Australia beat India by 184 runs in a thrilling
conclusion to the fourth Test in Melbourne to take a 2-1 lead going into the
final match of the series.
India were set a target of 340 in 92 overs and batted
cautiously throughout the innings with little ambition to chase an unlikely
victory.
But a sensational bowling performance in the evening session
saw Australia take the final seven wickets for just 34 runs as India were
bowled out for 155 in the final hour.
The tourists slipped to 33-3 but opener Yashasvi Jaiswal
looked intent on securing a hard-fought draw for India before he was caught
behind off Pat Cummins for 84 from 208 balls with 21 overs remaining.
Jaiswal had battled through a wicketless afternoon session
alongside wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who made 30 from 104 balls - but they were
the only men to pass double figures.
Pant eventually ran out of patience and slogged Travis Head
to long-on for another wasteful dismissal and his departure after tea sparked
the collapse.
Cummins and Scott Boland finished with three wickets each
while spinner Nathan Lyon took two after his batting heroics, falling for 41 in
the second over of the day as Australia were all out for 234.
He was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, who finished with 5-57 in
another scintillating performance.
The series concludes in Sydney from 2 January, where a win
would secure Australia's place in the World Test Championship final alongside
South Africa.
Cummins stars in classic win
In front of a record attendance for a Test match in
Australia - with 373,691 spectators at the MCG over the five days - captain
Cummins delivered another masterclass with the ball and with his tactics.
India openers Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma started
slowly to set the tone for the team's approach, battling to 25-0 from 16 overs
with just 12 scoring shots played within the first 90 balls.
However Cummins' double-wicket maiden in the 17th over burst
the door open for Australia, as Rohit edged to gully for nine and KL Rahul was
caught at slip for a duck.
Three further maidens followed before Mitchell Starc removed
Virat Kohli for five on the stroke of lunch with India firmly on the back foot.
But after the break they were thwarted by resistance from
Pant and Jaiswal, who both adapted to the situation by calming their usual
aggressive approach.
Their fourth-wicket stand of 88 was watchful and looked like
saving the game until a stroke of brilliance from Cummins saw him throw the
ball to part-time spinner Head.
Pant could not resist attacking and clubbed a short delivery
to Mitchell Marsh on the boundary which ignited Australia and opened the gates
for their seamers to pounce on a nervous middle-to-lower order.
Ravindra Jadeja was caught behind off Boland, first-innings
centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy edged Lyon to slip and when Cummins landed the
hammer blow with Jaiswal edging a well-directed bouncer behind, it felt as if
India's hopes departed with him.
Jaiswal stands alone amid India collapse
The pressure continues to mount on senior players in India's
top order - not least skipper Rohit, after another poor Test with 12 runs from
his two innings.
Kohli was also out to a loose shot, flailing outside his off
stump while appearing to be caught in two minds about how to approach the
innings.
But Jaiswal, after his first-innings 82, held firm and
demonstrated his ability to adjust his game when required with another gritty
knock.
The 23-year-old only hit eight fours in his 208-ball stay
and displayed great maturity in helping Pant curb his own attacking instincts.
He was visibly unhappy with his dismissal as he walked past
umpire Joel Wilson, who had initially given him not out.
Australia requested a review and third umpire Sharfuddoula
Saikat recommended Wilson's decision be overturned because of a deflection he
could see on the slow-motion reply despite ultra-edge technology not showing a
spike.
Washington Sundar provided more stubborn resistance after
Jaiswal's departure with his unbeaten five from 45 balls, but the lower order
was blown away, with the last three wickets falling in the space of four overs.
Australia were only an over away from the second new ball
but it was not required as both Akash Deep and Bumrah fell to Boland before
Lyon claimed the final wicket with Mohammed Siraj pinned lbw for a duck.
India still have a chance of reaching the World Test
Championship final but their fate is now out of their own hands.
They must triumph in Sydney and hope Sri Lanka win the
series against Australia that starts at the end of January.
'One of best Tests I've been part of' - reaction
India captain Rohit Sharma: "It is pretty
disappointing. It's not that we went in with the intent of giving up the fight,
we wanted to fight until the end but unfortunately we couldn't do it.
"It'll be tough to assess the last two sessions. If you
look at the overall Test match, we had our chances, but we didn't take them,
especially that last-wicket partnership [in Australia's second innings], which
probably cost us the game."
Australia captain and player of the match Pat Cummins: "What
an amazing Test match, I reckon one of the best I've been part of.
"All week the crowd has been ridiculous. It started
with an amazing innings from Steve Smith; it wasn't easy on the first day so to
get up to high 400s was terrific.
"Then we wanted to take an India victory out of the
equation [on batting on and not declaring]."
Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann on ABC Radio: "That
was one of the best Test matches I've ever seen live. It was amazing, and thank
you very much to Rishabh Pant because that wicket off the part-timer was such a
bonus.
"Pressure then does funny things, which we saw from the
collapse - but Australia bowled brilliantly all day, even though I thought they
were going to be a few overs short after batting on late on Sunday and into
Monday."
