An impressive innings of 89 from Travis Head and 47 from Mitch Marsh were the only real highlights of the first two sessions of day four as Australia did their best but couldn’t get anywhere near the mammoth target. Man of the match and Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah and fellow quick Mohammed Siraj took three wickets apiece to land an early psychological blow in the five-Test series.
Resuming play at 3-12, Australia added just five more runs before Usman Khawaja was caught for four. His attempt at a pull shot resulted in a top edge flying high into the air. A shot that has proven profitable for Khawaja in his career didn’t go to plan this time.
Steve Smith, dismissed for a golden duck in the first innings, started to get into his groove before edging Siraj behind to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who dived to his right and took a sharp catch.
The move back to No.4, after experimenting as an opener, has not started as Smith would have wanted. Like Labuschagne, Smith is under pressure to fire in this series, having chalked up just two scores over 12 in his last ten Test innings.
With Pat Cummins making just two runs on Sunday evening as Australia’s nightwatchman, it is a historic low for the top four in this Test.
Across eight individual innings, Nathan McSweeney, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith and Cummins combined for just 29 runs.
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Never before has an Australian top four made fewer runs in a Test. The next worst was the combined 38 runs made by Australia’s No.1 to No.4 in a Test against England in Manchester in 1888. On two other occasions in 1888, at Lord’s and the SCG, Australia’s top four made just 40 runs combined.
Head always relishes the chance to take the game on and showed that early on day four with positive shot selection and crisp timing. He eventually edged Bumrah behind, 11 runs short of a century, before Marsh chopped a ball back onto his stumps.
It would have taken a miracle for Australia to chase the target. The highest successful run chase in Test cricket is 418, achieved by the West Indies in 2003 against Australia at Antigua.
Instead, they were bowled out for 238, humbled by the tourists in their own backyard and with questions swirling about their selections and preparation.
MORE TO COME
