‘Perfection’: Cummins hails Australian performance as epic victory earns 2-1 series lead

Australian captain Pat Cummins says his side’s thrilling win over India on day five at the MCG could be the greatest Test victory he’s been involved in.

Australia secured a famous win after bowling India out for 155 in the final session on Monday to take a 2-1 series lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Set 340 to win from 92 overs, a draw looked the most likely outcome when India reached 3-121 in the 58th over with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant well set at the crease.

But Pant’s dismissal for 30 off 104 balls after a brilliant catch in the deep by Mitch Marsh off the part-time spin of Travis Head triggered a batting collapse in which India lost 7-34 in front of almost 75,000 spectators.

“Everyone as we were walking off was trying to work out where it sits. They reckon that’s right at the top,” Cummins said. “Edgbaston [in 2023] was pretty special, and I reckon that’s pretty much on par. That was amazing.

“When you take all that into account, it’s probably the best Test match I’ve been involved in, in terms of 80-odd thousand people [in attendance] on the first three days. It felt like swung a lot too. Just one of those great wins.”

Australia players celebrate the match-sealing wicket at the MCG.Credit: Justin McManus

Cummins picked up the Johnny Mullagh Medal for player of the match, while Victorian hero Scott Boland also had a Test to remember with second-innings figures of 3-39.

Nathan Lyon (2-37) took the final wicket of the match, trapping Mohammed Siraj lbw for a duck to seal a 184-run win heading into the fifth Test, which begins on Friday in Sydney.

Mitchell Starc (1-25) played through the pain of a back complaint to send down 16 overs at good pace, an effort which was praised by Cummins after the match.

Australia were comfortably the better side in Brisbane and Melbourne, but that does not win you a series in Test cricket. Taking 20 wickets does – and Australia did so with 12.5 overs to spare and without having to take a second new ball.

Every Indian wicket was celebrated passionately by the Australians, who now have a chance to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.

“I felt like we needed at least 300 [to set India],” Cummins said. “It wasn’t playing too much tricks. I felt like there was enough time.”

Controversy erupted in the 71st over with Jaiswal on 84 and fighting to help his side survive. Cummins bowled a short ball that appeared to catch Jaiswal’s glove on the way through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, although umpire Joel Wilson was not convinced.

Australia called for a review and the decision was overturned, despite a protest from Jaiswal, which left India in trouble at 7-140.

Australia players celebrate the win at the MCG.Credit: AP

“I think it was clear that he hit it,” Cummins said. “We heard a noise, saw deviation, so I was absolutely certain that he hit it.”

When the 15th and final session of the Test began, India required 228 runs to win from 228 balls with seven wickets in hand.

Going at six an over has become the norm in white-ball cricket but doing it on a wearing day five pitch is an entirely different challenge.

It was unclear whether India would try and have a dash in pursuit of a target of 340 or defend their way to a draw.

After 16 overs, the tourists had progressed to 0-25 before Cummins breathed life into the match and a heaving MCG by removing Rohit Sharma (9) and KL Rahul (0) from the first and last balls of a sensational wicket-maiden.

When Virat Kohli (5) took the bait and edged a Starc delivery to Usman Khawaja at first slip, India were in strife at 3-33.

“To be honest, I reckon that first session today was close to perfection from a bowling point of view,” Cummins said.

The Pant dismissal clearly was the catalyst for a calamitous collapse.

“You have a couple of catchers out there, you never quite know what he’s going to do,” Cummins said.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma admitted his side failed to take advantage of their opportunities.

“We had our chances and we let Australia get back into the game,” Rohit said.

Sydney cricket fans have had their fair share of dead rubbers and fixtures devoid of real meaning over the past two decades but have good reason to be excited at what is in store on Friday.

The last time two teams went to Sydney with a trophy still up for grabs in the last fixture of a multi-match series was in 2004 against India, during Steve Waugh’s final Test series. Even then, India made over 700 in the first innings of a dull, drawn match.

“It’s a short turnaround. I think we’ll definitely savour you this one,” Cummins said. “You work so hard over five days to win a Test match like this. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of sitting around tonight and a couple of beers … then you gear up again for the last Test of the summer. So a mix of happiness and rest, I reckon.”

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