Australia vs India: Marnus Labuschagne half-century and stubborn tail-end drive hosts to 333-run lead | Cricket News happymamay

Marnus Labuschagne’s half-century and dogged final knocks propelled Australia to a 333-run lead at the end of day four in the fourth Test in Melbourne on Sunday, leaving India facing a record chase to steal victory.

Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland cruised to huge applause from the home fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, having combined for an unbeaten 55-run partnership for the last wicket as Australia went to stumps on 228-9.

Lyon was not out on 41, while 11th-overall Boland was on 10 and India’s hopes of victory dimmed severely in the final hour.

Indian pace dynamo Jasprit Bumrah threatened to change the match with three wickets before tea in front of 43,867 fans.

But No. 3 Labuschagne (70) and his skipper Pat Cummins (41) pinned Australia with a 57-run partnership before Boland and Lyon frustrated India further.

The day ended badly for the tourists when Bumrah caught Lyon in the slips by Rahul juggling a no-ball over in the final over.

Only one team chased down more than 300 teams for victory in the MCG Test; England scored 332 to beat Australia in 1928.

While Boland and Lyon made things look easy, Labuschagne said there was enough on the field for the Australian bowlers on day five.

“The movement (off the seam) may have been the same but the amount of bounce is much less,” Labuschagne told reporters about the change of wicket.

“This makes batting very difficult because more balls hit the stumps from a shorter distance.”

As impressive as Australia’s rearguard resistance was, it was followed by some poor middle-order batting.

After being in command at 80-2, Australia collapsed in a Bumrah-led attack to slip to 91-6.

Mohammed Siraj caused the collapse when Steve Smith chased down a wide, full delivery and got behind wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant to be out for 13 minutes.

Bumrah bowled Travis Head at square leg to take his 200th wicket.

He struck again four balls later to remove number six Mitchell Marsh for a duck with a gloved catch to Pant before bowling Alex Carey through the bat and pad for two.

Australia were wobbly but Cummins weathered the storm with typical defiance.

After scoring 49 runs in the first innings, he produced a vital 41 to halt India’s momentum.

When Labuschagne came off lbw to Siraj, Cummins added 25 more runs with Mitchell Starc (five) and Lyon before falling into the spin of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Yashasvi Jaiswal wasted two chances, with Labuschagne saving on 46 when he hit Akash deep in gully and Usman Khawaja opened up for two for a spill at leg gully.

Al Khawaja went for 21 before Siraj bowled him in the morning.

Nitish Kumar Reddy also squandered a difficult chance to remove Cummins for nine, as he misjudged the flight of the ball while chasing the Australian skipper down mid-on.

Reddy said it would be important to have “one or two good partnerships” to give India a chance of winning.

“We could see later in the fourth day that the pitch was doing a little more,” Reidy said. “We don’t need to put more pressure (on ourselves) by saying the stadium is doing this or that.”

The five-game series is tied 1-1. The fifth and final Test is scheduled to begin on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.