IND vs AUS: Lead Taken By Aussies By 2-1 In BGT

IND vs AUS: The Aussies, in a thrilling contest, secured victory by 184 runs on the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series to maintain a crucial 2-1 lead in the four-match series. This setback has severely dented India’s hopes of earning a place in the final of the WTC after adding more complexity to the chances as they head to the final Test of the IND vs AUS series.

India Falters Despite Early Promise

 

The Test match saw dramatic swings in momentum, with India’s position fluctuating throughout. Australia’s first innings saw them post a massive total, putting India under immediate pressure. However, a resilient century by Nitish Reddy helped India narrow the deficit, as they finished with 369 runs, only trailing Australia by 105 runs.

On Day 4, it seemed India had the upper hand as it dismissed six Australian batsmen for just 91 runs. India’s bowlers were ruling the game, and as Australia was reeling in their second innings, this looked like a game India was about to turn around from its back. But a magnificent counterattack by Marnus Labuschagne, aided by crucial contributions from Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, along with Scott Boland, kept Australia well ahead with a daunting target of 340 runs.

Australia’s Early Breakthroughs Shift Momentum in IND vs AUS

 

India started their run chase with caution, looking for a way not to collapse within the early stages of the game. However, Australia’s Pat Cummins had other things in mind. He came into the 17th over and dismissed Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. Till that point, one could think India might as well go for a draw, at least. Then came the breakthrough by the Australian skipper and built pressure by the Australian attack.

Mitchell Starc further dented India’s hopes just before lunch, when he dismissed Virat Kohli with a well-directed short ball. This wicket left India on the back foot, and with the loss of their star batsman, their chances of saving the match seemed bleak.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Grit and Australia’s Comeback In IND vs AUS

 

After lunch, India was stabilized, thanks to some solidity by the batsmen – Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant. Both men showed colossal patience and during the session after lunch, no wickets fell for the Indians. The game became so one-sided that many cricket talking heads and even fans predicted a draw; India should hold on very well, they thought.

But here’s what made the second half of tea so different from the first half -. Travis Head dismissed Pant with a short delivery that was caught out in the deep, giving Australia a crucial breakthrough. Jaiswal, who had been India’s sole resistance, was fighting hard but eventually lost to a short ball by Pat Cummins after he faced 208 balls. The dismissal of Jaiswal was reviewed by the third umpire, which caused controversy and would be remembered as a hot moment in the match.

India’s Sudden Collapse and Australia’s Dominance

 

Following Jaiswal’s dismissal, India’s batting crumbled. In a stunning collapse, India lost their final seven wickets in just 20.3 overs, adding only 34 more runs to their total. This rapid loss of wickets sealed India’s fate, with Australia securing a comfortable 184-run victory.

For Australia, the bowling attack was spearheaded by Cummins and Boland, who took six wickets each, while Lyon chipped in with five. The batting for Australia was also good, with Steve Smith finishing as the top run-getter of the match, scoring 140 runs in the first innings.

Implications for India’s World Test Championship Hopes

 

This loss has further complicated India’s journey to the final of the World Test Championship. Even if India wins the next match, India can at best reach 55.26 percentage points in the WTC. India will need Sri Lanka to beat Australia by a margin of at least 1-0 in the latter’s home series that is to come.

India’s defeat in this match has put them in a precarious position in the WTC race, and their focus will now shift to the final Test in Sydney, where they must win to keep their slim hopes alive. However, on the other side, Australia has got itself at a strong point in the series and is pretty solid with the WTC final slot in consideration, as this decider match is being set at Sydney.

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