🏏Australia vs India, 4th Test: Melbourne, 26 - 30 Dec 2024: Day 5 🏏 - Page 44

End of over 96

9 runs

IND: 324/7

CRR: 3.37

Nitish Kumar Reddy

85 (119b 8x4 1x6)

Washington Sundar

39 (108b 1x4)

Mitchell Marsh

4-0-24-0

Mitchell Starc

21-1-82-0

Key Stats

Partnership: 103(188)

Last Wkt: Ravindra Jadeja lbw b Lyon 17(51) - 221/7 in 64.5 ov.

Ovs Left: 40

Last 10 overs: 40 runs, 0 wkts

Toss: Australia (Batting)

Well, well, the conditions were overcast since a while and it has started drizzling. The umpires take the players off as the groundsmen rush in with the covers. The main pitch has been covered. Early tea has also been taken. Brilliant session for India.

End of over 97

2 runs

IND: 326/7

CRR: 3.36

Washington Sundar

40 (115b 1x4)

Nitish Kumar Reddy

85 (119b 8x4 1x6)

Mitchell Starc

22-1-84-0

Mitchell Marsh

4-0-24-0

The players go off the field all of a sudden. A bit of a drizzle at the MCG, where they've taken an early tea. Hopefully this isn't much of a shower, and we'll be back as soon as this interval ends.

Saksham: "Unpopular opinion I guess, but still valid. Shardul used to score some runs and hence in our risk-averse approach we used to pick him despite his not-so-effective bowling. We're doing the same here with Washington, not realising that we can avoid giving away the number of runs with the ball these two provide with the bat, by having a proper frontline bowler (Prasidh, etc). Not to forget the support Bumrah would get and the pressure that would be maintained on the opposition batting." -- Thakur, for all his vital knocks, was a bowler first, and he took on a genuine bowler's workload on most occasions. Washington, in these conditions, and Reddy are batters first, and you saw that in their output in Australia's first innings.

JonnoMc: "The energy from Australia has been very poor here. Indian resistance has been admirable, but only Konstas is trying to lift the team. "

Gray-Ham: "Surely Webster has to debut in Sydney, offers both spin and medium pace, can bat, and given Marsh's output so far this series, even if he fails, no missing out on much…."

John: "Growing up in Brisbane Rusi Surti was one of my cricket heroes. He had a career playing for Qld in the Sheffield Shiled after he finished Test cricket. He played in the local club side just down the road from my house."

Well, well, the conditions were overcast since a while and it has starteddrizzling. The umpires take the players off as the groundsmen rush in with the covers. The main pitch has been covered. Early tea has also been taken. Brilliant session for India. They have scored 82 runs in 24 overs without the loss of a wicket. Reddy has continued to impress and has mixed caution with aggression to perfection. He got a few 40s in the tour earlier but finally capitalized on the opportunity today to bring up his maiden Test fifty. Smith dropped Sundar early in the session but it was a very tough chance as the edge had came off the back of the bat towards him at second slip. Apart from that glitch, Sundar has played perfect foil to Nitish. Australia took the second new ball straightaway but didn't find much assistance from the surface. The duo have raised a century stand but they know that the job is not done. India still trail by 148 and this is the last recognized batting pair. Let's hope the drizzle stops and we get some action pretty soon...

Saksham: "Unpopular opinion I guess, but still valid. Shardul used to score some runs and hence in our risk-averse approach we used to pick him despite his not-so-effective bowling. We're doing the same here with Washington, not realising that we can avoid giving away the number of runs with the ball these two provide with the bat, by having a proper frontline bowler (Prasidh, etc). Not to forget the support Bumrah would get and the pressure that would be maintained on the opposition batting." -- Thakur, for all his vital knocks, was a bowler first, and he took on a genuine bowler's workload on most occasions. Washington, in these conditions, and Reddy are batters first, and you saw that in their output in Australia's first innings.

JonnoMc: "The energy from Australia has been very poor here. Indian resistance has been admirable, but only Konstas is trying to lift the team. "

Gray-Ham: "Surely Webster has to debut in Sydney, offers both spin and medium pace, can bat, and given Marsh's output so far this series, even if he fails, no missing out on much…."

John: "Growing up in Brisbane Rusi Surti was one of my cricket heroes. He had a career playing for Qld in the Sheffield Shiled after he finished Test cricket. He played in the local club side just down the road from my house."