Steve Smith’s heroics and India’s late batting collapse places Australia firmly in charge of the pivotal fourth Check.
Australia’s fiery tempo assault destroyed India’s prime order to place them within the driving seat of the fourth Check after they set a frightening first-innings goal on the again of Steve Smith’s thirty fourth Check century.
The guests have been 164-5 on the shut of Friday’s play on day two on the Melbourne Cricket Floor, nonetheless 310 runs behind after Australia was out for 474 quickly after lunch on the again of Smith’s trendy 140.
Rishabh Pant was not out six and Ravindra Jadeja on 4, with three wickets within the remaining half-hour bursting India’s momentum after they have been 153-2.
Scott Boland and Pat Cummins grabbed two wickets every.
Skipper Rohit Sharma reverted to his common position as opener after dropping to 6 prior to now two Checks.
However it did nothing to assist his woeful current kind and he was out for 3, spooning an tried pull shot off Pat Cummins to Boland at mid-on for a easy catch.
Cummins pounced once more to take away the in-form KL Rahul with the final ball earlier than tea, bowling him for twenty-four.
However opener Yashasvi Jaiswal stood agency with a high-quality innings, enjoying effectively off the entrance foot and crunching a sequence of trendy boundaries in his 82.
The 22-year-old, who scored 161 within the first Check at Perth, regarded destined for one more century however threw his wicket away in a comical mix-up with Virat Kohli.
Jaiswal set off for a fast single off Boland however his teammate mentioned no, leaving the teen stranded, ending a harmful 102-run stand.
Kohli, who was fined 20 % of his match charge for a day one shoulder cost on Australian debutant Sam Konstas, was caught behind by Alex Carey for 36 off Boland, who then eliminated nightwatchman Akash Deep with out scoring.
Smith takes management
The hosts resumed on 311-6 after a dominant opening day and plundered one other 163 runs, with the composed Smith slamming 13 fours and three sixes.
Smith padded up once more on 68, with Cummins alongside him on eight.
They took 15 off one Deep over earlier than Smith hooked Jasprit Bumrah for six to rub salt within the wounds, with India’s physique language exhibiting their frustration.
Smith reached his thirty fourth Check century with a boundary off Nitish Kumar Reddy, which got here on the again of a return to kind within the final Check in Brisbane the place he made 101.
With the landmark out of the best way, each males started swinging the bat and Cummins paid the value, caught for a advantageous 49 by Reddy within the deep off Jadeja to finish a 112-run stand.
Starc was bowled by Jadeja for 15 within the first over after lunch, with Smith following in a weird style.
Going through Deep, he danced down the wicket seeking to drive however received an inside edge, with the ball bouncing off his pads and trickling onto a leg stump.
Nathan Lyon (13) was the ultimate wicket to fall, lbw to Bumrah who ended with 4-99.
The five-match sequence is locked at 1-1 after India gained by 295 runs in Perth earlier than being crushed by 10 wickets in Adelaide. The rain-affected third Check in Brisbane was drawn.
