Perth, Nov 25 (PTI) India stood on the cusp of their biggest victory on Australian soil after reducing the hosts to 227 for 8 at tea on day four of the first Test here on Monday. Skipper Jasprit Bumrah (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/54) did most of the damage on the fourth day while Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy played the support act to perfection with a wicket apiece. India had set Australia a mammoth 534-run target on day three.
The in-form Travis Head (89) was dismissed by Bumrah with a delivery that was pitched on length and just kept on climbing as the batter went on a compulsive drive only to edge it behind stumps. Bumrah's exalted celebration said it all. Mitchell Marsh (47) was also batting well before Reddy capped a good Test match with a delivery that didn't give the batter enough room to cut and the inside edge was dragged on to the stumps.
Australia's most dependable batter in this WTC cycle Alex Carey (30 batting) kept frustrating the visitors but Washington removed Mitchell Starc (12) at stroke of tea to take India closer to a famous win. In the morning, Siraj bowled a couple of incisive spells to remove the seasoned Usman Khawaja (4) and out-of-form Steven Smith (17). Khawaja's mistimed pull off Siraj was well taken by IPL's three million dollar man Rishabh Pant running backwards.
But then India's new nemesis Head started counter-punching in the presence of Smith, who was trying his best to dig in with desperation to come out of his current rut. However Sir.