Scores, updates, day 4 from Adelaide

December 9, 2018 John Cricket 0

Australia is staring down an ominous fourth innings chase of 322 — but it could have been much worse if not for a bizarre approach by India on day four in Adelaide.

The visitors threw the bat late in their second innings to lose their last four wickets for just four runs despite having plenty of time left in the match.

The Indians started the day at 3/151 and were 3/234 before the rot set in.

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Finch walks at Tea

Australia has lost its first wicket in bizarre circumstances with Aaron Finch refusing to review a catch in close.

Finch pressed forward to Ravi Ashwin with the ball slamming into the pad and popping up for Rishabh Pant to take the easiest catch.

But the hot spot showed no mark on Finch’s glove, which is the only thing it could have hit on the way through.

“It’s test of character but it’s naive because he didn’t feel anything on his gloves but he heard the noise which was his pad role. He’d still be batting and reasonably place given the circumstances.

It’s a huge strategic error. He’s a key. He’s the right hander against Ashwin, Handscomb is the other

The wicket sees Australia go to Tea at 1/28, still trailing India by 294.

Finch saved by no ball blunder

Aaron Finch was a few centimetres away from a pair in his first Test in Australia.

Umpire Nigel Long gave Finch out when he was rapt on the pads.

But the replay showed Indian bowler Ishant Sharma overstepped by the smallest of margins, giving Australia a much needed reprieve.

Game on as Australia battle against history

A supreme bowling performance from Nathan Lyon has given Australia hope of overcoming India in the First Test.

With India cruising at 5/282, Lyon pounced to decimate the Indian tail and claim 6/122 from his 42 overs.

Combined with Mitchell Starc, who grabbed the wickets of Ravi Ashwin and Ishant Sharma, Lyon had the Indians in a spin.

The Australian commentators all believe it’s game on and Shane Warne said the side will defy history.

“Yes, it’s only 30 times a team has chased 300 or more in the history of Test cricket but this is different conditions here at the Adelaide Oval,” he said.

“It’s a new drop in pitch, we’ve seen the pitch get better over a bit of time.

“About half an hour ago, India had just about pushed Australia out and thought they had too.”

Australia will fancy their chances chasing 322 with Western Australia, led by a 163 not out from Shaun Marsh, chasing 300 comfortably recently.

Mark Waugh said the fall of Rishabh Pant was the begining of the end for the Indians.

“If Pant had batted for another half an hour, game over. India are out of sight,” he said. “But they’re not out of sight, they’re almost out of petrol and we’re going to chase them down here.”

But history is against Australia, having never chased a 200+ target in the last century.

Lyon on a hat-trick

India have come out with intent after lunch, fuelling speculation of an imminent declaration.

But with the Indian lead moving past 300, Australia struck.

Ravi Ashwin was the first to go off a short ball from Mitchell Starc, the pull shot falling safely into the hands of Marcus Harris to give Starc his second for the innings.

Next over, Lyon grabbed his fifth and sixth wickets for the innings to decimate the Indian order, with three wickets falling for no runs.

Ajinkya Rahane was first on 70, reverse sweeping into the hands of Starc before Mohammed Shami slogged for Harris’ third catch of the game.

Sadly, Jasprit Bumrah survived the hat-trick ball.

Indian star’s blatant disrespect

Rishabh Pant was there for a good time, not a long time.Source:AAP

Rishabh Pant showed the Australian attack absolutely no respect.

The 21-year-old wicketkeeper is only playing his sixth Test but clearly has no fear at the crease. Before lunch he tried to hit his first ball from Nathan Lyon to the boundary but miscued it and only got two. He tried again in Lyon’s next over, this time with more success, and after lunch he took the long handle to the off-spinner once again.

Lyon is getting plenty of bounce and turn but first over after the break Pant slogged him for three fours and a six. All of his lusty blows went aerial over the leg side as he pushed India’s lead towards 300.

But Lyon had the last laugh when Pant tried to hit him over the top again, only to mishit a slower delivery that was caught by Aaron Finch at deep cover. He was out for 28 off 16 balls.

Simon Katich criticised Pant, saying he threw his wicket away for no reason.

“He thought he was playing for the Delhi Daredevils (in the IPL),” Katich said on SEN radio. “There wasn’t any need for that.”

Rahane stars, Sharma flops

Ajinkya Rahane atoned for his first innings brain fade, bringing up a half century with a pull shot to the bundary off Josh Hazlewood.

Cheteshwar Pujara has earnt all the plaudits so far in the match but Rahane supported him brilliantly in India’s second innings and India needs him to keep going after Rohit Sharma came and went.

Sharma used his feet to Nathan Lyon but only prodded a defensive stroke to silly mid-off, where Peter Handscomb took a diving one-handed blinder of a catch.

Rishabh Pant showed positive intent to move to 10 off nine balls as India went to lunch at 5/260.

Even though it lost two wickets, India dominated the session as it continued to build an imposing lead.

Aussies finally find a breakthrough

It took two hours but Australia finally had cause to celebrate when Nathan Lyon dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara for 71.

The first-innings century maker pushed forward to a ball that spun back and caught his glove, gifting Aaron Finch a simple catch at short leg.

Starc falling flat

Mitchell Starc had a rough morning.

Mitchell Starc had a rough morning.Source:AAP

Mitchell Starc’s figures look fine but he’s been far from threatening as he struggled to find his radar with the second new ball.

He’s got 1/34 from 16 overs but hasn’t looked like taking a wicket today and copped criticism from commentators and former players.

Ex-teammate Mitchell Johnson explained where Starc was going wrong.

“I just don’t like his body language,” Johnson said while commentating for ABC radio.

“He hasn’t given a bit of a glare or puffed his chest out with a good follow through, let the batsman know he’s in the contest, that he’s going to rip the pegs out.”

Glenn McGrath also chimed in. “He just doesn’t seem to have that rhythm,” McGrath said in commentary for Channel 7.

“When he gets to the crease he doesn’t have his normal rhythm and he’s probably leaning back a little bit, over striding and you don’t get through the crease as well.”

Fox Sports commentator Shane Warne agreed, saying: “He’s a real rhythm-type bowler and once he gets into that rhythm he’s lethal.

“I just reckon this year he’s struggled a bit because he’s had a lot of time off.”

Starc’s accuracy was way off the mark and he was only given a two over spell before Tim Paine took him out of the attack.

Twice he sent short balls down the leg side that beat Paine and went for four byes.

Lyon cops another cruel blow

Ajinkya Rahane was given out but reviewed the decision when the Aussies thought they had him caught at short leg.

Rahane danced down the track to Nathan Lyon and tried to defend him. Replays showed the ball missed the bat and his gloves and the decision was overturned.

It’s the third time Lyon has had a wicket overturned following a review in this innings.

Rahane is using a bat with a good luck message from Indian legend Rahul Dravid written on it. It reads: “Best wishes” and is signed by the man known as “The Wall”.

Channel 7 commentator Damien Fleming said: “What a great idea, getting a mentor of yours or an idol got to sign your bat, someone that you would aspire to be as good as.”

Rahane cracked Lyon for four the very next ball then followed it up with a sweetly struck boundary off Pat Cummins that would have made Dravid proud. A single then brought up the 50-run partnership between himself and Cheteshwar Pujara.

It was a dominant first hour of play for the Indians who added 48 runs without losing a wicket.

Paine snubs Lyon

Tim Paine opened the day with quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, surprising some pundits who thought Nathan Lyon was best suited to getting the ball in his hands early.

He bowled beautifully last night and there’s plenty of rough on offer for the off-spinner, but he was overlooked for his fast bowling teammates.

Former Indian star turned commentator Akash Chopra tweeted his surprise at the decision while Aussie great Simon Katich was also taken aback.

“I thought they might have opened with Lyon given how he was bowling to Rahane last night,” Katich told SEN radio.

Lyon was eventually brought into the attack after less than 20 minutes and first innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara continued his good form, reaching his half century with a cut shot for three in the tweaker’s first over

Langer gunned in culture war debate

Does Australia have its priorities straight?

Does Australia have its priorities straight?Source:AAP

Justin Langer said his players would be considered the “worst blokes in the world” if they celebrated with the same passion Virat Kohli does every time his side takes a wicket, but Indian legend VVS Laxman says the Aussie coach has got it all wrong.

Talking to ESPN Cricinfo, Laxman said: “I feel they’ve got it wrong, the Australian team, the Australian coach.

“When you’re playing for your country you have to play with pride, you have to play with passion.

“You’re not trying to impress the spectators or trying to be the good boys. You have to play in a hard manner.

“Yes Virat celebrates in that manner but what Justin Langer should be talking about is going out and playing aggressive cricket. It’s not about your celebrations, it’s about showing your intent, your positivity in the way you bat, in the way you field, in the way you take wickets.”

Michael Clarke recently sparked heated debate by saying Australia needed to worry more about being respected than being liked or else the team wouldn’t win “s***”. Langer and Tim Paine have put greater emphasis on representing the Australian public and making fans proud but Laxman doesn’t believe the Aussies have got their new approach right, siding with Clarke.

“They’ve got it wrong. Yes, what happened in Cape Town was not right … but that was ball tampering,” Laxman said. “Virat didn’t sledge, nor did he use abusive language. That’s the way he celebrates.

“If I was Justin Langer I would be telling the team to forget about celebrations and what the opposition team is trying to do, focus on being the best Australian cricketer you can be.

“You can’t please people, I don’t know why they’re trying to change their image. The only way you can change your image is by winning Test matches and winning Test series and that’s what the Australian public is waiting for from this team.”

Ponting ‘doesn’t like’ classless Kohli reaction

Virat Kohli didn’t hurt the Aussies as much as India hoped.

Virat Kohli didn’t hurt the Aussies as much as India hoped.Source:AAP

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting didn’t like what he heard when Indian skipper Virat Kohli strode to the crease on Saturday.

The world’s best batsman, who scored three in the first innings, was booed as the Adelaide crowd tried to get under his skin ahead of his second dig.

“I don’t like seeing it at all,” Ponting told cricket.com.au. “It didn’t worry me as a player when it happened in England a couple times. You’ve almost got to accept it as acknowledgment for what you’ve done in the game.

“But I’d rather not see that happen at all.”

Ponting said the negative welcome wouldn’t have hurt Kohli at all, and probably only served to make him more determined to defy Australia’s bowlers.

He was doing a good job of keeping the crowd quiet until he fell to Nathan Lyon for 34 off 104 balls. Kohli was more sedate than usual, hitting just three fours in his knock before he inside edged the Aussie off-spinner to Aaron Finch at short leg.

Australia’s Travis Head, a former Indian Premier League teammate of Kohli’s, didn’t hear the heated reception from some sections of the 30,348-strong crowd but was also opposed to any booing.

“He’s a pretty good player, he probably doesn’t deserve to get booed,” the South Australian said.

“Probably not needed but that’s the crowd.”

Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah played a straight bat to questions about Kohli’s reception in the press conference after the day’s play, saying “as long as we’re doing well we’re happy”.

Lyon broke a cautious 71-run stand between Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, the highest partnership in the match, as the tourists attempted to bat Australia out of the game.

Kohli was typically animated in the morning session, celebrating jubilantly after India rolled Australia for 235 to claim a first-innings lead of 15 runs.

“You love seeing that passion in sport. Mind you, I think if we did that at the moment, we’d be the worst blokes in the world,” Australian coach Justin Langer told Fox Cricket before the start of play.

Kohli ditched the histrionics when he walked out to bat with India 2/76 and the game in the balance. KL Rahul, out for 44 after being offered a life by Aaron Finch on 32, and Murali Vijay saw off the new ball in a 63-run opening stand.

Their highest opening partnership outside India ended when the latter was removed for 18 by Mitchell Starc in similar fashion to day one.

With AAP

India nudges ahead

Cheteshwar Pujara continued his good form.

Cheteshwar Pujara continued his good form.Source:AP

Cheteshwar Pujara’s teammates believe the patient anchorman’s run-scoring has put India on track for a breakthrough win against Australia in the first Test.

India will resume on Sunday’s fourth day in Adelaide at 3/151 — a lead of 166 runs — with Pujara unbeaten on 40.

The Indians have never won a first Test in their 11 previous series in Australia.

But fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah says the tourists are bullish about their chances of taking a 1-0 lead in this four-Test series.

“It’s slightly in our favour,” Bumrah said.

“The first session will be a very important session. If we capitalise on that, it will leave us in a very good place this match.”

Pujara has followed his sterling first-innings 123 with another valuable knock. The right-hander, having faced 246 balls in his first-innings epic, has soaked up a further 127 deliveries in the second dig.

“He has shown a lot of patience. That is the key and the main thing in Test cricket,” said Bumrah, who took 3/47 from 24 overs in Australia’s innings. “He (Pujara) knows his game in and out; he knows his strengths.

“He knows to leave the ball well — he’s playing with the bowler’s patience as well.”

Australian batsman Travis Head, who top-scored with 72 in the home side’s first innings, said Pujara had demonstrated how to play on the Adelaide pitch. “The way he played in the first innings was the blueprint for this wicket,” Head said.

“He had a really good leaving game, good forward defence.

“As the ball got softer, he got more runs, knowing how hard the wicket can be with the … new ball.”

The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in an Adelaide Test is Australia’s 6/315 to beat England in 1902.

But the average fourth innings Test score in Adelaide is 213, suggesting the current Australians have little wriggle room.

But Head is confident the new-look batting line-up can deliver on a wicket that hasn’t been deteriorating too much in Sheffield Shield games this year.

“This year especially, bigger scores have been made and teams have batted out draws which just hasn’t been happening in the past,” Head said. “The wicket has probably got better (over time).

“It’s more of a new-ball wicket at the minute … it’s vital to win those moments when that new ball comes around again.

“I think if we can get wickets in the morning and put them under real pressure with the new ball, anything’s gettable.”

Australia can take the new ball late in Sunday’s morning session, due to commence half an hour early at 10am local time (10.30am AEDT) to make up for the previous day’s rain disruptions.

Head backed Nathan Lyon to make further breakthroughs after claiming the key scalp of Kohli.

“I think if he can get in a rhythm now we’ve broken that partnership, in the morning I think he’s going to be key going into the new ball,” he said.

Steve Larkin, AAP

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