Australia vs. India Test 4: Aussies seize upper hand in Melbourne after horrific India run out

It was all India for most of the final session of play at the MCG, until a mix-up between two Indian stars opened the door for Scott Boland to light up his home ground once again.

A catastrophic mix-up and more Scott Boland MCG magic ensured Australia seized back the upper hand in the fourth Test.

Virat Kohli played his role of pantomime villain to perfection, playing a key role in India’s resistance before things sensationally unravelled for the tourists late on day two at the MCG.

From 2-151, India had slumped to 5-164 at stumps on Friday, still trailing Australia’s imposing 474 by 310 runs.

Rishabh Pant (six not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (four not out) are charged with the salvage job on Saturday.

Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal had combined for a defiant 102-run third-wicket stand before both fell in the space of eight balls.

RECAP ALL THE ACTION FROM DAY 2 BELOW

Jaiswal was on 82 and within sight of his second century of the series when he drove Boland to mid-on. Overzealous as he charged down the wicket, he was sent back by Kohli who had barely deviated. By the time Jaiswal started to retreat it was too late, with the opener caught well short of his ground.

“Crazy, bizarre rush of blood from the youngster,” Indian great Ravi Shastri said on Fox Cricket of the run out.

“100-run partnership and there was a sense of release but there was never a single there. Even if it was his call and Kohli had gone for the single he wouldn’t have crossed halfway. We’ve seen it time and time again, when such things happen one leads to another and then there is a sudden momentum shift.”

Steve Smith said the final hour of play, sparked by the runout, was huge for Australia in the context of the game and potentially the series.

“Looked like Jaiswal called ‘yes,’ ran, and Virat sent him back. Simple as that. Yeah I didn’t see much more than that. I was running in pretty excited. It was a nice wicket,” Smith said.

Nathan Lyon intimated it may have been on the veteran.

“It was probably one of the best barbecues I’ve seen, to be honest with you,” Lyon said on ABC Radio.

“It came out of the blue. They were doing it pretty easy out there … pressure does funny things. Silly run-outs are coach killers, aren’t they? It was pretty special.”

“It was obviously a really good partnership to break that one, and then obviously get the two more wickets. Was a huge last hour for us. So yeah, that was a big play in the context of the day.”

If that had been the extent of things it would have been bad enough for India. But Kohli, booed for much of the day following his Thursday run-in with Australian debutant Sam Konstas, once more got sucked into unnecessarily playing a delivery outside the channel of off-stump. Boland found the edge, snaffled by wicketkeeper Alex Carey and sending much of the 85,000-strong crowd into raptures.

“I’m sure he is thinking about that run out and what happened there. What a waste of a wicket. You’ve done all the work and then you gift a wicket away and then it leads to another one,” Shastri said.

“Having said that the moment Scotty Boland changed ends you had a feeling something was going to happen. He was bowling those heavy balls again, he was getting that extra bit of bounce and movement and very quickly transformed the game with a couple of wickets.”

It was the third time Boland had removed Kohli in the Victorian fan favourite’s last three Tests against India.

“I was just saying how run outs can cause uncertainty, can cause a bit of confusion. He hasn’t played a shot like that all day,” former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7.

“He has been so watchful outside that off stump an and that looked half-hearted to me. Looked like he wasn’t quite concentrating. You said there was a bit going on last over, a few words being exchanged, but it is that line again, the line we always talk about. Hang it out there, keep it away from the bat, and wait for Kohli to come to you. Well, it has worked again.”

And Boland wasn’t yet done, with nightwatchman Akash Deep falling for a duck as he spooned a catch to Nathan Lyon at leg gully in the shadow of stumps.

Steve Smith had earlier reached his 34th Test century - and second in as many Tests - as he and Pat Cummins combined for century seventh-wicket partnership to frustrate the tourists and take Australia beyond the 400 mark.

Cummins eventually fell for 49 while Smith forged ahead before being bowled for 140 following a freakish ricochet off the bowling of Akash Deep.

Mohammed Siraj was horribly profligate while Jasprit Bumrah finished with four wickets but still coughed up 99 runs, the most he has ever conceded in a Test innings.

Promoted back up the order, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s rapid decline continued as he limply popped up an attempted pull to depart to Cummins for three.

KL Rahul again batted nicely but fell on the stroke of tea for 24 after copping a beauty from the Aussie skipper that seamed away to clip the top of off-stump, the latest in a series of gems in the genre from Cummins.

“I wish I could do that every ball, it was a nice one,” Cummins said on Fox Cricket after play.

“You try to bowl that and it happens rarely but I will take it when it comes.

“I’m really happy with how I bowled and the rest of the boys too.

“To take a couple of late wickets sets the game up for us nicely.”

Originally published as Australia vs. India Test 4: Aussies seize upper hand in Melbourne after horrific India run out