AUS vs IND: 4th Test, Day 2, Talking Points – Hosts take charge after a late stumble by Indian batters

The second day of the Boxing Day Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-24 in Melbourne began with Australia continuing from their overnight score of 311/6. Steve Smith and skipper Pat Cummins put up a strong partnership to take the score past 400, with the former hammering his fifth ton at MCG. The Indian bowlers struggled to get their line and lengths correct, which was capitalised upon by the Australian lower-order batters. The Indian bowlers quickly after the break regrouped and wrapped the Australian tail at the score of 474, with Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja sharing seven wickets between them.

As India began their batting, the team got off to a poor start with skipper Rohit Sharma failing to impress again. India’s woes continued after KL Rahul, the side’s best batter of the series, was dismissed by a cracker of delivery by Cummins after adding 24 runs. From there on, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli’s cautious batting that kept the tourists in the game. The southpaw reached his fifty in 81 balls. On the other hand, his senior partner complemented him well and played some beautiful shots. In the final overs of the day’s play, Jaiswal and Kohli both lost their wickets along with night-watchman Akash Deep making a walk back to the dressing room. India’s scorecard read 164/5 after batting 46 overs.

Here are the talking points from Day 2:

4. Yashasvi Jaiswal misses out on a brilliant ton

Jaiswal shone with a brilliant 82 off 118 lacing his innings with 11 boundaries and a six. His crucial 102-run partnership with Kohli put India back in the game. However, the stand ended in a mix-up, with both batters stranded at the same end. Jaiswal flicked a full delivery to mid-on and called for a single, but Kohli hesitated, sensing the run wasn’t possible. Jaiswal’s momentum carried him down the pitch, while Kohli stood at the non-striker’s end. The miscommunication resulted in a heartbreaking run-out, ending the southpaw’s innings.

3. Rohit Sharma continues his form slump

India’s captain Rohit Sharma continued his worrying run of form. After returning as an opener following a middle-order stint in the last two games, Rohit managed only three runs before being dismissed by skipper Cummins. Attempting a half-hearted pull, Rohit gave an easy catch to Scott Boland at midwicket, putting India at 8-1.

2. Steve Smith-Pat Cummins forge a 112-run partnership

Steve Smith and Pat Cummins put up a strong 112-run partnership, that quashed India’s hopes of an innings revival. Smith hammered his second consecutive century of the series, while Cummins, who played a captain’s knock of 49, was a brilliant support, guiding Australia past the 450-run mark.

1. Virat Kohli falls to outside off-stump line again

Kohli, who has been consistently struggling with the off-stump length, initially went on a leaving spree of deliveries that line. Till his score stood at 36, Kohli had played just one cover drive. But the struggle continued after Scott Boland bowled a bowl on the same line and got the thin edge of the batter which carried straight to the keeper.