(ESPN Cricinfo) – Local hero Scott Boland was part of a late surge by Australia on the second day in Melbourne as they took control of the fourth Test after Steven Smith set up an imposing total with his second hundred in consecutive matches.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli had responded with a century stand, but both fell in a dramatic final half-an-hour to leave India with a mountain to climb.
Jaiswal had moved into the 80s when he drove firmly to mid-on and set off for a run to which Kohli didn’t respond, and there was no way to beat Pat Cummins’ throw. Two overs later, Boland found Kohli’s outside edge to send the MCG into raptures, and, all of a sudden, hope of anything close to parity in the first innings looked a long way off.
To cap off Australia’s day, Boland had night-watcher Akash Deep taken at leg gully with minutes remaining as India lost 3 for 6.
It was a day that started and ended badly for India. They were insipid in the field during the morning as Australia ransacked 143 runs off 27 overs with Smith, who went to his 34th Test century to be within 51 of reaching 10,000 Test runs, and Cummins combining to add 112 for the seventh wicket.
Cummins then struck in his first over of India’s reply when Rohit Sharma, who had returned to the top of the order, spooned a short ball into the hands of mid-on to leave him with scores of 3, 6, 10, and 3 in the series and 155 runs at 11.07 in his last 14 innings. The talk of whether his Test career extends beyond Sydney is unlikely to abate. India was 51 for 2 at tea when Cummins added to his hall-of-fame wickets with a wonderful delivery to castle KL Rahul.
But Jaiswal, who had yet to contribute in a first innings of this series, having had problems against Mitchell Starc, provided encouragement for the masses of Indian support among a record second-day crowd of 85,147, while Kohli attempted to channel the form revival that has been shown by Smith in recent weeks.
As he had during the 161 in Perth, Jaiswal wasn’t afraid to take on the short ball with ramps over the slips and also drove handsomely down the ground. He launched Mitchell Marsh’s medium pace over long-on for six and then cut Boland for a boundary to bring up the half-century and have sights on a hundred when his innings was brought to an abrupt end.
It was Jaiswal’s call, but it always looked like a very tight run. Kohli barely moved from his crease. Cummins calmly threw the ball on the bounce to Carey, who was celebrating before he broke the stumps.
Kohli, the day after being fined for his shoulder contact with Sam Konstas, wore a look of determination from the start of his innings. After a series of dismissals pushing at deliveries away from his body, Kohli left alone plenty as Australia’s quicks tried to tempt him, although he did unfurl one pristine cover drive. When Starc strayed onto the pads, Kohli flicked him powerfully through midwicket. Yet, ultimately, the channel outside off proved his downfall, and perhaps the effects of Jaiswal’s run out as well.
Australia had resumed at 311 for 6 after an opening day headlined by the innings of Konstas, and they made positive progress from the start against an India side that appeared flat as nine runs came off the opening over. Jasprit Bumrah remained a threat – although Smith was able to hook him for the fourth six he conceded in the innings – but scoring was free elsewhere as the home side cantered along.
Smith brought up his century with a pristine cover drive off Nitesh Kumar Reddy and then took on the struggling Mohammed Siraj, who conceded more than five an over. It was as fluent as Smith had looked for a long time, perhaps even back to the halcyon days of 2019. The century stand with Cummins was raised in 21 overs with the Australian captain showing the danger he can provide when playing positively.
Cummins was one short of a fourth Test fifty when he picked out long-off against Ravindra Jadeja, who also claimed Starc straight after lunch. Next over, Smith somehow dragged into his stumps when he charged at Akash Deep, edged onto his pads, and watched helplessly as the ball trickled back to dislodge the leg bail. But, with up to three innings remaining against India, he now has a good chance of reaching one of cricket’s rare summits before this series is done.