India takes control of fourth Test as batsmen cash in

Australia’s hopes of avoiding a first ever home series loss to India appear to be all but over, after the visitors took a stranglehold on the fourth Test at the SCG.

India ground Australia into the Sydney turf on day two of the match, with Cheteshwar Pujara continuing to pile on the runs, while Rishabh Pant and Ravi Jadeja added salt to the wound with a record partnership.

Australia went to stumps at 0-24 in reply to India’s massive first innings of 7 (dec)-622, with Usman Khawaja (5*) and Marcus Harris (19*) surviving 10 overs late in the day, although Khawaja was given a life when he was dropped by keeper Pant before he’d scored.

But the home side faces a monumental task to even draw the match, trailing by 598 runs with three days still to play.

Pujara’s remarkable form continued as he made 193 before being caught and bowled by Nathan Lyon, taking his series total to 1258 balls faced over more than 30 hours at the crease. Englishman Alastair Cook is the only touring batsman in the last 40 years to have spent more time in the middle.

But the departure of Pujara didn’t put the Australians out of their misery, with Pant and Jadeja combining for a 204-run partnership to completely bat Australia out of the match.

The pair put together the highest 7th wicket partnership ever seen in Tests in Australia, eclipsing the effort of Graham Yallop and Greg Matthews against Pakistan in 1983-84.

Pant’s 159 not out was the first century by an Indian wicketkeeper in Australia, while Jadeja was eventually dismissed for 81, prompting skipper Virat Kohli to declare.

Arriving for the first Test as more of a basher who excited fans with his tenancy to swat across the line, Pant showed he meant business from his first boundary when he cover drove Mitchell Starc for four.

His next was equally as classy, jamming down on a Starc yorker that went to the mid-on boundary, while he picked the gaps in the ring smartly to accumulate his score.

He brought up his century off 137 balls when he whacked a full ball from legspinner Marnus Labuschagne through mid-wicket for his 10th boundary.

Australia had an early slice of luck, when Hanuma Vihari (42) was given out caught at short leg off Nathan Lyon. Vihari referred to the decision, but the on-field decision stood, even though the spike on DRS didn’t appear to match the point where the ball went past the bat.

“A score of 450 after the performance yesterday was very much on the cards, but what they did today was special,” Indian coach Ravi Shastri told Fox Cricket.

“We wanted our bowlers to get out there and bowl at least eight to 10 overs, but when Jadeja got out there was 10 overs left, so we said ‘lets get out there.’

“If Pant had taken that catch (off Khawaja) it would have been perfect. But you can’t complain one bit, it’s been a fabulous day.”

Australia’s bowlers were once again under the pump, with Starc (1-123 off 26 overs without a maiden) especially expensive, while Lyon (4-178) sent down a mammoth 57.2 overs.

Pat Cummins (0-101 off 28) and Josh Hazlewood (2-105 off 35) also both conceded over a hundred runs apiece.

- With AAP