Australia v India: fourth Test, day five - as it happened
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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/jan/10/australia-v-india-fourth-test-day-five-live Version 0 of 1. 6.07pm AEST07:07 Fourth Test match drawn. Australia wins Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series 2-0. Okay. There you go. Australia needed ten wickets on a fifth day SCG wicket that played a few tricks but not enough to extract ten Indians. It was another engrossing day of cricket in a series that’s shown, yet again, the primacy of the long-form of the game. Well done, India. Well done, Australia. Won’t wax too lyrically. Suffice to say Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, both young men, both captains of their cricket-loving nations, you blokes are solid rolled golden bullion. And you have a few mates. We’ll leave it at that. It was a top day of cricket. Plenty action. And now for the one-dayers and the World Cup. I’m Matt Cleary. It’s been one of life’s great pleasures to whack away at the keyboard while watching cricket. Thankyou. And good night. 5.56pm AEST06:56 90th over: India 252-7 (Rahane 38, Kumar 20) First ball, Kumar drives for four. Second ball, Kumar is forward in defence. Third ball, Kumar ... OH! a low one! Just dug out by Kumar. Wow. How did he do that, it was along the ground just about. Fourth ball, and Kumar is home. He’s seen it out. That’s the Test, it’s a Draw. Fifth ball, Kumar - hits a four! Ha. Hooked over mid-wicket. Last ball of the Test and the series ... they don’t even bowl it. That, The People, is the match. It’s a Draw. 5.52pm AEST06:52 89th over: India 244-7 (Rahane 38, Kumar 12) First ball, full and it squirts to deep backward third man but doesn’t go for four. The batsmen run one. Rahane has the strike. Gotta call it. India: home. Second ball, after putting many men on the leg for the hook trap .. OH! Starc bowls short out side off and Rahane wafts outside off and misses, a windy waft, horrible shot ... ha. He’s batted well. That was hideous. Third ball, full and Rahane takes two. Fourth ball, blocked. Fifth ball, oh - short and it hits Rahane on the body. He fends at it, could’ve gone to hand. Did not. Sixth ball, is short and down legside and ... one over to go. And “Harold” Kumar will face Nathan Lyon to save the Test. Updated at 6.01pm AEST 5.47pm AEST06:47 88th over: India 241-7 (Rahane 36, Kumar 11) Oh. First ball, bounces off a length and spins and just misses Rahane’s glove. Second ball, squashed to cover. Third ball, poked to point off the back foot. Fourth ball, two runs through point. India, it looks like, have saved the fourth Test. Fifth ball, Rahane flinches when the ball goes low. India fans clapping every dot. Sixth ball, dot ball. And Starc will have a crack at Kumar, with two overs to go, three wickets in hand. Robert Wilson, meanwhile, says: “Apologies for the challenging you to a duel thing. I’m having my first day off in a decade and it’s possible I might be a little over-excited. Re. Smith captaincy - I love this kid like a brother but I’m coming to understand how good a captain Michael Clarke was. So relentlessly aggressive, so inventive and unpredictable. And amongst the imponderables when in the field, a set of players, willingly or unwillingly, driven and animated by an absolute will to win the thing. It’s maybe not so easy to notice when it’s there but its absence rings like a very big bell indeed.” Updated at 6.01pm AEST 5.43pm AEST06:43 87th over: India 239-7 (Rahane 34, Kumar 11) Harris, again. Many slips, men about the bat. Can he get a wicket? The Nation of India wills it - No. But oh! Rahane pull-hooks and Chris Rogers dives and just misses, it was at catchable height. But the little man couldn’t leap enough. Dot on the last. And Nathan has two more cracks. Three overs to go. Updated at 6.00pm AEST 5.39pm AEST06:39 86th over: India 238-7 (Rahane 33, Kumar 11) Five overs to go, including this one. It’s Lyon to Kumar ... big shout! Kumar padded it away, the ball came off the wrist on the way up, was nearly caught. Might’ve been out. A thousand fielders around the bat, looks like all of them. Kumar, doing his best. Nation of India willing him onwards. He drives for four. Four overs after this one. Doing well, these India men. Updated at 6.00pm AEST 5.34pm AEST06:34 85th over: India 234-7 (Rahane 33, Kumar 7) Josh Hazlewood replaces Mitch Starc, who’s last over wasn’t super-accurate. And Smith goes to his McGrath Man, the Joshua Tree, a dangerous big unit. But the India batters are gutsing this out. Getting bat on ball, getting behind it. And the Aussie bowlers aren’t bowling enough balls on the off stump on a good length. Any state of the game, that remains a good option for taking wickets. That hasn’t ever changed. Won’t change. Rocky talking about change: Updated at 6.00pm AEST 5.29pm AEST06:29 84th over: India 230-7 (Rahane 29, Kumar 7) Okay, Lyon King, with the hard new rock. Good bounce. Six overs plus this one remaining. Three wickets. Five men around the bat, all saying Oh! at everything. Kumar dabbing at the ball, getting full face on it. Footmarks black. But Kumar survives. And India have to see out six overs. Thirty balls. Not a lot. But it is, as they say and have always said, a funny game, cricket. 5.26pm AEST06:26 83rd over: India 230-7 (Rahane 29, Kumar 7) Mitchell Starc. Left arm, rapid, over the wicket. Like him better around the wicket with his height and odd angles, and swing. Rahane Man plays him comfortably, a dabbing cut shot goes for four. No threat otherwise. Meanwhile, in Dubai... 5.22pm AEST06:22 82nd over: India 226-7 (Rahane 25, Kumar 5) Okay. Ryan Harris. Old Man River. New ball. But our batsmen have no perceptible problem. Should Smith have continued with the reverse-swinging old ball? Hindsight will know. Updated at 5.23pm AEST 5.16pm AEST06:16 81st over: India 221-7 (Rahane 24, Kumar 3) Mitchell Starc, six-foot-six, with a new red rock, left-arm over the wicket. This is the testing material for old mate Kumar. Three slips, two gullies. Short leg. I’d be facing Starc from behind the wicket-keeper. Behind the sight screen. But our man Kumar works a full one off his legs. And Rahane Man has the strike. 9.2 overs remaining. Now 9.1. Now 9.0. 5.11pm AEST06:11 80th over: India 219-7 (Rahane 23, Kumar 2) Lyon King. To Kumar. Who works him, nut-megging Joe Burns at short leg. One off. New ball due. Do they take it? Ten overs to go. You’d suggest they do. 5.08pm AEST06:08 79th over: India 218-7 (Rahane 23, Kumar 1) Hazlewood. Top over. New ball in two overs. There’s 12 to go. And, one would warrant, three tailenders padded up and sweating chocolate bullets. 5.06pm AEST06:06 Wicket! Ravi Ashwin 1 LBW Hazlewood There you go! Another big-bending in-dipper from Hazlewood hits Ashwin low on the front pad and Richard Kettleborough, after the most pregant of pauses, slowly raised the finger of death, convinced beyond a scintilla of doubt that the ball would have bounded into middle-and/or-leg stump. India on ropes, and being beaten about the head. Here’s old mate Kumar. 5.01pm AEST06:01 78th over: India 217-6 (Rahane 23, Ashwin 1) Ashwin off the mark after 20 balls, something. A tall man, he has limited stroke range but what he has is pretty effective. You’d probably like him more at No.9. But he’ll do India, at the moment. One off. 5.00pm AEST06:00 77th over: India 216-6 (Rahane 23, Ashwin 0) Hazlewood, in-dipping Irish, the best kind. Bowls to Rahane Man, who is watchful. Can they see this out? Block this out? Hit out? Why not hit out? Just throw the bat. Spread the field. Worry them. Make them fear The Kraken. “So Hazlegood” says the bank’s sign thing, more naff than ... something I can’t think of. Who are these people? 4.54pm AEST05:54 76th over: India 216-6 (Rahane 23, Ashwin 0) Okay. Lyon King. Another low one. Rahane cuts, just. There’s minimum 15 overs to go in this Test match. Five men around the bat, two leg-slips. New ball available in 4.2 overs. Big appeal! For a catch .. and they’re appealing it ... the Aussies. Shaun Marsh reckons he might have caught it. Umpire HDPK Dharmasena says it’s bounced. But we’ll have a look at it. And it’s confirmed. Ball bounced, boys. Over. 4.48pm AEST05:48 75th over: India 215-6 (Rahane 21, Ashwin 0) Okay. Josh Hazlewood. One off. Henry at the Brookie Hotel reckons: “Listening to Michael Clarke, it’s like he’s telling schoolkids how to play cricket. I want him to say ‘Steve Smith declared ten overs too late’. Then he’d have my respect.” 4.44pm AEST05:44 73rd over: India 214-6 (Rahane 21, Ashwin 0) Okay. Lyon King. Lawnmower Man. Nathan Lyon Man. He’s bowling his floaty off-spinners at R.Ashwin with five men around the bat including two leg-slips. Robert Wilson, meanwhile, asserts: “Right! That’s it. I’ve had it. Big bending Irish? You are having a go. I’m offering you outside right now. It’s you and me, mate. I left my wife and children back in Europe weeks ago in order to stalk the luscious Russell Jackson. But stuff it, I can do this instead. Come on. Erm...you’re not actually good at fighting, are you?” Only if one person has no weapons and I have one of those Kendo fighting sticks, and the other person isn’t allowed to do anything but has to stand there and let me whack them with the big stick. Sixteen overs minimum to go. Here’s Hazlewood. 4.40pm AEST05:40 73rd over: India 212-6 (Rahane 21, Ashwin 0) Okay. Mitchell Starc. Four wickets to win. Around the wicket at speed to Rahane Man. Lovely shot, a turn off his hip, a glance, for four. Phil Withall, meanwhile, says: “Afternoon Matt. You’re a little harsh on the nice Banker. I mean it’s not like the donation is a tax deductible, cheap, feel good PR form of advertising. They really do care, all those bad things are just mistakes they made trying too hard to help us.” Ha. 4.36pm AEST05:36 72nd over: India 208-6 (Rahane 17, Ashwin 0) Lyon King. A wicket-maiden. Australia on top. 4.34pm AEST05:34 Wicket! Wriddhiman Saha 0 LBW Lyon Oh. Gazunder. That word for a ball that keeps really low and strikes the batsman on the ankles in front. That was plumb like a plumber eating a plum, and the impressive Saha has no choice but to get outta here. Here’s Ravi Ashwin. India is six-fer. 4.31pm AEST05:31 71st over: India 204-5 (Rahane 17, Saha 0) Starc again, to Saha, who bunts for one. Rahane keeps the big man out. Then hits a big-bending though ultimately full full toss to the backward square fence for four. It swung a heap. But if it doesn’t hit the pitch it’s good as moot. Oh, I have email. Former embryo Robert Wilson writes: “Since I was an embryo I have always looked forward to reading about, listening to or watching the Sydney Test for the inevitably loopy moment when Allan Border takes 14 wickets while sitting down. What’s happening here? Lyon bowled nicely but lucklessly in the first innings and Ashwin sometimes looked like he was slinging hand-grenades. What’s with today? Where’s all the spin gone? I would like you to explain this to me while simultaneously making me laugh. You do realise this is your job, don’t you?” I do, Robert, and it’s a solemn ... thing. I take seriously. Something. Oh, wicket. Updated at 4.35pm AEST 4.26pm AEST05:26 70th over: India 204-5 (Rahane 13, Saha 0) Okay. India needs 146 to win. Five wickets in hand. Henry on his fourth schooner at the Brookie Hotel, on the punt, what Aussie men call man-fun. Here’s Lyon. Rahane Man cuts him for one, against the spin. It’s variable, the bounce too. Aussie fielders leaping about like trout. Noisy people. One off. 4.23pm AEST05:23 69th over: India 203-5 (Rahane 12, Saha 0) Mitchell Starc - great over. Big bending Irish, the best kind. He’s looking good. And Saha does his very very best to hold him out. Australia on top. India need run-a-ball. Five wickets in hand. They should just unleash the Kraken. 4.21pm AEST05:21 Wicket! Suresh Raina 0 LBW Starc It’s a pair (of ducks) for Suresh Raina, a big in-dipper from Mitchell Starc has struck him on the roll and Umpire Kettleborough has quickly raised the slow digit of death. You’re outta here. And the Aussies are cock-a-hoop. 69th over: India 203-5 (Rahane 12) Before that wrote: Starc, again, getting huge swing now, at speed. Bowling full and swinging it. Beats Raina. Haddin excited behind the poles. Starc digging the ball in at speed. Good hard Test match cricket. Is Suresh Raina up to it? He isn’t. Wicket. And here’s Wriddiham Saha. Like this bloke. But Mitchell Starc is bowling hand grenades. Updated at 4.23pm AEST 4.16pm AEST05:16 68th over: India 203-4 (Rahane 12, Raina 0) Lyon King, again ... and - OH! Rahane’s off-drive is spooned in the air just wide of the mid-off, and the Aussie roar like lions who’ve just missed a delicious feed of Wildebeest, and oryx. Lyon getting good bounce now. Australia on top. A bit. 4.14pm AEST05:14 Wicket! Virat Kohli 46 c Watson b Starc There you go! Kohli goes after a wide half-volley from Mitch Starc, gets a fat outside edge that goes to Shane Watson’s right, low down, the first slip taking a fine slips catch. India is four-fer. 67th over: India 201-4 (Rahane 10) Here’s Suresh Raina on a King Pair, the worst kind. Earlier in the piece I had written: Oh - Kohli goes after a wide full one and squirts it just wide of the diving Nathan Lyon. Four runs. Just past his fingers. India’s scored a thousand through the cordon. “How many have gone through third and fourth slip?” asks Henry from the Brookie. “Smith hasn’t got enough blokes in there.” 4.09pm AEST05:09 66th over: India 197-3 (Kohli 42, Rahane 10) Lyon - boom. Wow. Heap of bounce. Wicked bounce. And Rahane Man can but miss it, and Haddin but catch it in front of his face. Fifth day wickets, things happen. Huge appeal! Australian fielders leaping! Not out. Ball came off Kohli’s hip and popped up to Warner who appealed like he was very rich and innocent of a particular charge. “Scoring freely, for all that,” says Henry in the Brookie Hotel, and you can find no argument. I reckon India will have something of a lash some time soon. They need a run a ball. There’s 24 overs to go. Seven wickets in hand. Long tail. Lot of things can go right and/or wrong. Here’s Mitchell Starc with his big hoopers and bouncy head-goers. 152 to win. 4.04pm AEST05:04 65th over: India 193-3 (Kohli 39, Rahane 9) Channel Nine interviewing a suit from a bank - a bank that makes several billion dollars profit each quarter, plenty of it by reaming their own customers with dodgy financial planning - about the bank contributing a hundred bucks every time there’s a four. There have been 174 fours. So that’s nice, isn’t it. Nice one, Bank. Hazlewood. To Kohli. Four off. 4.00pm AEST05:00 64th over: India 189-3 (Kohli 34, Rahane 9) Oh. First ball Kohli gets a leading edge and bunts it back down the wicket but just in front and to the right of Lyon who dives and so-very-nearly pouches the Big Wicket. Just short. Action. Rough outside the off-stump to the right-handers isn’t as crater-like as it might be, or probably needs to be for big jaggy spin. Four runs - Rahane pulls a short one backward of square. India needs a run-a-ball. 3.57pm AEST04:57 63rd over: India 184-3 (Kohli 34, Rahane 5) Hazlewood, again with the in-dip. The Irish in-dip. The best kind. Honing in on the pads for the LBW. How about that not out in the previous session? Murali was so far out he was Liberace. Rahane off the mark. And there’s six off. Do this every over they’ll win. But they probably need a couple of T20-esque big whack overs. And they’re harder to do on the fifth day SCG wicket against ... here he comes, the Lyon King. 3.53pm AEST04:53 62nd over: India 178-3 (Kohli 33, Rahane 0) Big Watto, getting some reverse in the air, some in-dip. The ball looks like it’s been under your old man’s Victa and sucked on by your kelpie. Watto’s got 1 for 22, bowling his tidy little nibblers. Kohli, in the form of his and most other people’s lives, he’s in behind it. Does he have a crack? Why not? Three-nil or two-nil, it’s still nil. Win a Test in Sydney against Australia you’re doing something that’s only been done a couple times since 1947. Something like it. I don’t have the stat at hand. But Australia win heaps at the SCG. One off. 3.48pm AEST04:48 Wicket! Murali Vijay 80 c Haddin b Hazlewood There you go. Big Joshua Tree Hazlewood dished up a fairly ordinary-looking wide and short one, exactly the same nut that Vijay bashed to the fence off Watson. And Murali liked the look of it. But Hazlewood is several inches taller and quite a bit quicker than Our Shane, and the ball got a touch too big for Murali who top edged it to Haddin behind the pegs. And India is: 61st over: India 177-3 (Kohli 32, Rahane 0) Updated at 3.51pm AEST 3.44pm AEST04:44 60th over: India 177-2 (Vijay 80, Kohli 32) “Excuse me, Matt. But who is Chesty Bond?” asks Ravindra from the Internet who perhaps isn’t au fait with the excellent Instant Knowledge-base that is Google. Ravi? Chesty Bond sold underwear in Australia in the 60s. He was like Mr Australia. He is fictitious. Shot! Murali Vijay cuts some Watson short-wide stuff for four behind point. India must score at nearly six for 30 overs. They’re going at that. Vijay on 80. People - we have a Test match. 3.39pm AEST04:39 59th over: India 170-2 (Vijay 76, Kohli 31) Joshua Tree Hazlewood, a long man, a Norseman, an oarsman, perhaps, if you will, and I do, he rumbles in and Kohli on-drives him beautifully down the ground. Ryan Harris tears after it, dives, tips it back, dive-rolls, gets up and flings it back in. “He’s like a panther,” says my mate Henry, enjoying a schooner in the glorious confines of the Brookvale Hotel. Top save. Top cricket. Humid day in Sydney Town. Played golf this morning, it was quite sticky. Oh - now Vijay’s into Big Joshua, and there’s four runs, eight off the over ... is India having a crack? We are about to find out, oh yes. 3.35pm AEST04:35 58th over: India 162-2 (Vijay 67, Kohli 26) Okay, our Watto, the golden-haired thumper from Queensland, a latter-day Chesty Bond, the Norse god Thor, Odin, one of them, he dishes a few of his tidy little meds at Virat Kohli who clips him off his pads for a couple. People, as they are to Kamahl, are unkind to Shane. I think it’s because he’s classically-proportioned and looks very good with the bat until he gets out and then when he gets out people are underwhelmed because they were expecting More from such a classical looking creature. Could be wrong maybe they just don’t like him. But then they’ve never met him. So that’s stoopid. Over. Two off. 3.31pm AEST04:31 Greetings, The People, Matt Cleary here to take you through this final session of the fourth and final Border-Gavaskar Series Test match, and for mine it’s anyone’s Test match. India can win if they score 189 runs in the remaining 33 (or so) overs, a run-rate of 5.7 per. In ODI cricket one would say: oh yes, gettable. In Test cricket on a fifth day wicket at the SCG you’d do your best Marge Simpson and suggest: Hmmm. Australia can win if they take eight wickets. And there could be - probably will be, one would warrant - a Draw, and then nobody wins except my mate Paulo who’s emptied his betting account upon that very result. Children? Gamble responsibly. We’re due to get into again at 3:30pm AEDST, 4:30am GMT and 10am in the fine city of Kolkata, West Bengal in the mighty country of India. And good day to all of India, I visited your country in 2004 following the Tour about, and ate like a Maharaja would eat if he was a 34 year old Aussie backpacker on the lash in India. How about that catch by Steve Smith slip? What a ripper, a leaping piece of crazy action, of magic. We’re about to get into it. It’s Shane Watson to Virat Kohli. And away we go again. 3.19pm AEST04:19 Tea - India 160-2 The draw firms, but don’t count out a result yet. Australia’s charge depends on a couple of wickets: if they can dislodge this pair then they’re still a great shot to run through the rest. India need 189 runs in a possible 33 overs, which would need 5.7 per over. Unless they can pull out a few really big overs, that’s pretty unlikely. But if they do for it, it’ll be a spectacle. Kohli, meanwhile, is fifth on the list of most runs scored in a series in Australia by a visiting batsman, and already has the highest tally from four Tests. His 672 is 50 runs short of Aubrey Faulkner next on the list, while 44 more runs would break Bradman’s mark for runs in an Australia-India series that Smith also passed yesterday. Matt Cleary will be in after tea, and I’m Geoff Lemon signing out. I’ll leave you with your Teatime Story which should fill the interim perfectly: here’s Ben Jenkins with The World’s Worst Batman. (Language warning, laughter warning, etc.) 3.13pm AEST04:13 57th over: India 160-2 (Vijay 71, Kohli 26) Prescient, this. @GeoffLemonSport Time for Smudger to contribute Start rolling the arm over I expect an 8 for #AUSvIND Steve Smith does indeed take the final over before tea. Doesn’t quite hit his lengths though, and they work two singles without obvious trouble. 3.11pm AEST04:11 56th over: India 158-2 (Vijay 70, Kohli 25) Vijay top-edges the sweep again, but every time he’s looked close to sneaking a boundary from a mis-hit, Warner has been there to run it down. He’s everywhere on this field. They take two, and work a couple more singles form Lyon’s over. 3.06pm AEST04:06 55th over: India 154-2 (Vijay 67, Kohli 24) Starc is bowling some balls with good lift that are making Kohli hesitate. But Kohli is still looking to score, pulling three runs through square, and failing to piece the field on the off side with a couple of attempted glides. 3.04pm AEST04:04 54th over: India 151-2 (Vijay 67, Kohli 21) Four! Who is this masked man? With the nervous 40s out of the way, Vijay suddenly unleashes. He cracks a sweep shot for four through square. Then he charges, spooking Lyon into releasing a high full toss, and drives it straight for another one. Dicey next ball, as he charges again, looking to go even bigger, and just clears the catching midwicket. That nets him two runs as the sweeper runs around. Then there’s a Lyon appeal when Vijay misses a sweep outside off, and then... Six! Another one for the Big Veeje, who has remembered what he’s doing out there, or forgotten it, depending on your point of view. Down the track, big swing, right under it, and lifts that deep over long on for all of the runs. The target is now under 200 at last. That’s probably still 50 too many to chase in the last session, unless they can get two or three more 16-run overs in before tea. 2.59pm AEST03:59 53rd over: India 135-2 (Vijay 51, Kohli 21) Mitchell Starc started raggedly but he’s been phenomenally effective. 11 overs for 12 runs. Vijay glances a single when he strays way down leg, but that’s it. 2.54pm AEST03:54 52nd over: India 134-2 (Vijay 50, Kohli 21) Half century. And by god it’s been a war of attrition. Vijay sweeps a single, Kohli plays his bottom-hand whip shot from outside off stump to long-on, then Vijay comes down the pitch to Lyon and drives his 50th run. 135 balls for it, 3 fours and one incongruous six. 2.51pm AEST03:51 51st over: India 131-2 (Vijay 48, Kohli 20) David Warner is having a conference with Mitch Starc at mid-off, which has the added comic benefit of watching a small primate chat to a giraffe. Kohli’s looking for runs from a couple of balls, defending others. It’s another maiden, well bowled this time. Kohli is on 666 runs for the series. Diabolical. Updated at 2.52pm AEST 2.46pm AEST03:46 50th over: India 131-2 (Vijay 48, Kohli 20) What the living hell is up with Murali Vijay? I have loved some of his work this series but he is really giving the irrits. He has scored one run in the last 12 overs, then he tries a reverse sweep against Nathan Lyon out of the rough. And misses. And tries another one. And misses. Just PLAY NORMALLY you dunce! Try to score with normal strokes, playing straight, playing with the turn, working the ball around. What is this carnival sideshow garbage in between impersonations of still life paintings? Get it together. Two singles from the over. None from the reverse sweep. 2.41pm AEST03:41 49th over: India 129-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 19) Starc coming really wide on the crease still, around the wicket. Kohli plays one safely off the edge through gully for two, then times a shorter ball better from the open face of the back-foot glide, and it teases Smith all the way to the rope but wins. So why isn’t Kohli revving up his batting partner a little? They’re way behind the pace, but if they’d just been slightly more active in the first couple of sessions they might have ticked off another 50 or 60 runs from their target. 2.37pm AEST03:37 48th over: India 123-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 13) Watson comes back to replace Harris from the Randwick end. Kohli foolishly takes a single from the first ball, meaning Vijay will monopolise struck and blot out the rest of the over. I’m writing this before it’s even happened, so confident am I that it won’t require revision. It doesn’t. He even misses out on a juicy burger outside his leg stump. Watson gets so bored that he follows it up with four byes down the leg side. Updated at 2.41pm AEST 2.33pm AEST03:33 47th over: India 118-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 12) Starc back. Very wide, Vijay drives and edges that sharply back into his boot. Nearly bowled himself. Starc’s bowling round the wicket from wide of the crease as well. Yorker length, angling in. Vijay’s equal to it. Then way too short outside off and Vijay can just watch it go by. Ends with another maiden. This is really disappointing. My crest is fallen. Updated at 2.41pm AEST 2.28pm AEST03:28 46th over: India 118-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 12) Harris to Kohli. The big bowler is sweating, he’s wiping his brow, the hair is plastered down. He rumbles up from the Randwick end but is met with almost casual disdain by Kohli’s defence. Keep throwing them down, old man, says that straight bat. But score a bloody run, mate! We’ve all seen you do it. Speaking of, I think this can settle any conjecture about this summer’s pitches. There have been more than 5700 runs scored this series between India and Australia, the most ever in a series of four or fewer Tests. Updated at 2.41pm AEST 2.23pm AEST03:23 45th over: India 118-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 12) A couple more from Hazlewood: Vijay gets a leg bye off his pads, Kohli somehow gets a ball outside off stump through midwicket for two. Then a single to fine leg. What’s happening, Josh? Updated at 2.25pm AEST 2.22pm AEST03:22 44th over: India 114-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 9) I’m getting a sinking feeling that this chase isn’t being pursued. We’ll know for sure by tea, but even if they get a move on now they’d still need 200 in the last session. Which Australia scored yesterday, but it’s not an everyday occurrence. Kohli takes two runs from Harris’ over, but that’s it. 2.14pm AEST03:14 43rd over: India 112-2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 7) Hazlewood’s figures are ruined as Vijay works a single to square leg, then Kohli takes a Red Bull run to mid-on after a checked defensive drive. Eight overs, six maidens, no wicket for three. (Or if you prefer, 8-6-0-3) That over also included a gazunder - a short ball that kept extremely low and went under the toe of Kohli’s bat, outside his off stump. No way to defend those if they’re on line. 2.08pm AEST03:08 42nd over: India 110-2 (Vijay 46, Kohli 6) Very tight from Watson, on the stumps with a good straight on-side field cutting off Kohli’s scoring. The Indian captain is content to wait that one out. 2.06pm AEST03:06 41st over: India 110-2 (Vijay 46, Kohli 6) More shades of Adelaide here: Kohli comfortable, Vijay awkward but surviving. He nearly edges one into his pad that balloons to gully, but the umpire dismisses the Australian appeal. Another maiden. Vijay crawling, 46 from 110 balls. I really can’t see what value there is in a draw for India. Surely they have to give themselves a chance, at least, to look at winning in the last session. No need for frenzied attack, but just keeping the score moving. 2.01pm AEST03:01 40th over: India 110-2 (Vijay 46, Kohli 6) Watson greets Kohli with a bouncer, but Kohli looks untroubled from the off. He blocks out the next three, pushes two runs through the covers, then plays an audacious glide to a ball that leapt at him and surprised him. This is the form Kohli is in - as that ball jumped from the pitch he waited back, checked his stroke and deflected it away between slip and gully for four. 1.57pm AEST02:57 39th over: India 104-2 (Vijay 46, Kohli 0) Mr Dangerous Kohli comes to the crease. Hazlewood bowls to Vijay, pitching up and getting late inswing from his third ball, it smashes the pad in front of off stump but umpire Kettleborough’s finger stays down. He’s had a good match, Kettles. There’s some hint that it might have nicked the toe of the bat before hitting pad. If it did, Kettleborough is the more talented man in the world. If it didn’t, that ball was knocking over middle. One more maiden for Hazlewood, who’s now bowled six overs for a single run. 1.54pm AEST02:54 38th over: India 104-2 (Vijay 46) So: Watson in 2015 averages 48.5 with the bat and 22 with the ball. It’s the Year of the Watto, I am telling you. Rohit had timed a leg glance nicely for four, but gone from the last ball. 1.51pm AEST02:51 WICKET! Rohit 39, c Smith b Watson What a catch! The golden boy can do no wrong, an absolute screamer at slip. Watson slid that ball short and wide, Rohit was in three minds about where to spank it, eventually he just tried a weird half-hearted bunted cut shot to look for runs toward third man, and he didn’t keep the ball down. Smith took off from slip and caught that mid-air, one-handed, and somehow it stuck. Miracle work. 1.48pm AEST02:48 37th over: India 100-1 (Vijay 46, Rohit 35) So it’s Lyon having a rest thanks to Watson. Harris carries on his excellent spell at the other end but perhaps he’s tiring. Gets too full twice in a row, one driven through cover by Vijay for three, the next dead straight by Rohit for three more. David Warner at mid-off does the chasing both times and prevents both boundaries. What a little bulldog. Dropped! Shaun Marsh puts Vijay down. He’s at that catching cover position, he got exactly what he was there for, a mistimed drive that went in the air. But it was well struck and it flew at Marsh, who stuck out his right hand and the ball nearly lodged. It wasn’t wide of him, he wasn’t diving, he should have caught that, but he was leaning and it tumbled from his hand as he fell. Four. Oh dear, Harris has lost his cool. He bowls full, Vijay pats it back to him, Harris picks up and throws at the stumps, and the ball skews from the footmarks and leaps over Haddin to the boundary. That is the easiest and safest four you’ll ever see a batsman score - Vijay accepts it gratefully. Ten from the over - there’s the Indian hundred up, and their target is now under 250. Harris is in the middle of an outstanding spell...so much craft. #AUSvIND Well, yes. Until just now, Akash. 1.40pm AEST02:40 36th over: India 90-1 (Vijay 39, Rohit 32) Shane Watson will have his first bowl for the innings. The have a very short straight mid-on for him, near the non-striker, and a catching midwicket. He’ll attack the stumps then. He does, and Rohit whips him in the air but square of that catching midwicket, and Rohit pushes hard for three. Vijay taps the next to square leg for a run. 1.35pm AEST02:35 35th over: India 86-1 (Vijay 38, Rohit 29) I’m all for playing yourself in and setting a platform, but these two needs to find a way of getting moving, even if only at a sedate pace. The first two balls of this Harris over find Rohit stuck on the crease, being beaten by nip and hit on the pad, high both times. There’s a huge gap between midwicket and fine leg, but Harris has been very disciplined outside off stump. The three fieldsmen in front of the wicket on the off side make it hard to score there, and the catchers wait behind. Finally Harris strays from the last ball of the over, and Rohit gets a run bunted to square. 1.31pm AEST02:31 34th over: India 85-1 (Vijay 38, Rohit 28) Rohit turning every ball of Lyon’s over to leg, but their field is well set and he can’t find a run. Until the last ball, where he glances it just wide of Warner at leg slip, to shouts from the field. This is looking a dicey strategy from the batsman. 1.28pm AEST02:28 33rd over: India 84-1 (Vijay 38, Rohit 27) Rohit escapes from Harris immediately, a single poked away behind point. Vijay is leaving Harris well, then repeatedly trying to glide a run square of the wicket without much bat movement, not wanting to go hard at the ball. He keeps picking out the field, three times running. Harris’ 7 overs have gone for 15. 1.24pm AEST02:24 32nd over: India 83-1 (Vijay 38, Rohit 26) Boomba! Rohit decides it’s time in his parade of dot balls for a punctuating six. Advances to Lyon and catches all of that ball on the off-drive. Into the empty seats by the sight screen by a matter of 15 rows. He advances again to drive a single very hard down the ground to mid-on, then Vijay is waiting on the back foot to late cut a ball behind point for two. Nine from the over, a good one for the chase. 1.21pm AEST02:21 31st over: India 74-1 (Vijay 36, Rohit 19) And an even quieter over for Harris at the other end, as Vijay bats out another maiden. Smith going in with his lead man from the commencement, Australia really want a wicket. They need to get Kohli in and then out again. 1.20pm AEST02:20 30th over: India 74-1 (Vijay 36, Rohit 19) Normal service resumes after lunch: a Lyon over, a Vijay sweep for a run, some awkward defence from Rohit, including copping one in the helmet grille. Plenty of bounce and turn for Lyon, he’s getting the ball to hop. 12.39pm AEST01:39 Lunch - India 73-1 Sooooo. A tight session, not much scoring but only the one wicket. You’d have to think the run rate makes it a little trickier for India to contemplate going for the win now, but it’s not out of the question. They’re 276 runs short of the target and have a minimum of 61 overs to face. So they’d need four an over from here. Australia went at six and a half in their last session yesterday, but you can’t see India batting with that sort of freedom unless they still have eight or nine wickets in hand well after tea. I hope they go for it, but maybe Kohli will be more reticent after Adelaide. Kind of doubt it given his mentality though. They really need Vijay to hang around but start scoring, Sharma to crash a quick half-century, then Kohli to come in and conduct the orchestra. As for the Aussies, they’ve bowled tightly and had a lot of close calls, so don’t discount them swarming India after lunch. I’ll rejoin you shortly - in the interim your Lunchtime Listen is the extremely lovely Anis Mojgani on why even the nicest man alive hates possums. 12.34pm AEST01:34 29th over: India 73-1 (Vijay 35, Rohit 19) Brayshaw on the TV: “He’s come here to this Sydney Test, Mitchell Starc, and been spot on. He’s asking questions with every ball.” Well, yes, but a lot of the questions have been, “Why was that so far down leg side?” or “What are the rules again?” I mean, he’s been economical, and he’s got better as he’s gone on. But come on. Maiden. Luncheon. Truncheon. Compton. Boston. Sam Loxton. Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Incidentally Marcus West just emailed me from Boston. “All the way from minus 10 in Boston. Dig deep Nathan Lyon. It’s a 5th day SCG pitch. There’s hope! From Bosox territory.” I will admit I don’t know what that is, but it’s nice they have their own place. 12.29pm AEST01:29 28th over: India 73-1 (Vijay 35, Rohit 19) Five minutes until lunch, and Steve Smith is having a bowl. Lands them quite nicely from the second ball, a bit of flight, a bit of drop. Sharma got a single to cover from the first ball, which was shorter. They do get a couple more singles, playing with the turn through cover, then Vijay’s last run is turned into two thanks to an overthrow. Five from the over. 12.25pm AEST01:25 27th over: India 68-1 (Vijay 32, Rohit 17) Nicely timed little square drive from Rohit as Starc gives him width. Played that late and with restraint. Good batting for three runs. Starc has been bowling left-arm over the wicket to this right-handed pair. Two slips, gully, point, short cover. He comes round the wicket late in the over but Vijay defends, and Starc finishes his sixth over for only five runs. 12.20pm AEST01:20 26th over: India 65-1 (Vijay 32, Rohit 14) Rohit tries another sweep to Lyon but doesn’t get all of it, and sends it riskily on the bounce to the backward square leg fieldsman, Ryan Harris. He can’t get off strike until the fifth ball, with a drive to long on. 12.18pm AEST01:18 25th over: India 64-1 (Vijay 32, Rohit 13) Starc returns, getting some useful bounce with his height. Vijay is looking very settled now though, and only wants to see off this first over as he gets the bowler’s gauge. If he can stay in later and flourish, India are a shout. For now it’s another maiden. 12.15pm AEST01:15 24th over: India 64-1 (Vijay 32, Rohit 13) Finally, he’s away. Rohit goes down on one knee to sweep Lyon fine for four, then skips down next ball to deposit the ball into the seats over long off. Cleanly struck six. That’ll get his blood running, which may or may not help his overall cause. We shall see. 12.12pm AEST01:12 23rd over: India 54-1 (Vijay 32, Rohit 3) Hazlewood to Rohit, and as much as we give the batsman some grief he’s digging in hard here. Finally, in the bowler’s fifth over, Rohit takes him for Hazlewood’s first run. 12.05pm AEST01:05 22nd over: India 53-1 (Vijay 32, Rohit 2) Vijay busting out the sweep more than Cinderella, but his single brings Rohit back on strike for more poky dot balls and edges near the catchers. Gets a late single, doubling his score. Updated at 12.12pm AEST 12.03pm AEST01:03 21st over: India 51-1 (Vijay 31, Rohit 1) So Vijay can’t get a run against Hazlewood, Rohit can’t get a run against Lyon, but now they’ve changed strike. And Rohit can’t get a run against Hazlewood. He’s in an awful bind here, Rohit - they need runs but if he gets out pushing to score then he’ll be panned again. At least he looks more comfortable batting out a maiden against the pace, apart from a hook to a short ball that missed by miles. If you only listened to Nine commentary you’d swear the Indian captain was named Dangerous Kohli. He’s in next, they keep reminding us. Thanks. Updated at 12.12pm AEST 11.57am AEST00:57 20th over: India 51-1 (Vijay 31, Rohit 1) Sharma is off the mark after 21 balls, tapping a rushed single to the on-side. Vijay says “Give the spinner to me!” as his first ball against Lyon in several overs is swept hard for two runs. That raises India’s 50. More importantly, it brings the target under 300. It’s all about increments. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.54am AEST00:54 19th over: India 48-1 (Vijay 29, Rohit 0) More maidens than Sherwood Forest so far this morning, as Vijay patiently sees off another accurate Hazlewood over. He’s probing, is J-Hazey, just varying the length subtly and maintaining that line. He’s definitely in the frame. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.52am AEST00:52 18th over: India 48-1 (Vijay 29, Rohit 0) Rohit is trying to get some rhythm going, defending Lyon’s over a little more convincingly aside from one ball that beats him. He’s faced 16 balls now without scoring. Brendan Favot in Sydney asks, “Any chance of today’s Test again going to the wire? That is, Steve Smith dropping a dolly due to spidercam?” We’ll do our best. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.47am AEST00:47 17th over: India 48-1 (Vijay 29, Rohit 0) Nice ball from Hazlewood, it seamed in toward Vijay after wobbling a tiny bit in the air. That’s tough to face if it’s on the stumps. Then there’s an excited appeal after the ball hits Vijay’s thigh pad through to the slips. Maiden. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.41am AEST00:41 16th over: India 48-1 (Vijay 29, Rohit 0) “Nathan Lyon has had some success against Sharma,” says Mark Taylor, as though other bowlers haven’t. Rohit doesn’t look very promising at the crease either: edging along the ground to slip, trying to run himself out, edging into his pad. A shaky over. Another maiden. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.38am AEST00:38 15th over: India 48-1 (Vijay 29, Rohit 0) Josh Hazlewood arrives for his first over of the day, and he bowls it like Josh Hazlewood. On or outside off, back of a length, left or defended, maiden. The Metronome. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.34am AEST00:34 14th over: India 48-1 (Vijay 29, Rohit 0) A long, long, looooong third umpire replay gives me time to go for a quiet stroll around Moore Park and return to the commentary position. Rohit Sharma stretched forward at Lyon first ball, his foot dragged from the crease, Brad Haddin had both bails off in an absolute twinkling, and Rohit’s foot was groping back toward safety. The Australians all celebrated immediately as though it were a formality, but on replay it was an incredibly tight call and you can’t quite be sure there wasn’t a micron of boot behind the line. Not out. Updated at 12.13pm AEST 11.27am AEST00:27 WICKET! Rahul 16, c Warner b Lyon There it is. You felt it was coming, but Vijay looked the more likely to fall. Lyon rips another one, good turn and bounce. He’s insisted on having a leg slip for Rahul, and as Rahul pushed forward to that rather than playing back as Vijay does, the ball took the glove and popped straight to that leg slip. 11.25am AEST00:25 13th over: India 47-0 (Vijay 28, Rahul 16) A hint of away movement for Harris now, just a centimetre or two but he beats Rahul’s edge. The youngster locks down into defensive mode once more. Harris is getting good lift too, he’s really putting in with this spell. God love him. But he looks disconsolate, hair plastered to his forehead, as he strays just a little full with his last ball and Rahul plays an exquisite off-drive for four. That was the shot of the day by a distance. Perfect, and there was a man there to stop it but it was just too well timed. 11.21am AEST00:21 12th over: India 43-0 (Vijay 28, Rahul 12) A leg slip, slip and bat pad in for Rahul against Lyon, but a ball deflects off the pad and goes fine of that leg slip. Two leg byes. I’ve finally got the replay of that Haddin miss, and it did cannon into his pad before he had time to see it, and bounced over him and away for runs. No chance of catching an edge that fast. Back in this over, Rahul opens the face to drive Lyon down to the third man rope, and David Warner does brilliantly on the dive to save a run. Vijay misses a sweep from the last ball and survives another appeal. 11.18am AEST00:18 11th over: India 38-0 (Vijay 28, Rahul 9) Another edge! Rahul this time from Harris, it went between slip and gully for four. But he hooks a bouncer from the last ball, not going too hard at it but just guiding it down to long leg for a single. 11.16am AEST00:16 10th over: India 33-0 (Vijay 28, Rahul 4) Four! Vijay comes down and drives flat, hard, along the ground past Nathan Lyon to the fence. Then he pushes two runs through cover before leaving the crease again for... Six! High over the midwicket fence. Vijay got to the pitch of that one and really got underneath it, the ball soared away. Edged! Did Haddin get a glove to that? I think it deflected off his leg after being nicked and ran away for two runs. Then another edge past slip, just inches from Shane Watson’s hands as Vijay gets two more fortunate runs. What an over. Went for 16 runs, but it doesn’t bode well for a long stay at the crease for Vijay. Aussies are right in this even while the runs are flowing. 11.11am AEST00:11 9th over: India 17-0 (Vijay 12, Rahul 4) Harris comes on from the Paddington end this time, and it’s a good tight over, Vijay taking an uncontrolled single to midwicket before Rahul manages to see out the rest. The youngster is really digging in while Vijay tries to be a bit more active. Updated at 11.12am AEST 11.05am AEST00:05 8th over: India 16-0 (Vijay 11, Rahul 4) Here’s a bit of intent from Vijay that may signal India’s interest in the win. Of course these two want to bed in and get well set, rather than give Australia the momentum of a wicket or two. Vijay doesn’t want to let Lyon settle though, so he’s on the sweep and top-edging fine for two runs, then down the pitch and lofting over mid-off for four. He takes a single from the final ball, through point. Updated at 11.12am AEST 11.04am AEST00:04 7th over: India 9-0 (Vijay 4, Rahul 4) Starc bowls another over, getting a bit more accurate but Vijay is leaving well, then darting a single. Phil Withall is with us: “I was reading the Joy of Six on great moments in commentary this morning. Apart from my surprise that Mark Nicholas was in it, I read something which should be posted on every available surfaces in the Channel Nine commentary box. ‘Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.’ Richie Benaud. Of course an alternative to the signs would be for it to be inserted into the employment contracts of all commentators (I’m looking at you James Brayshaw).” 11.00am AEST00:00 6th over: India 8-0 (Vijay 3, Rahul 4) So it’s spin already. Not much promising from the seamers so Smith says - Nathan Lyon, it’s your day. Get moving. With the new ball, Lyon can get some good bounce and might get some better grip off the seam. His first ball is turning a long way too, down leg for Haddin to whip off the bails. Vijay sweeps the next, then there’s a leg bye from Rahul’s pad. That one turned a long way too. Lyon is bowling quite wide off the stumps and really giving it a rip already. This is exciting stuff already. Vijay is comfortable with that turn, getting on the back foot and working to midwicket, as he did so often (and eventually got out that way for 99) in Adelaide. Rahul’s youthful nerves were evident in his debut match, and he admitted to them in his press conference after his century here. They’re still on display, as he tries an extravagant whip shot over midwicket from the last ball of the over, missed it utterly, and it was only Lyon’s wide line that kept him from danger of an LBW. 10.54am AEST23:54 5th over: India 5-0 (Vijay 1, Rahul 4) This is a bit of a coup: the ABC have Iva Davies in the commentary box. Every ground this summer has played Icehouse’s song ‘Great Southern Land’ at the players walk out at the start of each session. So that’s a lovely touch to get the band’s frontman in for a chat on the last day of the series. He’s proving an eloquent guest as well. Starc gets a bouncer through high into the air, then a fuller ball that bounces before it reaches Haddin. Not a lot of help for him, and not a lot of accuracy either from Starc. Rahul is happy to leave his scattergun stuff alone, but it’s fair trash - down leg, too full outside off, a real bag of mixed lollies. 10.50am AEST23:50 4th over: India 5-0 (Vijay 1, Rahul 4) Vijay faces his first ball from Harris, and as ever Harris is on the spot, angling in at that third and fourth stump line. They take a slip out and include a short mid-off, standing about two metres off the pitch and four metres in front of the non-striker’s crease. Harris does get one effort ball through that cuts a bit off the pitch, but with that field placing you can assume the Aussies are seeing this pitch as playing very slow. If you’re looking for the mistimed drive rather than the edge by the fourth over... It’s a maiden. 10.44am AEST23:44 3rd over: India 5-0 (Vijay 1, Rahul 4) Much more angle across for Starc starting the third over. He has three slips and a gully for Murali Vijay, then a point, mid-off, mid-on, square leg and fine leg. Orthodox attacking field, leaving the gap open at cover to encourage the drive. But Starc keeps going too wide. This is the problem with Starc - he looks vicious when he gets a ball right, but he gets so many wrong in the meantime. Vijay gets a single off his pads, way too straight there, and Rahul defends a bouncer without obvious discomfort. He needs to make sure he leaves the pull shot back in the paviliion, Rahul - he was out the same way for nothing in Melbourne and for a century in Sydney, trying to pull balls way outside his off stump. 10.40am AEST23:40 2nd over: India 4-0 (Vijay 0, Rahul 4) Ryan Harris takes up the cudgels from the Randwick end of the ground, and he’s not yet swinging it. He is angling it in at Rahul, repeatedly, but Rahul is behind all of these forays and pushing them back. He then gets off the mark, pretty much the same stroke but just a bit more follow-through on the defensive push, and it’s so well timed that it rolls away through mid-off for four. 10.37am AEST23:37 1st over: India 0-0 (Vijay 0, Rahul 0) We’re off. Mitchell Starc has the shiny new ball for Australia, red lacquer flashing in the partial sunshine. It’s a sweaty and humid day in Sydney, a real Turkish bath outside the air-conditioning, and there’s a fair bit of high and thin cloud cover that is taking the edge off the sunshine without fully blocking it. There’s a fair chance of rain predicted, maybe storms, but it’s a matter of whether they’ll come through before play finishes, and whether they make it this far east after falling in the west. Starc is getting some useful swing in this first over with the humidity around. Unfortunately he’s largely off line, swinging most of them down the leg side, but the last one is a jaffa - it’s angling across Vijay and he tries to leave but it hoops back in and clips the pad on off stump, there was a huge appeal but it was probably just missing. That was very dangerous stuff. 10.22am AEST23:22 Good morning! Australia have declared. That is the (those are the news?) from the Studly Corkage Mound, Australian skipping rope Steven Smudge setting the Indian team 349 to win. India were well on track to chase 364 before Virat Kohli fell in Adelaide, eventually going down by 49 runs. It’s a matter of conjecture whether this fifth-day pitch will be any easier or more difficult to bat on than that one. Kohli had no trouble in Adelaide but all of his teammates struggled to read the pace of the pitch, even Murali Vijay in his 99. There’s quite a different batting order this time too, with Rahul opening instead of Dhawan, Rohit at three instead of Pujara, and Raina at six instead of Rohit. Wriddhiman Saha was the man who probably fluffed the Adelaide chase with his rush-of-blood shots, but he could have a chance at redemption here after batting very nicely in the first innings. Geoff Lemon with you for the first two sessions with Matt Cleary to come in after tea if we last that long. Keep in touch with me throughout the day, it’s always good to get you lot involved: I’m on Twitter at @GeoffLemonSport or email at geoff.lemon@theguardian.com. Updated at 10.23am AEST 10.00am AEST23:00 Geoff Lemon will be here shortly to guide you through the first two sessions today, but before he arrives, catch up on day four’s action at the SCG. Skipper Steve Smith led the way with another torrent of runs as Australia raced to 251 for six and a lead of 348 over India before rain stopped play at the end of the fourth day of the fourth Test. Looking to wrap up the four-match series 3-0, the hosts dismissed India for 475 shortly before tea to take a 97-run first innings lead and then embarked on a fierce assault on the Indian bowlers in a bid to force a result. Read the full day four report here. And the Great Spidercam Debate of 2015 rumbled on yesterday, with Boof adding his thoughts on the perceived interference from the high-tech roving camera. |