Virat Kohli of India speaks with Jasprit Bumrah of India after they leave the field at the lunch break during day four of the Men’s Fourth Test Match in the series between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 29, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj struck once each as Australia reached 53/2 at lunch on the fourth day of the fourth Test on Friday (December 29, 2024), with the hosts’ overall lead surging to 158.

Marnus Labuschagne was batting on 20 along with Steve Smith (2 not out) at lunch.

Bumrah cleaned up Sam Konstas (8) while Siraj got rid of Usman Khawaja (21) before lunch as Indian bowlers did not allow the hosts to run away.

India were bowled out for 369 earlier, having resumed their first innings at 358/9. India added 11 runs to their overnight total as Nitish Kumar Reddy (114) was the last batter to be dismissed.

For Australia, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon claimed three wickets each as the hosts took a crucial 105-run lead.

Brief scores: Australia 474 & 53/2 in 25 overs (Usman Khawaja 21, Marnus Labuschagne 20*; Jasprit Bumrah 1/18, Mohammed Siraj 1/10) lead India 369 by 158 runs.

Australia’s Steve Smith raises his bat as he celebrates after scoring his century during play on the second day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The long drought and the sudden downpour defines Steve Smith’s forays to the batting crease. While questions lingered about his poor yield, he answered with tons at Brisbane’s Gabba and the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Looking back at his return to runs, Smith told the media on Friday: “You got to trust what you are trying to do. I have played the game long enough to know that you can have ups and downs. There’s a difference between being out of form and out of runs. You need a lot of luck on these wickets to get big runs and last week (at the Gabba) I had my fair share.”

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Reflecting on the fourth Test, the former Australian captain said: “It was obviously a really good partnership (between Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal) and to break that one, and then get the two more wickets, it was a huge last hour for us. Looked like Jaiswal called yes, ran, and Virat sent him back.”

Smith lauded his skipper Pat Cummins: “I thought Patty played really nicely. Positive intent. We were able to get a nice partnership together and take a bit of the momentum of the game from that point.”

The batter also felt that Kohli looked set for a big knock: “He is a class player. Obviously, he played well in Perth for that 100. And he looked good today, I thought. It was probably the first ball I think he actually played on that fifth, sixth stump line (when he got out). He was really disciplined and I thought we were in for a bit of a masterclass.”

As for Sam Konstas, Smith exclaimed: “He was reverse ramping (Jasprit) Bumrah and I was having a heart attack up in the box!”

The pitch for the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba is expected to have a traditional pace and bounce. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The pitch for the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba is expected to have a traditional pace and bounce considering the game is scheduled in the early part of the summer and not post-Christmas.

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India’s famous win at the Gabba on their previous tour came when the game was scheduled in the second half of the series. A Rishabh Pant special ensured India a back-to-back series win Down Under with Australia left licking their wounds. It was the hosts’ first loss at the venue since 1988.

Since then Australia have lost to the West Indies at the ‘fortress’ and no wonder the players prefer to play at the Gabba at the start of the summer and not at end of it.

“Different times of year definitely makes it different, it can be a slightly different pitch,” Gabba curator David Sandurski was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au ahead of the third Test beginning Saturday (December 14, 2024).

“Pitches later in the season might have a bit more wear and tear while ones early in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them.”, he said.

“Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for. We are just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do each year,” he said.

The five-match series is locked at 1-1 following Australia’s comprehensive win in the pink ball Test at Adelaide.

As many as 15 wickets fell on the opening day of a domestic pink ball game last month and the curator said the surface would be similar to that.

“The aim is to be similar to that wicket where there was a good balance between bat and ball. Hopefully, there is a bit in it for everyone,” Sandurski added.

Indian teams lands in Brisbane

The BCCI on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) posted a video of the India players’ arrival in Brisbane from Adelaide. India won the opening Test in Perth by 295 runs before succumbing to the moving pink ball in Adelaide.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma speaks to the team. File
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

India will be accorded a tough welcome to Australia as the Optus Stadium pitch for the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been prepared to offer “good bounce and pace” true to the tradition of the fiery tracks in Perth.

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India will enter the Perth Test, beginning from November 22, without playing any practice match as the visitors had cancelled an intra-squad side game that was scheduled to be played behind closed doors from November 15 to 17.

Now, India will focus on centre-wicket training at the nearby WACA stadium, where Australia will also polish their skills.

“This is Australia, this is Perth… I’m setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry,” Western Australia Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo.

McDonald is trying to prepare a pitch that has similar traits to the one that he readied for the first Test against Pakistan in December last year.

In that match, Pakistan were bundled out for 89 in the second innings as the Aussies celebrated a massive 360-run victory.

The pitch too had developed cracks as that match wore on and batters like Marnus Labuschagne copped blows on their hands.

Overall, the three Aussie pacers – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – grabbed 12 of the 20 Pakistan wickets.

More recently, Pakistan pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf tore through the Australian line-up, bowling the hosts out for 140 in the third ODI here.

McDonald said he is looking to leave some grass on the pitch to make it a bit spicier.

“It’s (10 mm) a good starting point. Ten millimetres was pretty comfortable with the conditions that we had (last year) and that held the conditions together nicely for the first few days. Live grass on the pitch is speed.

“Both bowling units (Australia and Pakistan) were pretty rapid last year and hoping for much the same this year (for India match),” he added.