India vs Australia, 4th Test: As it happened on Day 1
India take on Australia in the fourth and final Test in the Border-Gavaskar series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.
India take on Australia in the fourth and final Test in the Border-Gavaskar series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.
India vs Australia, 4th Test: Live scores & full commentary
Leading 2-1 in the four-match series, India remain firm favourites to make it 3-1. They have made two changes in the playing XI: Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul come in for Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma.Meanwhile, the hosts have also made two changes: Marnus Labuschagne and Peter Handscomb come in for Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh.
Australia have hosted India since 1947-48, and barring three occasions in 1980-81, 1985-86 and 2003-04 which were drawn the visitors have lost the Test series on seven occasions -- 1967-68, 1977-78, 1991-92, 1999-2000, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2014-15.
Virat Kohli, thus, is in a unique position as the only Indian captain to go into the final Test on the Australian soil with the cushion of a series lead.
A series win in Australia will certainly put Kohli on a different pedestal even though the quality of the home team's batting line-up suffered due to the ball-tampering bans on former skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.
Stay tuned for live updates from Day 1:
Virat Kohli wins the toss, opts to bat in the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Here are the playing XI:
India XI: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia XI: Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb, Tim Paine (c & wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood PC: Twitter
Hazlewood bowls one outside off at about 130-plus KMPH, Rahul should have let that go but instead, the vulnerable opener chases it with hard hands only to get thick outside edge that flies straight to Shaun Marsh in the slips.
This is the fourth time Hazlewood has dismissed Rahul this series. Rahul's wretched form continues - Since his 149 in England, his scores read 0, 4, 33*, 2, 44, 2, 0, 9.
OUT! KL Rahul c Shaun Marsh b Josh Hazlewood 9(6)
India 12/1 (Overs 3)
PC: Twitter
The Indian players are wearing black armbands today as a mark of respect to the passing of Ramakant Achrekar - the childhood coach of Sachin Tendulkar and many other big names of Mumbai cricket. PC: Twitter
Mayank Agarwal and Cheteswar Pujara bring up their 50-run stand for the second wicket. The Aussies are aware of the fact that Mayank has looked more uncomfortable on the back foot. According to the stats, he's played a false shot 24% of the time when going back but their short ball tactic has not worked so far as the opener has not missed out on any scoring opportunity and in a responsible way.
India 61/1 (Overs 19)
SECOND FIFTY IN THREE INNINGS!
What a debut series this is turning out to be for Mayank. This fifty has not been as easy as the MCG one. Mayank has been made to work hard here for every run but now he looks well settled in. Starc bowls a bit outside off, Mayank using his football well strikes it beautifully through the covers. Peter Siddle has a chase but touches the ropes anyway. It's a four and a second fifty for the opener this series.
India 119/1 (Overs 33)
After two dots and a single, Mayank goes after Lyon. The spinner flights the ball outside off, Mayank in reply goes down and lofts it over long-off for a SIX. Oh, dear. Lyon traps his victim, Mayank sort of has got carried away here. He wants to hit it over the ropes once again, but miscues and gets caught at long-on by Mitch Starc. He walks back with a hundred, again and Lyon is all charged up here.
Well played, Mayank!
Mayank c Starc b Lyon 77(112)
India 130/2 (Overs 35)
Fourth fifty this series for Che Pujara!
Labuschagne bowls a half-tracker to Pujara, who smashes it through mid-wicket for a FOUR. A little bit of aggressive celebration from the man, nothing fancy, the way he raised his hand seemed like he is pumped.
India 1772 at lunch on Day
Pujara 61 (138)
Kohli 23 (56)
Hazlewood bowls one down the leg side, as Kohli tries to play it, he ends up gloving it and Tim Paine behinds the wickets makes no mistake. He dives to his left and takes a successful two-handed catch. Soft and easy dismissal for the Aussies. Rahane is the new man in joining Pujara in the middle.
Kohli c Paine b Hazlewood 23(59)
India 187/3 (Overs 55)
A half-volley from Starc and Pujara moves a bit and thrashes it behind square for a FOUR and brings up his third century of the series. How many times have you seen Pujara reaching his century with a boundary? His 18th overall. Removes his helmet, fist pumps and the tinge of aggression is so not Pujara's, this is Pujara 2.0. The skipper in the dressing room is all smiles and applauding non-stop, the Indian fans are on their feet at the SCG and social media in no time will get flooded with messages for our No. 3!
Earlier, India lost thir vice-captain Rahane in the 71st over so Pujara had a young Vihari on the other end to witness a new-Pujara.
India 292/4 (Overs 86)