It is finally here. Day five of a Test match between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In what has been a contest that saw multiple records get made over the past four days, Australia went into the sunset on Sunday with 228/9, leading by 333 runs.
The last time these two teams played a fifth day of a Test in a Test fixture that was not affected by rain, was the 2023 World Test Championship Final. In the time since Australia have played 18 Tests and India 16 (three Tests between the two) and not one have gone into the final day without the weather playing its part.
Here, in Melbourne, the first and foremost credit perhaps would go to the MCG head curator Matt Page who promised an entertaining contest. However, no one deserves more than a small group of players who made it possible. Jasprit Bumrah who kept India in the contest through the series while scaling one mount after another on a personal front has taken eight wickets in the match and almost had his ninth in the final over of Sunday. Nitish K Reddy and Washington Sundar showed their value with the bat and ensured the visitors did not succumb.
Then, of course, there were partnerships between Marnus Labuschagne-Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon-Scott Boland. When Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep were breathing fire on a day where the ball seamed more than it ever did over the past three days, Australia were on the ropes. They were down to 91/6 and the lead was less than 200.
However, as he has done on numerous occasions, Cummins put up a defiant effort along with Labuschagne. Such was the impact Bumrah had that even the latter was protecting Cummins from the Indian pacer. He had already taken four wickets in the first innings and added four more in the second, becoming the first-ever bowler in the history of the sport to take 200 Test wickets at an average of less than 20. They knew that every over, hour and session they spent in the middle, Bumrah would be overworked.
It has been India’s go-to strategy. Start with Bumrah, rotate around the rest for a while and bring him back. Even on Sunday, he had bowled 24 off the 82 overs India sent down despite them fielding six bowlers.
Australians did not want to face Bumrah. They tried to negate him as much as possible while keeping the scoreboard moving against others. That they had already secured a 105-run lead helped. Labuschagne and Cummins put on a valiant stand before Siraj had the last laugh. From there on, the lower order frustrated the visitors more. It all came down to Lyon and Boland, who added 55 runs before the stumps were drawn.
And the end did not come without drama. In the last over, Bumrah, running in, trying to give his everything, nicked Lyon and KL Rahul caught it on the rebound. Just when it seemed like he had gotten his third fifer of the series, it was called no ball.
Although there is no guarantee that Australia will declare overnight, even if they do, it will not be easy. With 98 overs to play, on a pitch that has started to see uneven bounce, Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Boland would be raring to go. What India would have for sure is the backing of the crowd. While strong Indian support was always expected, this match has surpassed expectations. With the chance of making another record for most attendance for any Test at the MCG, CA has slashed the prices to ten dollars per adult.
Thirty seven days since Bumrah led India onto the field in Perth, the series is still alive. One of the World Test Championship Final spots is still up for grabs. And with the rain forecast in Sydney, it all might just come down to the one last day at the G. Expect Cummins and Rohit Sharma to put themselves on the line in what is going to be yet another day of enthralling Test cricket.
Scoreboard
Australia 1st Innings 474. India 1st Innings (O/n 358/9): Nitish c Starc b Lyon 114; Siraj n.o 4. Extras (lb 2, nb 4, w 5) 11. Total (119.3 ovs) 369. FoWs: 1-8, 2-51, 3-153, 4-154, 5-159, 6-191, 7-221, 8-348, 9-350, 10-369. Bowling: Starc 25-2-86-0; Cummins 29-6-89-3; Scott Boland 27-7-57-3; Lyon 28.3-4-96-3; Marsh 7-1-28-0. Head 3-0-11-0. Australia 2nd Innings: Konstas b Bumrah 8; Khawaja b Siraj 21; Labuschagne lbw Siraj 70; Smith c Pant b Siraj 13; Head c Nitish b Bumrah 1; Marsh c Pant b Bumrah 0; Carey b Bumrah 2; Cummins c Sharma b Jadeja 41; Starc run out 5; Lyon 41 n.o; Boland 10 n.o. Extras (lb 9, nb 6, w 1) 16. Total (82 ovs) 228/9. FoWs: 1-20, 2-43, 3-80, 4-85, 5-85, 6-91, 7-148, 8-156, 9-173. Bowling: Bumrah 24-7-56-4; Akash Deep 17-4-53-0; Siraj 22-4-66-3; Jadeja 14-2-33-1; Nitish 1-0-4-0; Washington 4-0-7-0.