India vs Australia, 4th Test Day 5, Highlights: In Record Chase, India Salvage Narrow Draw; Australia Win Series 2-0
Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar batted out a sticky period to eke out a draw at Sydney. Catch all the highlights here.
India lost seven wickets and were in for an Adelaide-like collapse before Rahane and Bhuvneshwar stuck it out well to help India draw the Sydney Test. Catch all the highlights here: (Live Scorecard | Live Updates)
12.55 (IST): Man of the match and series, Steve Smith: Very good series win, that is the most important thing for us. Tough day in the office for us. We did not get the variable bounce we were expecting on a day five pitch. There were a couple of chances that did not come off the glove and things like that. Credit to India for the way they played today. Really enjoyed this series, some pretty flat wickets and I have enjoyed batting, to make four hundreds in a series is very satisfying. I have really enjoyed captaining these guys, they played their hearts out today.
12.54 (IST): Virat Kohli: It has been a hard-fought series. We wanted to play hard cricket, give a fight, and that is what the boys have done. In Adelaide, and even today we thought we had a chance, but Australia kept coming back. The way they have composed themselves after the (Phillip Hughes) incident and came out is commendable. At tea time, I was not 100% sure if we wanted to go for the target. After Vijay got out, I thought why not take a chance, we are not coming back here for a while, If it does not happen it does not. The intent and character the side is showing is important. These guys have stepped up and shown they have the character and game at the international level, Rahul especially after the kind of debut he had. It is tough in Australia, I have experienced that before.
12.31 (IST): It's DRAW! The Sydney Test ends in draw, giving Australia a 2-0 series win.
12.05 (IST): Rahane and Bhuvneshwar have played out yet another over. India 234/7, five overs left for India to eke out a draw.
11.59 (IST): Bhuvneshwar Kumar plays out a maiden over off Lyon. India 230/7. Six overs remain.
11.46 (IST): Rahane takes a single off the final Starc delivery and keeps strike. India 221/7, nine overs remain.
11.42 (IST): New ball taken! India 219/7 in 80 overs. Mitchell Starc comes back into the attack with three slips, a gully and a point in place for Bhuvneshwar. Can the visitors stick it out for 10 overs.
11.40 (IST): Bhuvneshwar Kumar joins Rahane in the middle. Can they bat out 10 overs or will Australia sign off with a 3-0 series victory?
11.36 (IST): Ashwin is gone! He is trapped LBW by Hazlewood for 1. Australia are three wickets away from a win. India 217/7
11.31 (IST): The ball is turning and keeping low. A gripping hour of play remains. Just 12 overs remain. Australia four wickets away.
11.18 (IST): India 215/6 in 75 overs with Rahane and Ashwin in the middle. Can they dig in for 15 overs and escape with a draw?
11.04 (IST): Lyon gets another one! India lose their sixth! Wriddhiman Saha is trapped LBW by Lyon. India 208/6.
10.57 (IST): India reach 208/5 in 71 overs , need 141 more to win off 114 balls. Australia five wickets away.
10.54 (IST): True test of character for Wriddhiman Saha here. He will have to dig in and give good company to Rahane. India 203/5 with 20.2 overs remaining in the day.
10.54 (IST): Shambles! Suresh Raina gets a pair! He is trapped LBW by Starc for a duck. India 203/5
10.44 (IST): OUT! Virat Kohl is gone! What a big wicket. He is caught by Watson off Starc. He goes for 46. India 201/4
10.30 (IST): Streaky! Kohli tries to drive Starc, who is bowling from round the stumps, but an outside edge almost carried to Lyon at gully. India 201/3, need 148 to win from 23.3 overs.
10.28 (IST): Nathan Lyon comes into the attack and almost gets Kohli out! Kohli looks to flick a delivery on the leg side but a leading edge almost carries to Lyon. Kohli can breathe again. India 184/3, need 164 more runs to win.
10.20 (IST): That wicket ended Murali Vijay exceptional tour of Australia. He finishes on 482 runs.
10.15 (IST): OUT! Oh dear! Murali Vijay is gone, caught behind by Haddin off Hazlewood. He departs for a well made 80. India are 178/3, need 171 runs to win.
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10.13 (IST): Murali Vijay has moved into the 80s. India 177/2, need 172 off 30 overs.
10.05 (IST): The final session is underway. Will Virat Kohli go for the win?
09.45 (IST): TEA! India end second session on 160/2 with Murali Vijay (71) and Virat Kohli (26) in the middle. Visitors need 189 more runs off 198 balls.
09.33 (IST): Murali VIjay smashes two fours and a six off Nathan Lyon. India 151/2, need 198 more runs to win in 36 overs. Vijay has also earned himself a milestone here.
Most runs in a series by Indian openers in Australia 469* M Vijay in 2014/15 464 V Sehwag in 2003/04 450 S Gavaskar in 1977/78 #AusvInd
- Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) January 10, 2015
09.20 (IST): Tenth Fifty for Murali Vijay! It's his 4th of the series. India 134/2
09.10 (IST): Virat Kohli (20) and Murali Vijay (48) have added 27 runs off 13 overs. India 131/2 in 51 overs, need 218 to win off 39 overs.
08.59 (IST): India have managed 45 runs off 17 overs in the second session so far and have lost the wicket of Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli, India's best batsman of the series, is out in the middle. Kevin Pietersen has a few words of praise for the Indian skipper.
Right, being a cricket nuffy now...how good is @imVkohli's weight through the ball on striking. SPOT ON! Kids - watch it!
- Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) January 10, 2015
08.30 (IST): Virat Kohli has joined Murali Vijay in the middle. India 104/2
08.21 (IST): WHAT A CATCH! Steve Smith takes a blinder at first slip to send Rohit Sharma (39) back to the pavilion. Watson breaks the vital stand. India 104/2
Can't stop watching. Won't stop watching. http://t.co/gf5oOkWupd #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/bXFAX8plos
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 10, 2015
08.16 (IST): 100 comes up for India in 37 overs. They still need 249 to win from 53 overs.
08.05 (IST): Ryan Harris has bowled two overs of excellent quality, strangling the Indian batsmen in the crease.
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07.55 (IST): The Aussie seam bowlers have been at their miserly best today. Mitchell Starc, Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlwood have conceded 20 runs in 18 overs between them. They're doing a fabulous job of building pressure at one end while Lyon attacks and goes for wickets at the other end. India 83/1
07.51 (IST): SIX! Rohit Sharma steps down the track to Nathan Lyon and hits him for a straight six. India 80/1
07.42 (IST): In Adelaide, India needed 259 off 56 overs after lunch. At SCG, they need 276 off 61. Lyon begins second session.
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07.10 (IST): LUNCH TIME! India reach 73/1 at lunch with Murali Vijay (35) and Rohit Sharma (18) in the middle. The visitors need 276 runs off 61 remaining overs.
06.57 (IST): FACTOID: Steve Smith's best figures in domestic cricket is 7/64. He managed that on a crumbling 4th innings wicket at this Sydney ground for New South Wales against South Australia five years ago.
06.55 (IST): Steve Smith comes into the attack. India 68/1
06.43 (IST): Rohit Sharma gets a move on! He first sweep Lyon for a four and follows it up with straight six. After the over, Haddin walked alongside Rohit and had a few words for him. India 64/1
06.33 (IST): Sensational stuff from Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood. They've given nothing away to Vijay and Rohit. India 53/1 in 22 overs.
06.25 (IST): Relief for Rohit as he gets his first run - off his 21st ball. India also go past 50. 51/1 in 20 overs, need 298 off 70 overs.
06.24 (IST): Rahul's wicket has built up some pressure. India haven't scored a run in the last 35 balls. Rohit is batting on 0 off 17 balls. India 48/1
06.19 (IST): Australia have an early wicket and India haven't scored a run in 25 balls. Fans are clearly delighted.
Aussies happy to see @NathLyon421 draw first blood and heres a bit of a victory dance #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/4Bc3gNyB3n
- Cricingif (@cricingif) January 10, 2015
06.03 (IST): A lot of early drama at the SCG. Rohit Sharma has survived a close stumping call.
Thoughts? http://t.co/gf5oOkWupd #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/CIH764Eib2
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 10, 2015
05.57 (IST): There comes the first wicket! Turn and bounce for Nathan Lyon and Lokesh Rahul is making his way back to the stands. He came down the track to negate the turn but the ball spun enough to clip his glove and lob straight to David Warner at leg slip. India 48/1
05.48 (IST): Vijay has not hesitated to step out and take Lyon on. It will be interesting to see how Rahul deals with the turn and bounce here. A good contest beckons. India 40/0
05.47 (IST): The current crop of young Indian batsmen seem to have impressed VVS Laxman.
The young Indian bating unit have gained respect&reputation on this AUS tour.1 more chance to enhance that. Have to remain positive #AUSvIND
- VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 9, 2015
05.41 (IST): Murali Vijay is looking to unsettle Nathan Lyon. He dances down the track and hits a four down the ground and then follows it up with a six over mid-wicket. 16 runs off the over, India 33/0 in 10 overs.
05.17 (IST): Early hint of movement for both Mitchell Starc and Ryan Harris. Vijay is happy to let most go to Haddin behind the stumps. The target is huge but Kohli & Co. will want Vijay and Rahul to set the innings up for the team here. If this pair can stay on till lunch and add close to a 100 runs, we will have a match on our hands.
05.10 (IST): Virat Kohli is in good company at the SCG!
05.09 (IST): First runs for India! Lokesh Rahul drives Ryan Harris straight down the ground for a four. India 4/0
04.42 (IST): GAME ON! Steve Smith has made an overnight declaration. India in a record chase of 349.
04.34 (IST): Jason Gillespie sums up the mood ahead of the final day of the Test series. It has indeed been the Kohli-Smith show.
Have enjoyed watching two young captains learning how to lead their teams in international cricket. Both impressive!!!! #smith #kohli
- Jason Gillespie (@YCCCDizzy) January 9, 2015
04.23 (IST): Good morning! Nathan Lyon must be the happiest ahead of Day 5.
Nathan Lyon will be liking the look of the rough at the Paddington End #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/VA0qv1Pe30
- cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 9, 2015
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Australia were 251 for six with an overall lead of 348 runs at the close on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test against India in Sydney on Friday. Brad Haddin was not out 31 and an overnight declaration was likely. Nathan Lyon will be the danger man and how the Indian top order faces the in-form off-spinner on a turning wicket will be key.
Rather than batting out the day for a draw, Ravichandran Ashwin suggested the visitors will try to chase down the target on a benign track. "We are here to play positive cricket and win games of cricket. If presented with the chance to try and go for a victory, we will try to go for it as sensibly as possible," Indian spinner Ashwin.
India have quickly moved on from MS Dhoni's dramatic Melbourne exit. With Captain Cool keeping away from the team's social activities, it became easier for the players to adjust to the new order. The batting order was shuffled quickly and it made a good impact. Lokesh Rahul scored his maiden Test century and Rohit Sharma got runs. More importantly, Kohli celebrated his full-time captaincy with a king-size hundred. But there is a lot of work still to be done in Sydney.
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Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody has emphasised the need for Australia to deploy a specialist fielder at the short-leg fielding position where several catches have been dropped by the home team. (Read More)
India's overseas Test performance has repeatedly plunged the side into despair. The current tour of Australia is no different. The hosts, after sealing the four-Test series 2-0, have piled on runs once again at Sydney - taking full advantage of a rickety Indian bowling attack. Former captain Sourav Ganguly feels the Indians are in desperate need of guidance and the experience of Anil Kumble can be a massive boon.