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Australia v India cricket live: India level the series with 8-wicket win on day 4

India have bounced back from humiliation to claim a stunning victory; while talks continue about the next Test venue.

Peter Lalor and Tom Crystal
7 min read
4:24PMDecember 29, 2020
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Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane shakes hands with debutant Shubman Gill after the match. Picture: Michael Klein
Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane shakes hands with debutant Shubman Gill after the match. Picture: Michael Klein

Australia vs India; Welcome to coverage of Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. India (2-70) have won the match by eight wickets, levelling the four-match series, after dismissing Australia for 200 in the first session.

Peter Lalor 4pm: Talks underway about venue for next Test

Cricket Australia is understood to be in discussion with the BCCI and expected to make a call on where the third Test will be played late this afternoon.

A board meeting at Cricket Australia has concluded but the decision has not been relayed to the MCG, SCG or broadcasters.

Television crews are standing around wondering if they need to leave their equipment in place or pack it up to make the trip north.

Watch this space. Everybody else is.

Australia face hard calls after crushing defeat

It is time for the Australian selectors to make some hard decisions as the side confronts a third Test with the Border-Gavaskar series in the balance and its batting in disarray, Peter Lalor writes.

The Australians struggled to a 69-run lead on the fourth day, but India was never going to make the same mistake it did in Adelaide and squared the series by midway through the afternoon session.

The normally reliable Mitchell Starc put down Ajinkya Rahane as the Indians closed in on the total. It was the seventh catch the Australians have dropped in this game.

Sloppy fielding and brittle batting have made for an unfortunate spectacle on the biggest stage.

Coach Justin Langer and captain Tim Paine will have to find a way to ring changes and encourage a better performance in the next match if they are to avoid a humiliating defeat in the series.

Australia was beaten in the last Border-Gavaskar series at home but had the excuse of David Warner and Steve Smith being unavailable.

Warner has not played in the first two Tests but was in the nets for a second day running completing a fitness test and is hoping to play in the next match which will be a relief.

The visitors did not get their without loss.

Mitchell Starc had Mayank Agarwal (5) early and Cheteshwar Pujara (3) was Pat Cummins’ victim, but young opener Shubman Gill (35no) again proved impressive in what is his first Test match.

Joe Burns will pack up his corner of the dressing room with a heavy heart knowing it will take a miracle or an outbreak of madness for him to occupy a similar space in the next match.

“Our players know that performance ... runs are the currency of value, you have to keep performing to be selected,” Langer said on Tuesday.

Warner can come in for Burns, but the selectors must surely consider bringing opener Marcus Harris in to join the veteran at the top of the order.

For that to happen they will have to drop Travis Head who has been disappointing.

Peter Lalor 2.50pm: India win

Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane (27) hits the winning run off Nathan Lyon, wrapping up an eight-wicket victory. Shubman Gill (35) was the other not out batsman.

Tom Crystal 2.25pm: A look at Pujara’s dismissal

Tom Crystal 2.10pm: Quick wickets rattle India

Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have a wicket each as India wobble to 2-19. Starc had Mayank Agarwal (5) feeling for a delivery outside off, and edging behind to Tim Paine. Next over Cummins removes Cheteshwar Pujara (3), caught in the gully by Cameron Green. A couple of boundaries settle the nerves somewhat as India move to 2-33.

Tom Crystal 1pm: WICKET!

Josh Hazlewood is the last man out, bowled by Ravi Ashwin after leaving one alone that clipped the top of off stump. Lunch is taken, India will have a victory target of 70 when play resumes.

Peter Lalor 12.40pm: Tailenders delay the inevitable

Australia are hanging on by the thinnest of threads, the tail attempting to salvage some face, and at least they’ve denied the Indians lunch at the scheduled time.

While they are no realistic chance of saving the match, the bowlers and lower order have pushed the game into the break on day four, giving fans and broadcasters something to engage with.

Both were frustrated when the first match wound up in two and half days.

Starc and Hazlewood were at the crease when lunch should have been taken but the umpires extended the session up to half an hour as the Australians were nine wickets down.

David Warner is due to have a session in the nets this afternoon, a sign that he is progressing steadily toward inclusion in the third Test.

Tom Crystal 12.35pm: Lunch delayed

The umpires have given India another 30 minutes in which to finish off Australia’s innings. The first session will end at 1pm local time unless the last wicket falls.

Tom Crystal 12.30pm: WICKET!

Nathan Lyon gloves a ball from Mohammed Siraj down the leg side to wicketkeeper Pant, and he’s out for 3. One more wicket to go. Josh Hazlewood gets off the mark with a rare five — he drops the ball at his feet and takes a single, and the throw from Siraj skips past the bowler’s stumps and down to the long-off boundary.

Tom Crystal 12.23pm: Reprieve for Starc

Mitchell Starc is given out, caught at slip off the bowling of Jadeja. Starc immediately calls for a review. His bat hit his right foot, so there was no edge; lbw is also ruled out.

Peter Lalor 12.10pm: Green blows chance at a half-century

All-rounder Cameron Green has thrown away a chance to score his first Test half century, holing out courtesy of a flamboyant pull shot 90 minutes into the morning.

The 21-year-old was frustrated as he walked off, but at least know he has outscored the six who bat above him.

Australia led by 46 when he was dismissed. They did roll India in Adelaide for 36, but it would take optimism verging on insanity to think they can do it twice.

Tom Crystal 12pm: WICKET!

Cameron Green has looked solid but can’t resist trying to pull a short ball from Mohammed Siraj. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get hold of it and Ravi Jadeja takes a smart catch at mid-wicket. Green was just starting to play some shots after showing a solid defensive technique. Nathan Lyon will join Mitchell Starc out in the middle with 30 minutes to go before lunch. We could be in for some MCG fireworks with this pair.

Tom Crystal 11.28am: WICKET!

Jasprit Bumrah digs a brutal short ball in at Pat Cummins (22), who can only fend it off his gloves to Agarwal at second slip. It was a simple catch, after good use of the second new ball.

Tom Crystal 11.15am: India take the second new ball

Cameron Green (27) pushes a single off Ashwin to mid-on, bringing up the 50 partnership with Pat Cummins (21). It’s just the second partnership of 50 for Australia in this Test. Jasprit Bumrah now has the new ball.

Tom Crystal 11.02am: Close call for Pat Cummins

The tailender has padded up once to off-spinner Ravi Ashwin this morning, and he does so again to a ball that looks slightly straighter. Umpire Paul Reiffel turns down a huge lbw shout and India call for DRS help. It’s just missing leg, so the batsman survives. This time.

Rishabh Pant takes the bails off as Pat Cummins makes his ground. Picture: Getty Images
Rishabh Pant takes the bails off as Pat Cummins makes his ground. Picture: Getty Images

Tom Crystal 10.45am: Perfect conditions in Melbourne

It’s cool and sunny at the MCG, with a light breeze and a current temperature of 17C. We’re headed for a top of 22, no chance of rain (we’re told) interrupting a result.

Tom Crystal 10.35am: MCG crowd already in full voice

It hasn’t taken long for the fans in Melbourne to make their presence felt. Cameron Green pushes the first ball of the day, from Jasprit Bumrah, just in front of the wicket on the off side and takes a quick single, then an overthrow as a peg at the bowler’s end eludes Ashwin backing up. The crowd is cheering every run. Dare we say it, Green looks solid in defence early.

Peter Lalor 10.05am: Warner on track for next Test

Breaking: David Warner will bat at the MCG today.

The bad news is that it will be in the nets, the good news is he is determined to play the third Test — wherever it is — if he can.

Warner is telling he will bat on one leg if that is what it takes.

The opener who damaged his groin in Canberra did some sprints in the nets yesterday which was a good sign but he is reporting soreness when turning.

Warner is in isolation with his family in South Yarra and unable to enter the bubble just yet.

With the Australians essentially 6-2 and their batting brittle, Warner’s inclusion will be a god send. Joe Burns has to be dropped, maybe they will bring Marcus Harris in to join Warner to restore some order to the order.

Matthew Wade is making a reasonable fist of being a makeshift opener but is more use in his usual position.

Travis Head has to be under pressure, but selectors demonstrated with Burns that loyalty is a key factor when decisions are made.

A decision is expected on where the third Test will be today, but Cricket Australia have shown nerves of steel in delaying the call to the last minute.

The critical factor for the SCG is the attitude of the Queensland government. If they let the circus travel north after then it is game on, if they don’t it’s all over for Sydney. A compromise could see broadcasters and other personnel enter a bubble with players.

Meanwhile, Cameron Green is 17no and has a chance to provide some cheer for an Australian team in the wars. He is batting with Pat Cummins (15no) they are 6-133 — a lead of 2 with the Indians yet to bat on a track that should not trouble any decent batsman.

Peter Lalor 9.30am: Heads on the chopping block

Australia’s busted, brittle batting threw away a chance to claw its way back into the second Test on Monday and threw the selectors an enormous headache ahead of the third. Read more here

Sam Landsberger 9am: How Covid burst Smith’s bubble

Steve Smith was the most feared batsman in Test cricket. But his latest failure highlighted a worrying trend for the quirky star. Read more here

Robert Craddock 8.30am: Indian ambush exposes brittle bats

Were they nervous about their futures? Have they been outfoxed? Can they not handle being tied down? Or are our batsmen simply not that good? Read more here

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