Boxing Day Test: Australia defeat India to take 2-1 lead in Border-Gavaskar Trophy epic
Australia will have 92 overs to bowl India out on the final day of the fourth Test after Jasprit Bumrah wrote himself onto the MCG honour boards with a five-wicket haul as he demolished Nathan Lyon’s stumps.
The tourists need 340 to claim a 2-1 series lead and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after Lyon and Scott Boland’s 61-run final-wicket partnership was brought to a swift end on Monday.
It comes as Cricket Australia anticipated a monster day five crowd of up to 75,000, with an attendance of at least 51,206 to break the 87-year-old record for a Test match crowd in Australia.
Follow all the action in our live blog.
Were Australia stiff here?
There was a big, big shout for lbw a few moments ago for Mitchell Starc, who clattered one into the back leg of Jaiswal.
Joel Wilson has given it not out on the spot, with the Aussies sending it upstairs.
The ball tracking shows it’s hitting, but not enough to overturn the decision. Australia retain their review of course.
The ball tracking is only a projection, but this one just felt out. Hit him on his bent back leg right in line.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Healthy partnership
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant are getting the India total ticking over, with their partnership reaching 32 runs from 45 balls.
After wickets fell at 1-25, 2-25 and 3-33, the visitors have reduced the deficit to 275 runs without losing another.
It hasn’t come without a scare, with Jaiswal surviving an LBW shout from Mitchell Starc.
Lunch break
Pat Cummins has struck twice in the same over and Virat Kohli is gone, leaving Australia seven wickets away from winning a classic Boxing Day Test.
Mitchell Starc took the key wicket of Kohli for just five on the stroke of lunch to put Australia in the driver’s seat.
India are 3-33 at lunch on day five, with emerging star Yashashvi at the crease on 14.
Jackson Barrett takes you through where things stand at lunch.
Record broken!
The Boxing Day Test has broken a near century-old record for the biggest Test match crowd ever in Australia.
A bumper crowd of 51,371 — set to swell into the afternoon — on day five of the Melbourne Test has broken the record of 350,534 set by a six-day Ashes Test in 1937.
There are estimations around 75,000 punters could flock to the ground as the day wears on.
KING KOHLI FALLS!
In the final over before lunch, Mitchell Starc has claimed the prized wicket of Indian superstar Virat Kohli.
Despite nursing an injury, Starc clips the outside edge as Kohli attempts a drive, caught at first slip by Usman Khawaja.
He departs for just five and India’s hopes of a victory have faded fast.
The visitors have lost 3-33, chasing 340. Australia are seven wickets away from victory.
Marsh is back
Mitch Marsh is in to the attack for the first time today, and after just 19 overs. That’s just about the earliest they’ve turned to him all series.
He’s also just bowled his best over for the match, a maiden where he beat the bat a couple of times.
Marsh is under mounting pressure to hold his spot in the Test team after a run of failures with the bat. He has also struggled to make an impact so far with the ball.
Kohli at the crease
The wicket of KL Rahul as brought Virat Kohli to the crease and the noise in the MCG has gone up a notch.
Kohli looked really pretty good on his way to 36 in the first innings, but then was involved in that calamitous half-hour where he Jaiswal was run out and he was dismissed himself.
The feature of that innings was his patience outside off and he looks keen on sticking to that plan.
We’re also going to get a decent idea between now and lunch at 9.30 (AWST) around how India will approach this. They’re going at 1.31 an over at the moment, but have Rishabh Pant to come next.
TWO IN AN OVER!
Pat Cummins strikes again and the dangerous KL Rahul departs without scoring.
The Australian skipper gets two in the over as he finds another edge and it’s taken safely by Usman Khawaja at first slip.
India are reeling at 2/25.
Sharma GONE!
The Australian skipper gets the wicket of his Indian counterpart.
A horror Border-Gavaskar Trophy series continues for Rohit Sharma, as he fails to reach double figures for the third time in four innings.
After missing the first Test to remain home for the birth of his child, Sharma has a combined 27 runs across four knocks, with scores of 3, 6, 10 and 9.
Cummins gets a thick edge and Mitch Marsh takes a very good catch at gully.
India 1-25. Australia need nine wickets, India need 315 runs to win.
Some by-play
When Jasprit Bumrah took the wicket of Sam Konstas yesterday, he celebrated by flapping his arms in the air to replicate Konstas revving up the MCG crowd across the first two days.
Now Konstas is at deep backward-square, fielding in front of a raucous contingent of Indian fans, who are giving it back to him.
The 19-year-old is loving it though, clapping the section of Indian fans in the Ponsford Stand.
He is right into every bit of this contest.
