crosses the 300-run mark.
Todd Murphy bowls from the other end. Murphy to Jadeja, FOUR! First boundary of the day as Jadeja cuts the outside off delivery very late and gets all four runs this time. And this also brings up a 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket for India.
Green starts with a full-length ball, going down the leg, and Kohli lets it go with ease. Green follows it up with a better line, and Kohli plays it on mid-wicket for a quick single to start his day. Kohli flicks the last delivery through deep mid-wicket, and Starc dives and saves two runs.
Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja come to the middle as Cameron Green will operate with the new ball on day 4.
Player - Age - Score - Venue - Year
After a promising start to his Test career against Australia at the fag end of 2020, Gill failed to convert starts and was in and out of the side. When things looked difficult, he had to step back and do some assessment. Check out the full story here - READ
“The pitch has been the topic of discussion throughout the Test series but this time around, this has been a much better surface.” says Murali Karthik to the broadcasters.
“It is very cloudy. The cracks haven’t opened up. There is not much rough for Lyon because Starc has been operating from round the wicket. The inroads have to be done with the new ball. It should be a batting day,” reckons Matthew Hayden.
With two days of cricket remaining in the 4th Test at Ahmedabad, Nathan Lyon hopes for a ‘new day’ when the action begins on Sunday. Check out the full story here - READ
*India trails by 444 runs
Shubman Gill bowed to the crowd as he gloved a sweep off a Todd Murphy length ball down the leg to reach his second Test century (128, 235b, 12x4, 1x6) - first on home soil - on Saturday.
He took his helmet off, raised his bat and eventually guided India to 289 for three on the third day of the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Featuring in his 15th Test, the 23-year-old remained calm and and put up three 50-plus stands - with captain Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, who scored his first half-century (59 n.o., 128b, 5x4) in 16 innings - to lead India’s gritty reply to Australia’s 480.
In his 353-minute stay at the crease, Gill cut and drove fluently, and after resuming the day at 36 for no loss, he backed captain Rohit Sharma in forging a 74-run stand for the opening wicket.
Runs came up at a good pace as Mitchell Starc, in a bid to test the openers with short balls, ended up conceding boundaries and even got hit for a six over fine-leg by Rohit, who became the joint-third-highest six-hitter (69) for India in Tests.
Coming into the fixture, Rohit needed 21 to bring up 17,000 international runs, and on a surface that held true for the third day in a row, the India captain reached the milestone with a four off Starc. But in a turn of events, a well-set Rohit ended up slapping a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery to Marnus Labuschagne at short extra-cover for 35.
However, Gill stood firm and rebuilt with a 247-ball-113 stand with Cheteshwar Pujara.
After picking up 65 runs in the first session, Gill had to slow down a bit against a disciplined Aussie bowling attack, and even survived Nathan Lyon review for a leg-before. But the moment an opportunity came his way, Gill hit Cameron Green for a couple of boundaries and raced into the nineties.
But he did not look nervous. Rather, Gill lofted Lyon down the ground and then brought a boundary off Murphy to reach the three-digit-mark.
Shortly after his century and minutes before Tea, the momentum was broken as Pujara was trapped leg-before by Murphy, and even a review did not go his way.
Making the most of the conditions, Gill regrouped with Kohli and hit a flurry of boundaries before being trapped leg-before by Lyon. His departure, however, did not spoil India’s chances as Kohli took the innings forward with a rock-solid knock, and stitched a 44-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja as India inched closer to the 300-run mark.
Shrugging off jitters, Kohli took things in his stride as the day progressed and frustrated the Aussie bowlers, making sure the side didn’t fumble after Gill’s heroics.
In February, Gill hammered an unbeaten 126 against New Zealand in the third T20I, and a month later, the young gun continued his love affair with the venue with another gritty ton, albeit in a different format.
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