India vs Australia 4th Test, Day 4 Highlights: Ashwin Bags 4 But India in For Record Chase at SCG
Ravichandran Ashwin bagged four wickets as Australia finished on 251/6, leading India by 348 runs. Catch all highlights from Day Four's action here.
India face the prospect of a record run chase on Day 5 after Australia extended their lead to 348 at stumps on Day 4. Highlights from the Sydney Test here. (Live Scorecard | Live Updates)
12.25 (IST): STUMPS! Australia finish on 251/6, lead India by 348 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin bagged four wickets but India will be in for a record chase. They finish on 251/6, lead India by 348 runs!
12.13 (IST): Joe Burns reaches his 2nd Test fifty off just 36 balls. What a knock by the young man! Australia's lead is now 331!
12.09 (IST): Burns (41 off 29) and Haddin (22 off 22) have added 50 off just six overs. The Aussies are swiftly pulling the game on their side. Australia 215/5
12.00 (IST): SIX! Joe Burns is a man on a mission. He tonks a six to take Australia past 200 and the lead past 300.
11.58 (IST): Brad Haddin and Joe Burns are going after the Indian bowlers. The Australian lead is now 290.
11.52 (IST): Highest run chase at Sydney is 288, by hosts Australia. The last visiting team to have a successful run-chase in Sydney is England. They chased down 194.
11.43 (IST): OUT! Steve Smith is gone for 71! He perishes to a good delivery from Shami which traps the Aussie batsman in front of the stumps. Australia 165/5
11.26 (IST): Here's Virat Kohli with some sloppy footwork. Who would have thought?
Oh no #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/RY0A2Tk9F9
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 9, 2015
11.23 (IST): What a Day 4 this is turning out to be! Ashwin has dismissed Shaun Marsh (1) to reduce Australia to 139/4. This game could go either way now!
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11.14 (IST): Fifty for Steve Smith! His unbelievable good form continues. Australia 132/3, lead by 229 runs.
11.12 (IST): OUT! Rogers is gone for 56! He is caught by Raina off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Australia 126/3
11.10 (IST): FIFTY for Chris Rogers! His tenth in Tests and sixth in-a-row. What a player!
11.05 (IST): Australia have put on 118/2, thanks to Rogers (48) and Steve Smith (48). They now lead India by 215 runs.
10.53 (IST): Chris Rogers is defying India very well here! He has raced away to 48 and is two short of his sixth fifty in-a-row. What a series he's having!
10.31 (IST): Steve Smith has walked out with the motive of going after the Indian bowling. He smashes four fours off Umesh Yadav to claim a spectacular record! He has now surpassed Don Bradman's tally (715 in 1947/48) of most runs in a single India-Australia series!
Congratulations @stevesmith49! @CricketAus now 2/85. Rogers* 36, Smith* 27. #PinkTest #AUSvIND #WWOS pic.twitter.com/CnGNzDqJuR
- Wide World of Sports (@WWOS9) January 9, 2015
10.10 (IST): OUT! Shane Watson has played a Ravichandran Ashwin delivery onto his stumps. Australia 46/2. Is there a fresh twist in the tale?
09.59 (IST): A young Aussie fan was animated when Rogers hit a four.
.@ShaneWarne and @MClarke23 were big fans of this young spectator at the @scg! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/sykMSRpmYa
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 9, 2015
09.45 (IST): Tea! Australia go in to tea at 38/1, leading India by 135 runs. Virat Kohli has been aggressive with his field and Ashwin has repaid his early faith. An interesting final session is coming up.
09.38 (IST): FOUR! Streaky from Watson. He charges down and looks to go over the top against Ashwin but the ball goes off an under edge. Interesting passage of play. Kohli is attacking with close-in fielders on a wicket where Ashwin is getting the ball to turn and bounce sharply. Aussies are looking to take the bowlers on. Australia 38/1.
09.35 (IST): Lot of drama happening here! A missed run out chance! Saha fumbles and Watson survives. Here's what happened:
Missed chance for India. LIVE: http://t.co/gf5oOkWupd #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/V0I22af4Fs
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 9, 2015
09.22 (IST): And the move works! Ashwin strikes early! He gets rid of David Warner, who edges a spinning delivery to Murali Vijay at first slip. Australia 6/1
09.20 (IST): Interesting move here! Virat Kohli throws the ball to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the 2nd over.
09.15 (IST): David Warner and Chris Rogers walk out to bat. Can the Aussies still aim for the 3-0 scoreline?
09.07 (IST): All out! Umesh Yadav is the last wicket to fall. Harris gets him to top edge a length delivery and Haddin takes a good diving catch. India 475 all out, trail Australia by 97 runs.
08.53 (IST): OUT! Ashwin edges Starc and Haddin makes no mistake behind the stumps. The bowler troubled Ashwin immensely in that over with the ball rising all the time - eventually finding the edge.
08.46 (IST): Ashwin hits 4th Fifty. India (455/8) trail by Australia (572/7d) by 117 runs on Day 4.
08.34 (IST): FACTOID: Ashwin has now achieved the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Tests. He is the third fastest to get there (24 Tests), ahead of Ian Botham (21) and Vinoo Mankad (23).
08.30 (IST): OUT! Well, well! After a lot of deliberation Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been given out by the third umpire. Lyon bowled a full ball and Bhuvneshwar looked to cut it. The bat struck the ground just before the ball passed the bat and it took multiple replays for the TV umpire to make a call. Sunil Gavaskar on commentary was dead sure it was a 'bump ball' and couldn't believe the third umpire's decision. Tough call, should've given the benefit of doubt to Bhuvneshwar. He goes for 30. India 448/8.
08.20 (IST): Close! Bhuvneshwar almost plays a Lyon delivery onto his stumps.
So close... LIVE: http://t.co/gf5oOkWupd #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/HmbStShdCy
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 9, 2015
08.05 (IST): FOURS! Bhuvneshwar Kumar plays two handsome strokes on the off-side off Harris to bring up the 50-run stand between him and Ashwin.
07.58 (IST): Bhuvneshwar Kumar has looked positive since coming back from the break. He has scored a couple of boundaries. He is batting on 15 off 50 balls. India 426/7, trail by 146 runs.
07.30 (IST): Just before the stroke of lunch, Mitchell Starc, fresh from a reprimand for giving Murali Vijay a send-off, had a few things to tell to Ashwin.
.@mstarc56 and @ashwinravi99 jussst discussing the Menu a lil' before Lunch here on Day 4 at #SCG #AUSvIND #PinkTest pic.twitter.com/uX8ce5vWg5
- Cricingif (@cricingif) January 9, 2015
07.13 (IST): LUNCH! India go in for lunch at 407/7, 165 runs behind Australia.
06.52 (IST): Ravichandran Ashwin is leading India's fight after Kohli and Saha's early exit on Day 4. His innings so far.
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06.45 (IST): 400 up for India! An outside edge off Ashwin's bat runs away to the third man fence. Ashwin moves on to 30.
06.40 (IST): Since Saha's wicket, Indian pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have added 11 runs off 46 balls.
© AP
06.12 (IST): OUT! Wriddhiman Saha's solid but short knock ends. He was looking technically correct until a Hazlewood bouncer foxes him. The short delivery was moving towards him and was rising sharply, Saha was looking to duck awkwardly and the ball richoched off his gloves to Steve Smith at first slip. India 383/7
06.02 (IST): India's deficit is now under 200. Saha drives Hazlewood through covers to move to 34. India 381/6, trail Australia by 191 runs.
05.43 (IST): Some excellent quality cricket here! Mitchell Starc bowls a terrific bouncer from round the stumps. Wriddhiman Saha does equally well by dropping his wrists and swaying away brilliantly. Straight out of the coaching manual.
Killer delivery by @mstarc56 !! Saha did well to get out of the way !! #AUSvIND #PinkTest #cricingif pic.twitter.com/ttuSLQB2jd
- Cricingif (@cricingif) January 9, 2015
05.27 (IST): Here's how Kohli's 147 runs have come in this innings.
© NDTV
05.25 (IST): Kohli was miffed with himself for throwing his wicket away.
Kohli's reaction to his dismissal... LIVE: http://t.co/gf5oOkWupd #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/FPAB7OiNuj
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 8, 2015
05.22 (IST): Oh dear! Virat Kohli is gone! He flicks as Ryan Harris ball uppishly and it goes straight to Chris Rogers at short mid-wicket. Kohli's knock ends on 147. India 352/6
05.09 (IST): Kohli too begins with a cover drive and three runs. India 348/5, trail Australia by 224 runs.
05.05 (IST): First runs of the morning come off Wriddhiman Saha's bat. He drives through covers for three runs. India 345/5
04.58 (IST): Sunil Gavaskar reckons hasn't changed much over the four days but feels it could throw a few surprises on Day 5. On Day 4, however, he says it's a 'hang-in-there' wicket.
04.41 (IST): Coach Darren Lehmann was earlier seen inspecting the pitch. He might have a few words of advice on how to get Kohli out early today.
.@darren_lehmann inspecting day four's pitch. What is he thinking? #PinkTest #AUSvIND #WWOS pic.twitter.com/ym4tO2Tyuw
- Wide World of Sports (@WWOS9) January 8, 2015
04.29 (IST): The Australian team is out in the SCG doing some drills.
Chris Rogers warming up with his teammates - seems to be over his back problem from yesterday #AUSvIND #PinkTest pic.twitter.com/FpEapovOxx
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 8, 2015
© AP
Kohli (140*) and Rahul (110) were the men to watch out for on the third day's play against Australia. While a rather flat wicket helped their case, it was a partnership that made Aussie fielders sweat under the summer Sydney sun. The duo put on 141 runs for the third wicket after the fall of Rohit Sharma (53).
Rahul - playing in only his second Test - was praised by all including the Australians for his gritty effort. Although dropped twice - including the instance when Steve Smith spilled him and accused Spidercam cables of distracting him, the 22-year-old Karnataka batsman played unfazed cricket. While the Spidercam controversy threatens to assume big proportions going forward, nothing can take away the century from the batsman's record books. (Also read: Australia in awe of Lokesh Rahul)
Speaking of records, Kohli too stormed into the record books once again. He became the first cricketer to slam three Test tons in his first three Tests as captain. And he is not done just yet. Former India cricketer Sourav Ganguly has already predicted that Kohli won't settle for anything short of a double century in the innings.
For India to target a lead, Kohli has to play a key role and will resume the innings with Wriddhiman Saha on Friday.