Steve Smith’s heroics and India’s late batting collapse puts Australia firmly in control of the pivotal fourth Test. Australia’s fiery pace attack destroyed India’s top order to put them in the driving seat of the fourth Test after they set a daunting first-innings target on the back of Steve Smith’s 34th Test century. The visitors were 164-5 at the close of Friday’s play on day two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, still 310 runs behind after Australia was out for 474 soon after lunch on the back of Smith’s stylish 140.
Rishabh Pant was not out six and Ravindra Jadeja on four, with three wickets in the final half-hour bursting India’s momentum after they were 153-2. Scott Boland and Pat Cummins grabbed two wickets each. Skipper Rohit Sharma reverted to his usual role as opener after dropping to six in the past two Tests.
But it did nothing to help his woeful recent form and he was out for three, spooning an attempted pull shot off Pat Cummins to Boland at mid-on for a simple catch. Cummins pounced again to remove the in-form KL Rahul with the last ball before tea, bowling him for 24. But opener Yashasvi Jaiswal stood firm with a high-quality innings, playing well off the front foot and crunching a series of stylish boundaries in his 82.
The 22-year-old, who scored 161 in the first Test at Perth, looked destined for another century but threw his wicket away in a comical mix-up with Virat Kohli. Jaiswal set off for a quick single off Boland but his teammate said.
