Despite the middle-order batting collapse, the hosts Australia are still in the controlling position at the end of the fourth day of the Melbourne Test. Now, a big challenge is waiting for the visitors India for the fifth day of the Test match.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was out for 114 runs after review drama

India started the fourth day at 358/9. The drama started very early in the morning when Aussie skipper Pat Cummins asked for a review despite the third umpire already checking and confirming not out on India’s last man Mohammed Siraj. Three balls later, Nitish Kumar Reddy lost his wicket after scoring 114 runs as India were all out for 369 runs.

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Indian bowlers dominated the first half of the Australian second innings

Australia started their second innings of the Test match with a lead of 105 runs. Jasprit Bumrah bowled Sam Konstas for eight runs, while Mohammed Siraj was in a good rhythm and bowled the other opener Usman Khawaja for 21 runs, who was earlier dropped for one run by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

In the second session, India made a strong comeback in the game when the Australian middle-order batting was clueless. The hosts went down from 80/2 to 91/6, where Siraj took the wicket of Steven Smith (13), and Bumrah dismissed Travis Head (1), Mitchell Marsh (0), and Alex Carey (2).

Jaiswal's drops cost India

In the second session, Jaiswal dropped two more chances, which cost the visitors heavily. After failing to hold Marnus Labuschagne’s regulation catch at the gully, Jaiswal gave life to Aussie skipper Pat Cummins at the silly point in the final over of the session. 

Cummins and Lyon added crucial runs after Labuschagne’s 70 runs

In the last session, Labuschange was ultimately dismissed by Mohammed Siraj after scoring 70 runs. He had a crucial 57-run partnership with Cummins for the seventh wicket. 

Soon, Mitchell Starc (1) was run out brilliantly by the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant with an incredible throw. Before Cummins was out for 41 runs, he had a 17-run partnership with Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket.

Indian bowlers fought hard but failed to pick up the last wicket of the innings. In the final over of the day, it looked like Bumrah dismissed Nathan Lyon as KL Rahul managed to take a catch at the third slip, but a no-ball from the bowler ruled out that dismissal. 

Lyon and Scott Boland have already set a 55-run partnership for the unbroken last wicket. While Lyon scored 41 not out, Boland scored 10 not out. 

Australia ended the day with a score of 228/9, as the hosts already earned a handsome-looking lead of 333 runs. Jasprit Bumrah picked up four wickets (4/56), while Mohammed Siraj got three wickets (3/66) and Ravindra Jadeja claimed one wicket (1/33).