Border-Gavaskar Trophy comes down to the last day at the Gabba

On the fifth day of the fourth Test the future residence of Border-Gavaskar trophy will be decided. Weather permitting. Cricket permitting.

Expectation weighs heavy on Nathan Lyon, Tim Paine and Pat Cummins. Picture: Getty Images

On the fifth day of the fourth Test the future residence of Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be decided. Weather permitting. Cricket permitting.

Australia has a 328-run lead. India has 10 wickets in hand.

There are widening cracks running the length of the pitch. A delivery from Mohammed Siraj to Pat Cummins early in the final session caused the batsman some immediate discomfort as it hurtled off its line towards his body, but a moment later Cummins smiled as the implications became apparent.

The cracks are one thing, the bounce another. Some have begun to rear up perilously from short of a length. Other deliveries appear to keep low.

Australia may have been disappointed with how dry the pitch was on the first few days, but may change their mind as they contemplate bowling on it now,

David Warner warned, however, that the attack needs to stick to the basics and not go searching.

“The bowlers lick their lips. As a batsman you have to get that out of your mind, adjust and either commit forward or back. If one takes the crack or pops, so be it,” he said.

“From a bowling perspective we have to concentrate on our lines and lengths and not just let things happen. You have got to build pressure, bring in the false shots and bring the cordon in to play.”

This last day of cricket could be one for the ages. Rarely does a series go down to the last game, even more rare is one that goes down to the last day.

A draw and the Indians will retain the trophy — just reward for an against-the-odds achievement.

A win to Australia will bring mostly relief. A sense that they got away with one. Dodged a bullet, perhaps. Let off on a technicality. Pardoned when maybe it was not appropriate.

A win to India, unimaginable given the constant setbacks that have beset them in this series, would be celebrated hard in the aftermath and for a long time in the annals of cricket history.

Such an outcome would give rise to some serious introspection in Australian cricket and would not be without consequences.

Late on Monday Mitchell Starc slipped delivering the first ball of the last innings of the series, turned, scowled at where his front foot had landed, kicked the dirt and muttered quietly on the way back to the top of his mark.

If you watched carefully a wandering hand went down to his hamstring. When you weren’t watching it went there again. Fleetingly.

Starc was still scowling on the boundary line when rain began to fall during the second over of the innings and the team left the field.

He will bowl through, but it was not a great look to start an innings, just as the scowls in the dressing room from coach and captain were not a great look towards the end of the batting innings.

The mood in the camp, if television cameras can reveal such things, does not look great.

Little things are bothering the home side. They tensed up on the last day at the SCG and fumbled an opportunity to take a two-one lead in the series.

That must have played on their mind but mostly what weighs heavily appears to be expectation.

India, alternatively, have faced adversity at every turn, but have made the most of the crisis.

Perhaps it is an indication of the absence of expectation surrounding this squad.

What have you got to lose when you’ve already lost your captain, your five front line seam bowlers and your two best spin bowlers?

What have you got to lose when most expected to struggle even if it seemed you would field your best side?

Players with no expectation of making the side or making another side have prospered. Three bowlers with 10 balls experience to their names have taken 12 wickets and contributed over 120 runs with a batting innings left.

Siraj has bowled like a veteran, not a man in his third match. Yesterday he snared 5-73 and among those five victims were Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. Washington Sundar has four wickets and a half century in his first game, his first wicket was Smith and his fourth Warner.

Australia recommenced on the fourth day with 10 wickets in hand and a 50-run lead and fumbled their way to a decent total. Marcus Harris (38) gloved a short ball when the lead was 122, Warner (49) played back to a straight one from the 21-year-old Washington and was LBW with the lead just 124.

The best performed batsman in the series, Labuschagne (25) went soon after with the lead 156, while Matthew Wade (0) didn’t hold up proceedings and must be wondering if he plays in the next XI.

At the first break the lead was 149, Smith (55) and Green (37) took the advantage to 229 before the senior batsman was gone.

And so they muddled their way through the session to have a lead of 276 when tea was taken and that advanced to 327 before the last wicket was taken.

Shardul Thakur was the next best bowler after Siraj. Injured in the first innings, he recovered enough to finish with 4-61.

Rain came after 11 uneventful deliveries, but the weather looks better for the final day.