Australia's road to victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has become significantly tougher.
Australia’s quest for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has hit a snag, demanding a heroic effort from their fatigued bowlers to secure a victory. Mitchell Starc is battling soreness, the MCG pitch is proving flat, and time is running out against an India team, fueled by Nitish Kumar Reddy’s impressive maiden Test century, seeking consecutive triumphs Down Under. All eyes are on Mitchell Starc’s fitness for the remainder of the Boxing Day Test, potentially even the entire series.
Pat Cummins’ side might not have realized it at the time, but this day, and possibly the game and series, shifted when Steve Smith dropped a remarkable, incredibly difficult chance from Washington Sundar shortly after lunch. Washington’s attempted leg glance to a delivery well outside the off stump deflected off the back of his bat, landing in the hands of a stunned Smith at second slip. The ball landed squarely in the middle of Smith’s outstretched right hand but failed to stick. The bewilderment in the stands and homes across the nation mirrored the confusion on the field. The partnership, then worth 40 runs, surged to 127, keeping No.10 Jasprit Bumrah in the shed for another four hours instead of facing a second new ball that was only three deliveries old. While this isn’t a criticism of Smith for failing to capture a “worldy”, it highlights the difficulty in crafting conducive wickets in these conditions. That Australia remains well-positioned for a triple-figure lead, with victory within reach, speaks volumes about the tenacity of their attack and the carelessness of India’s batsmen. Of the visitors’ top six, only K.L. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja fell to good bowling. Australia cannot afford such errors in the final innings. The toll extended beyond the scoreboard. The Australians are three overs behind the over rate, leaving them susceptible to a World Test Championship points deduction if they fail to make it up
AUSTRALIA INDIA BORDER-GAVASKAR TROPHY MITCHELL STARC MCG
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