MELBOURNE, Australia — Jasprit Bumrah, the extraordinary fast bowler from India, showcased his remarkable talent at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, taking 4 wickets for 56 runs. This performance included his milestone 200th wicket during the fourth Test match against Australia. Bumrah’s efforts were instrumental in dismantling the Australian middle-order batting lineup, as he managed to dismiss Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Alex Carey for minimal runs. By the end of the day, Australia concluded its innings at 228 for 9, maintaining a commanding lead of 333 runs with one day still to play.
Australia’s batting experienced a severe slump after lunch, losing four wickets for just 11 runs in the span of 22 deliveries, plummeting from a seemingly stable 80 for 2 to a precarious 91 for 6. However, the home side regained some momentum through a partnership of 57 runs between Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 70, and Pat Cummins, who added 41 runs to the total. Earlier in the match, India had resumed its innings on 358 for 9, ultimately getting bowled out for 369, in response to Australia’s first innings total of 474. Nitish Kumar Reddy emerged as the standout performer for India, scoring 114 runs—the first century of his Test career at just 21 years of age. Cummins, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon each claimed three wickets for Australia, contributing to India’s downfall.
Reddy expressed that having his family, particularly his father Mutyala, present to witness his maiden Test century was an unforgettable experience. “This century was special for me and for my father. He was my first supporter when I began my journey. He believed in me so greatly that he even resigned from his job to help me pursue my dreams. His sacrifices mean everything to me,” Reddy shared.
As play continued on Sunday, Australia managed to reach 53 for 2 by lunch in their second innings, with the pitch proving tricky due to its tendency to offer lateral movement. Openers Sam Kontas and Usman Khawaja were dismissed for 8 and 21 runs, respectively. Mohammed Siraj played a crucial role in instigating a batting collapse, taking out the first-innings century scorer, Steve Smith, caught behind for just 13 runs.
Bumrah took center stage in the following over, making quick work of the Australian batsmen. He secured his 200th wicket by dismissing Head for one and followed up by efficiently removing Marsh without any runs. In what seemed like an unstoppable surge, he took his fourth wicket by bowling out Carey for 2, quickly reducing Australia to 91 for 6. Labuschagne commended
