India bowl out Australia for 200; set a target of 70 to win
Brief scores
Australia 195, 200 ( Cameron Green 45, Matthew Wade 40, Mohammed Siraj 3 for 37, Ravindra Jadeja 2 for 28) lead India 326 ( Ajinkya Rahane 112, Nathan Lyon 3 for 72) by 69 runs
After an extended session, India finally managed to bowl the Australians out. The visitors kept taking wickets at regular intervals, and the home side's staunch defence was ultimately over by the end of the session. India now have a chance to level the series, with the visitors needing 70 to win the Boxing Day Test.
Ajinkya Rahane started with his two best bowlers in an attempt to wrap up the tail quickly. However, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin couldn’t get that early wicket. Bumrah was then replaced, with India's premier fast bowler being given a rest ahead of the second new ball, with Siraj coming into the attack.
The Australian duo of Cameron Green and Pat Cummins showed great resolve, blocking everything as they scored just 11 runs in the first 10 overs. The home side brought up the 50-partnership next, their first in the second innings.
New ball brings wickets for India
India took the new ball as soon as it became available, and the wicket of Pat Cummins came soon after. Jasprit Bumrah bowled an unbelievable bouncer, which the Australian could only tamely stick his back out on. Mayank Agarwal completed the catch at slip, and Pat Cummins’ (22 of 103 balls) resolute innings finally came to an end.
The young Cameron Green didn’t let the wicket impact his concentration as he continued to play out the India bowlers confidently. Green’s stature seemed to be growing as the morning session went on, with the Australian dispatching Jasprit Bumrah for a couple of boundaries in the 87th over.
Ajinkya Rahane’s bowling changes and field placements have been a highlight of the Boxing Day Test, and he got another one to work. Bumrah’s escapades with the new ball lasted just 4 overs, with debutant Siraj replacing the India star once again.
The change in bowling brought the prize wicket of Cameron Green, albeit softly. Cameron Green’s positive intent towards the new ball proved to be his undoing, with the all-rounder’s pull shot finding Ravindra Jadeja at mid-wicket. Green would have been frustrated to walk back to the pavilion after a well made 45 off 146 balls, particularly after he had done all the hard work to get himself in.
The end of the session was a dramatic one. India thought they had the wicket of Mitchell Starc after the batsman was given out. But a DRS call saved the Australian after replays showed the ball missing the stumps. The visitors got their wicket soon after, though, as Nathan Lyon gloved one ball down leg to the keeper off Siraj's bowling.
With the session extended by 30 minutes, it looked like the Australian tail would continue to frustrate the Indian bowlers for a while. However, Ashwin managed to outfox Josh Hazlewood with the ball's trajectory, and the delivery ultimately hit the top of off stump to end the Australian innings.