Reuters
Sydney, Jan 9: Skipper Steve Smith (71, 70b, 8×4, 1×6) led the way with another torrent of runs as Australia raced to 251 for six and a lead of 348 over India before rain stopped play at the end of the fourth day of the fourth Test here Friday. Smith’s effort was boosted by a hurricane of a knock from Joe Burns (66, 39b, 8×4, 3×6)
Looking to wrap up the four-match series 3-0, the hosts dismissed India for 475 shortly before tea to take a 97-run first innings lead and then embarked on a fierce assault on the Indian bowlers in a bid to force a result.
It started poorly when spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (4/104) had David Warner (4) caught in the slips after facing five balls and Shane Watson played on for 16.
Opener Chris Rogers, though, hit a 77-ball 56 before he was caught at midwicket off Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Smith was soon back in his considerable stride.
The Australian captain raced to his half century in 44 balls and had soon passed Donald Bradman as his country’s highest scorer in a series against India.
Shaun Marsh came and went for a single run to give Ashwin his third victim before Smith’s 93-minute innings came to an end when Mohammed Shami trapped him plumb lbw.
Burns then took up the mantle and with Brad Haddin (31 n o, 30b, 2×4, 2×6) put on 86 runs for the seventh wicket to take the Aussies past the 250-run mark.
Earlier in the day India resuming at their overnight score of 342 for five lost skipper Virat Kohli early. He was only able to add seven runs to his score of 140 before he flicked down Chris Rogers throat at short mid-wicket, the second time he fell to the trap.
Despite the Indian tail wagging for the first time in the series and good batting conditions, the Australians managed to winkle out four more batsmen. They got some help from the third umpire to get rid of Kumar (30, 75b, 5×4), who put on 65 runs with Ashwin (50, 111b, 6×4) for the eighth wicket, after a referred decision that will do little to persuade India to embrace the Decision Review System.
On a pitch that is now double-paced and the ball turning squarely India will have to really bat out of their skin the final day of the Test series.
Australia 1st innings: 572/7 declared;
India 1st innings (overnight 342/5): V Kohli c Rogers b Harris 147, W Saha c Smith b Hazlewood 35, R Ashwin c Haddin b Starc 50, B Kumar c Watson b Lyon 30 M Shami n o 16, U Yadav c Haddin b Harris 4, Extras (b-4, lb-7, wd-1, nb-5) 17, Total (all out) 475.
Fall: 1-0, 2-97, 3-238, 4-292, 5-292, 6-352,
7-383, 8-448, 9-456.
Bowling: M Starc 32-7-106-3, R Harris 31-7-96-2, J Hazlewood 29-8-64-1, N Lyon 46-11-123-2, S Watson 20-4-58-2, S Smith 4-0-17-0.
Australia (2nd innings) C Rogers c Raina b Kumar 56, D Warner c Vijay b Ashwin 4, S Watson b Ashwin 16, S Smith lbw b Shami 71, S Marsh c Vijay b Ashwin 1, J Burns c Yadav b Ashwin 66, B Haddin n o 31, R Harris n o 0, Extras (b-2, lb-2, nb-2) 6, Total (for six wickets) 251.
Fall: 1-6, 2-46, 3-126, 4-139, 5-165, 6-251.
Bowling: B Kumar 8-0-46-1, R Ashwin 19-2-105-4, M Shami 6-0-33-1, U Yadav 3-0-45-0, S Raina 4-0-18-0.
