Saturday 10 January 2015

At Last India survived to draw in the Fourth Test on final day!!


India survived to draw in the fourth & last Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, leaving Australia 2-0 winners of the series. 
Australia set to handed a victory target of 349 when they declared at 251-6 before the start of play, India were 160-2 at lunch & reached 252 -7 at the end.
Despite some disciplined bowling from the Australians on a turning pitch, only one Indian batsman had fallen in each of the first two sessions and the match looked destined for a draw at the second break.
Murali Vijay had illustrated the limited ambition of india, when he took 222 minutes and 135 balls to score a half century but it was only when his partnership with skipper Virat Kohli was broken that an Indian victory could be discounted.
Vijay survive an leg before wicket appeal off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood when he was on 46 and the paceman finally got his man when he induced the opener into an edge that Brad Haddin claimed behind the stumps for 80.

It was just reward for Hazlewood (2-31), who had bowled with great discipline and miserly economy in the first two sessions without taking a wicket.
Left-armer Mitchell Starc struck next, removing Kohli for 46 with a slanted delivery that the Indian captain edged to Shane Watson at first slip.
India were now rocking at 201-4 and Starc drove home Australia's advantage in his next over by trapping Suresh Raina leg before wicket for a duck to give the recalled batsman a pair for the match.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who had removed opener Lokesh Rahul before lunch, returned to dismiss Wriddhiman Saha lbw for another duck with a delivery that took a devilish bounce off the pitch and into the batsman's pads.
The 15,000 spectators at the SCG were now buzzing and Hazlewood elicited another huge roar when he reduced the tourists to 217-7 by trapping Ravichandran Ashwin lbw for one run.
Even on a day when the Australian bowlers took centre stage, captain Steve Smith could not be kept out of the limelight and it was his brilliant diving catch that ushered Rohit Sharma back to the dressing room for 39 just after lunch.


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