IND vs AUS 4th Test: Australia has won the fourth Test match played in Melbourne. The Kangaroos won the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs. With this, Australia has taken a 2-1 lead in the five-match Test series. Now it has become difficult for India to reach the WTC final. India had got a target of 340 runs on the fifth day of this Test. In response, Team India was all out for 155 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored the highest 84 runs for India in the second innings. Pat Cummins and Scott Boland took three wickets each for Australia. Nathan Lyon also got two successes.
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5 reasons for India’s defeat
1. Top order flopped, Rohit-Virat failed:
Team India’s top order completely flopped in this match. In the first innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma had a partnership of only 8 runs for the first wicket. Rohit was out after scoring 3 runs. KL Rahul scored 24 and Virat Kohli scored 36 runs.
In the second innings, apart from Yashasvi, the first 3 batsmen Rohit Sharma (9), KL Rahul (0) and Virat Kohli (5) could not reach double figures. Rohit-Virat failed in this match as well. Rohit scored 3 runs in the first innings and 9 in the second. While Kohli scored 36 runs in the first innings and 5 runs in the second.
India’s Top 4 Batters in the Melbourne Test
First Innings:
| Batter | Runs | Balls Faced |
|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 82 | 118 |
| Rohit Sharma | 3 | 5 |
| KL Rahul | 24 | 42 |
| Virat Kohli | 36 | 86 |
Second Innings:
| Batter | Runs | Balls Faced |
|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 84 | 208 |
| Rohit Sharma | 9 | 40 |
| KL Rahul | 0 | 5 |
| Virat Kohli | 5 | 29 |
2. Yashasvi dropped 3 catches:
Yashasvi dropped 3 catches in the second innings. He dropped Usman Khawaja’s catch in the fourth over of Australia’s second innings. Yashasvi dropped his catch in the gully on the second ball of Akash Deep’s over. Marnus Labuschagne got a reprieve in the 40th over. Yashasvi dropped his catch in the gully on Akash Deep’s ball.
In the 49th over, Yashasvi dropped the third catch of the innings. This time he dropped the catch of Pat Cummins. He tried to stop Ravindra Jadeja’s fuller length ball, which went to Yashasvi Jaiswal standing at silly mid-off, but Jaiswal could not take the low catch.
3. Did not attack to take down Australia’s last wicket:
In Australia’s second innings, Indian bowlers did not have any attack to take down the team’s last wicket. Captain Rohit did not put the fielders close. Nathan Lyon and Scott Boulland added 61 runs for the last wicket.
4. Pant’s irresponsible shot:
Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli were seen playing irresponsible shots in this match too. While captain Rohit Sharma advised Pant on his shot, Sunil Gavaskar criticized his shot. He called it stupid. Pant was caught by Nathan Lyon on Scott Boland’s ball in the first innings.
Pant wanted to play a scoop shot, but the ball took the outside edge of the bat and went to the deep-third fielder, Lyon took the catch without making any mistake. As soon as Pant was out, Sunil Gavaskar, who was doing the commentary, got angry and said – stupid, stupid, stupid.
5. Controversial decision of the third umpire, Jaiswal out on 84 runs:
One of the reasons for India’s defeat was a controversial decision by the third umpire, in which Yashasvi Jaiswal was out after scoring 84 runs. He was given not out by the field umpire, but the third umpire ruled him out despite there being no sufficient evidence on review.
When Jaiswal was out, India had to play 21.1 overs and 3 wickets were left to draw the match. In such a situation, India could have drawn the match from here, but after Yashasvi’s wicket, India’s lower order (last 3 batsmen) collapsed. Akash Deep scored 7 runs. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj could not even open the account.
Team India’s WTC Final Hopes: Scenarios After Defeat in the Fourth Test Against Australia
The fourth Test loss against Australia has dealt a significant blow to Team India’s chances of making it to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. This defeat has left Rohit Sharma’s team in a precarious position, relying on external factors and other teams’ performances to keep their hopes alive. While South Africa has already secured a place in the final, the second spot is now a contest between India, Australia, and Sri Lanka. Here’s a breakdown of the scenarios and possibilities for Team India.
Scenarios and Possibilities:
- Must-Win Fifth Test Against Australia:
- India must win the fifth Test in Sydney to stay in contention for the WTC final.
- A draw or loss in Sydney will result in India being eliminated from the race.
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- Dependence on Other Results (If India Wins in Sydney):
- If the India-Australia series ends 2-2, India’s fate will depend on the two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia.
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- If the India-Australia series ends 2-2, India’s fate will depend on the two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia.
- Sri Lanka’s Performance Against Australia:
- Sri Lanka must win the series 1-0 for India to qualify. This requires one Test to be drawn and the other won by Sri Lanka.
- If Sri Lanka wins the series 2-0, they will qualify regardless of India’s performance.
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- Australia’s Qualification Scenarios:
- If Australia wins or draws the fifth Test in Sydney, they will secure a spot in the WTC final.
- If they lose in Sydney, they can still qualify by winning their Test series against Sri Lanka.
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- Pakistan’s Impact on Sri Lanka:
- If Sri Lanka clean sweeps Australia and Pakistan defeats South Africa in their second Test, Sri Lanka will qualify for the WTC final.
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