<figure id="attachment_2948590" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2948590" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-2948590" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/db595be4-ap24364112776422.webp" alt="Australia India Cricket" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2948590" class="wp-caption-text">Jasprit Bumrah&#8217;s heroics today give India some hope of pulling off an unlikely victory. (AP pic)</figcaption></figure>
MELBOURNE: Pace dynamo Jasprit Bumrah blitzed Australia&#8217;s middle order in a thrilling three-wicket burst today to turn the fourth test on its head and give India some hope of pulling off an unlikely victory.
Australia lost four wickets for 11 runs in the Bumrah-led onslaught and were 135 for six at tea, their lead of 240 still short of shutting India out of the game.
Australia were spared further damage by Yashasvi Jaiswal who dropped a regulation chance at gully when No 3 Marnus Labuschagne nicked Akash Deep when on 46.
It was the young opener&#8217;s second spill of the day, having dropped Usman Khawaja at leg gully when he was on two.
Opener Khawaja went on to make 21 before Mohammed Siraj bowled him in the morning.
Nitish Kumar Reddy also let Pat Cummins off the hook late in the second session when the Australian skipper was on nine, misjudging the flight of the ball as he bolted back from mid-off and dived in vain for a more difficult chance.
Labuschagne was 65 not out at the break, with Cummins on 21.
Australia had been in command at 80 for two soon after lunch but crumbled when Steve Smith chased a wide, full delivery from Siraj and edged to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant to be out for 13.
The wicket triggered a collapse as No 5 Travis Head flicked Bumrah off his pads straight to Reddy at square leg to be out for one, giving the Indian paceman his 200th test wicket.
Bumrah struck again four balls later to remove No 6 Mitchell Marsh for one as the all-rounder gloved a catch to Pant.
The Indian spearhead then bowled wicketkeeper Alex Carey through bat and pad for two to leave Australia reeling at 91 for six before Labuschagne and Cummins steadied for the hosts.
Bumrah had earlier taken revenge for his first innings battering by Sam Konstas when he bowled Australia&#8217;s teen debutant through the gate for eight after India were dismissed for 369 in the morning.
It squared the ledger with the 19-year-old opener who scored a record 34 runs off the quick&#8217;s first spell on day one.
Jumping up and down, Bumrah flapped his arms at the crowd, mocking Konstas for trying to pump up the terraces during his first innings knock of 60.
Like Bumrah, Siraj bowled Khawaja through bat and pad and celebrated with a finger to his lips in a &#8220;Shhh&#8221; gesture at the crowd.
After resuming on 358 for nine in the morning, India could add only 11 runs to their overnight tally before Nathan Lyon struck to remove Reddy for 114.
Reddy&#8217;s maiden test century on day three had dragged India back into the match after Australia posted an imposing first innings total of 474.
The five-test series is level at 1-1.

MatchPoint Times

Barnstorming Bumrah bowls India back into Melbourne test

The pace dynamo blitzed Australia’s middle order in a thrilling three-wicket burst to turn the series on its head.

Zelensky defends Ukrainian athlete’s helmet at Games after IOC ban

Singapore sees 2026 GDP growing up to 4% on global strength