AUS vs IND 2024/25, Australia vs India 4th Test, Day 2, Melbourne Match Report, December 26-30, 2024

stumps India 164 for 5 (Jaiswal 82, Kohli 36, Pant 6*, Jadeja 4*, Boland 2-24, Cummins 2-57) trail Australia 474 (Smith 140, Labuschagne 72, Konstas 60, Khawaja 57, Cummins 49, Bumrah 4-99, Jadeja 3-78, Akash Deep 2-94) for 310 runs

To round off Australia’s day, Boland had night watchman Akash Deep caught at leg gully with minutes to go as India lost 3 for 6.

It was a day that started and ended badly for India. They were dull in the field in the morning as Australia searched for 143 runs from 27 overs, with Smith, who went for his 34th Test century, just 51 away from 10,000 Test runs, and Cummins adding a combined 112 for the seventh wicket.

But Jaiswal, who was yet to contribute in a first innings of this series after struggling against Mitchell Starc, encouraged the masses of Indian fans in front of a record crowd of 85,147 on matchday two as Kohli looked to channel a revival of form have been shown by Smith in recent weeks.

As with 161 in Perth, Jaiswal was not afraid to take the short ball with ramps over the slips and also drove well along the ground. He launched Mitchell Marsh’s medium pace over long-ons for six, then clipped Boland for a boundary to reach the half-century and have the hundred in his sights as his innings came to an abrupt end. It was Jaiswal’s decision but it always seemed to be a very close run. Kohli barely moved from his crease. Cummins calmly threw the ball on the bounce to Carey, who celebrated before his stumps broke.

Kohli showed a look of determination from the start of his innings the day after he was fined for his shoulder contact with Sam Konstas. After a series of dismissals that saw him force deliveries away from his body, Kohli was left much alone as Australia’s quicks tried to tempt him, despite him producing a flawless covering attack. When Starc strayed onto the pads, Kohli slammed him powerfully through midwicket. But the channel outside-off, and possibly the impact of Jaiswal’s exit, ultimately proved to be his undoing.

Australia had gotten back into the game at 311 for 6 after an opening day led by Konstas’ innings and were making positive progress from the start against an Indian side that was stagnant with nine runs from the first over. Jasprit Bumrah remained a threat – although Smith was able to concede him for the fourth time in the innings – but there were free points elsewhere as the home side continued to gallop.

Smith added to his century with a flawless cover attack against Nitesh Kumar Reddy and then took on the struggling Mohammed Siraj, who conceded more than five in an over. It was as fluid as Smith had looked in a long time, perhaps even going back to the halcyon days of 2019. The century stand with Cummins was extended in 21 overs, with the Australian captain showing the threat he can pose when he plays positively.

Cummins was one short of a fourth Test fifty when he picked a long-off off Ravindra Jadeja, who also took Starc straight after lunch. Next, Smith somehow got into the stumps while rushing towards Akash Deep, slipped onto the pads and watched helplessly as the ball rolled back and dislodged the leg bail. But with up to three innings left against India, he now has a good chance of reaching one of cricket’s rare peaks before this series is over.