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Tea
The players go off for tea after that wicket with a couple of balls left in Washington’s over. India are two wickets away from a quite stunning victory.
WICKET! Australia 227-8 (Starc c Durel b Washington 12)
A brilliant catch from Dhruv Jurel at short leg! Starc turned the ball firmly into the leg side, where Jurel threw up his right hand to take a blinding reaction catch. India can do nothing wrong.
“Arrived in Brisbane last night en route to Christchurch for the England game this week,” writes ShowbizGuru.
‘Purpose of visit?’ asked the immigration chap.
‘Transiting through for the cricket. In New Zealand. Sorry to mention cricket,’ I replied.
“To be fair he managed to laugh. ‘On your way mate.’.”
That reminds me of Alec Stewart when he was England captain in 1998-99. On his immigration card, under ‘Purpose of Visit’, he wrote: ‘To win back the Ashes.’
53rd over: Australia 224-7 (Carey 27, Starc 12) Harshit Rana replaces Siraj and is slammed through extra cover for three by Carey. It would have been four but for the painfully slow outfield.
Rana looks really promising, an aggressive hustler who hits the pitch like he wants to hurt it, although apparently his pace has been down in this innings. “Looks like he’s feeling the pinch to me,” says Mike Hussey on commentary.
52nd over: Australia 218-7 (Carey 24, Starc 9) Carey laps Washington for a couple. He looks completely at peace with his game right now. Every attacking stroke has been clean and decisive.
Washington’s ends over with an LBW appeal when the ball skids on to hit Carey’s pad Missing leg.
51st over: Australia 216-7 (Carey 22, Starc 9) Batting looks relatively comfortably against the old ball, at least when Bumrah isn’t bowling. There’s some occasional uneven bounce but very little sideways movement, so Siraj tries a zippy bouncer that Pant helps over the bar for a bye. He did well to take the pace off it and save three runs.
Carey ends the over with a classy cover drive for three more. Just over ten minutes until the tea break.
50th over: Australia 211-7 (Carey 19, Starc 9) Washington Sundar replaces Reddy, who bowled a threatening spell of 4-0-21-1. I thought this game might end quickly after the wicket of Marsh but Starc is playing with almost exaggerated care. He’s faced 135 balls in this game, the second highest of his Test career behind that match in Mohali when he scored 99.
“I just love this Indian bowling line-up,” writes Bill Hargreaves. “Some healthy batsmen, too. Any predictions for what will happen next in the series?”
Given the number of surprise victories in the last two months – Bangladesh in Pakistan, New Zealand in India, Pakistan v England – I’d like to proudly announce that I haven’t a clue.
49th over: Australia 210-7 (Carey 19, Starc 8) The second Test in Adelaide begins a week Friday. Hard to see Australia making any changes to the XI, though they will be concerned about the form of Marnus Labuschagne in particular. The commentators are discussing whether he should go and play club cricket next weekend to enjoy a change of scene and hopefully score some runs.
Carey clips Siraj through midwicket for two more. How does he average only 32 in Tests? To my admittedly inexpert eye, he looks a class act.
48th over: Australia 205-7 (Carey 16, Starc 6) Carey takes Australia past 200 with a beautifully placed pull stroke for four off Reddy. Despite this battering, Australia’s middle order looks fairly healthy; the concern, individually and collectively, is the top four.
“I live in Malta and left last Wednesday to come to a ‘celebration of life’ party for the wife of a friend (Yvonne Buller if you could give dearest Yvonne a shout),” writes Steve Ditchburn. “Not exactly the best weekend to be in Torquay!! Left Malta it was 24 degrees, arrived in London Wednesday morning and it was 6 and then Thursday 4. Got a lift down to Torquay Friday and came back yesterday. Back to Malta today! Whoopee.”
On the plus side, you avoided the worst of Storm Bert. My feet are still wet from yesterday morning.
47th over: Australia 197-7 (Carey 9, Starc 5) Carey takes a tight single to mid-on off Siraj. He would been home but Rana’s throw missed anyway. Later in the over he times a short-arm pull for four; he’s one of the few Australian batters who looks in good nick.
46th over: Australia 189-7 (Carey 4, Starc 4) Starc fences at Reddy and is beaten. The speedgun says 127 kmh but he looks sharper than that.
Reddy oversteps, his third no-ball in as many overs. That’s about all he’s done wrong in this spell.
45th over: Australia 183-7 (Carey 3, Starc 0) Siraj replaces Bumrah, who is saving his legs for the rest of the series. You’d expect a quick kill from here.
Starc, who batted very watchfully in the first innings, starts in a similar fahsion by leaving as many deliveries as possible from Siraj.
44th over: Australia 182-7 (Carey 2, Starc 0) Including this game five of Australia’s last six home defeats have been against India.
Replays confirm that Marsh was undone by some low bounce.
WICKET! Australia 182-7 (Marsh b Reddy 47)
Nitish Kumar Reddy gets his first Test wicket! Marsh, who played two or three false strokes in the previous over, drags an attempted cut back onto the stumps. I think it kept a bit low but Reddy deserves that wicket after starting his spell with ferocious purpose. Marsh goes for a hard-hitting 47.
43rd over: Australia 179-6 (Marsh 46, Carey 1) Marsh softens the hands to ensure a thick edge off Bumrah falls well short of gully. The ball bounces past the fielder and away for four, then he square drives the next delivery for three more. He loves batting in Perth and has scored just under 22 per cent of his Test runs at the Waca and the Optus Stadium.
Time for drinks.
42nd over: Australia 172-6 (Marsh 39, Carey 1) Nitish Kumar Reddy replaces Washington Sundar. His first ball pops nastily from a length to beat Marsh’s defensive push. It was only 125kph but it really spat off the pitch.
The commentators are comparing Reddy’s run-up and action to Dennis Lillee. “Get the long hair, the yellow headband, shirt buttoned down, few words to the batsman…” says Ravi Shastri.
His pace is nowhere near Lillee’s but he’s causing problems. Marsh gets a thick inside-edge, then Carey fences outside off and is beaten. That’s an outstanding first over.
41st over: Australia 168-6 (Marsh 36, Carey 0) Bumrah has never taken a ten-for in Tests, which is hard to fathom. He’s two away here, almost one when an inside-edge from Marsh misses the stumps.
“When I read ‘Head down on one knee…’ (37th over) my thoughts went to Ann Boleyn with her head tucked underneath her arm,” writes Tom Lewis. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Well, the great West Indies side used to say ‘cut off the head and the body will follow’ when they targeted the opposition captain. And Pat Cummins hasn’t had his finest game.
40th over: Australia 166-6 (Marsh 36, Carey 0) Head drags an inelegant but effective sweep round the corner for four.
39th over: Australia 161-6 (Marsh 31, Carey 0) Bumrah has 3 for 33 in the innings and 8 for 63 in the match. Never mind superlatives; we’re running out of words full stop to describe his greatness.
That was a brilliant, typical fearless innings from Head: 89 from 101 balls.
WICKET! Australia 161-6 (Head c Pant b Bumrah 89)
India’s captain turns to his go-to bowler: himself. And he strikes immediately to deny Travis Head a century! It was a fine delivery, just back of a length and straightening off the seam. Head launched into a back-foot drive but was fractionally late on the shot and snicked it through to Rishabh Pant. Bumrah clenches his fist and screams with delight in Head’s general direction.
It’s old news, but it bears repeating: Jasprit Bumrah is a bona fide genius.
38th over: Australia 154-5 (Head 87, Marsh 31) Cheers Geoff, hello everyone. Time will tell whether this partnership means everything or nothing in the context of the series, but it never hurts to put credit in the bank – even when you’re heading for a huge defeat.
Head slashes Washington for two and then one to bring the partnership up to 75 from only 82 balls. Defiance comes in many forms.
Geoff Lemon
37th over: Australia 151-5 (Head 84, Marsh 31) That is a rude cricket shot. Head down on one knee, proposing to wallop Harshit Rana through the covers. Angled bat, huge swing, leathered. He’s so audacious, yet somehow makes it work. Goes again later in the over, off the back foot this time and slapped down the ground, hauled in to keep the scoring to three.
So that’s 383 to win, 16 runs for a Head century, and a bit more cheer for Australian supporters who would have started the day very glumly.
I’m off for today and for this Test, please be nice to Rob Smyth, and whatever happens here I’ll see you in Adelaide.
36th over: Australia 141-5 (Head 76, Marsh 30) Sundar bowling away, three singles, they’re very comfortable against him still.
35th over: Australia 139-5 (Head 74, Marsh 29) The partnership went to 56 in that last over, by the by. The runs keep coming, singles here and there, Head cutting two to deep point. The field is less extreme than it was for Head facing fast bowling before lunch. Slip, gully, deep third, deep backward, cover, mid off mid on, deep square, long leg.
Rana bowls him a good short ball though, a perfume variety, Head swaying back. Later he dabs to deep third, the position where he was caught in both innings during the India Test here in 2018.
34th over: Australia 135-5 (Head 71, Marsh 28) The lead has come down quickly, but it’s still… 407. Just that. Marsh pushes a run square from the spinner, Head plays into the ground and past his stumps! Whoops. Into the ground, over the bails. Gets him a run, and gets Marsh the chance to lamp six over long off. Bosh.
399 to win. 31 runs in four overs since lunch.
33rd over: Australia 126-5 (Head 70, Marsh 20) Rana trying the short ball approach again, but Head pulls a single, then Marsh crashes a pull and is dropped! Similar to the last big shot, similar cannon sound off the bat, but doesn’t get the elevation, and with hands above his hand, Padikkal at midwicket fingertips it up in the air and away towards long on for a couple. Marsh isn’t concerned, seeing a fuller length very next ball and crashing it through cover for four! Then a dodgy single, and again Padikkal can’t effect a dismissal, where a direct hit from midwicket would have got Marsh. Huge smile on Mitch’s face at the end of the over
32nd over: Australia 118-5 (Head 69, Marsh 13) Mighty appeal from Washington Sundar, slanting a straight ball in at Head’s pad, but maybe outside the line. No review in the end. The Australians settle into one-day rhythm, working four singles before Head slaps a fifth down the ground with power.
31st over: Australia 113-5 (Head 66, Marsh 11) Straight after lunch, and Head is straight back into it. A clip for two, a steer for one. Turns over the strike, and now Marsh is into it! Six! Harshit Rana drops short, Marsh drops the hammer. Into the stands, that wide stance he has where his weight doesn’t even have to shift that far back to clear the very long square boundary.
Second session, on we go.
Lunch, Day 4 – Australia 104 for 5 in the fourth innings
Not too bad a session for Australia, you’d have to say, losing two wickets in the session. That’s compared to their previous batting sessions, which have… uh… all been bad. People will tell you the Smith one was big, but he’s never made a fourth-innings ton, made precious few fifties, and averages about 30. So he wasn’t likely the player to take Australia through the day and into tomorrow. Khawaja more likely was, but he played a bad shot early.
Head has been entertaining and made it look easy, as he does when he’s on, and Marsh might yet do the same in the second session. We’ll see. Back with you in a bit.
30th over: Australia 104-5 (Head 63, Marsh 5) Last over before lunch. Marsh is crouching forward to defend, normal field for him. Two slips, gully, point now, so he makes use of the cover gap with a drive for two. Bumrah bowling in the high 130s as far as kilometres go. If you want miles you can ask at a museum.
Another noey from Bumrah, that’s his fourth overstep. But Marsh blocks out the rebowl, and we’re done for the session.
29th over: Australia 101-5 (Head 63, Marsh 3) Siraj is flapping his arms again, trying the albatross take-off, as he goes past Marsh’s edge with a ball that keeps low. There’s that bounce problem that will only keep getting worse. The wickets are coming, surely. But the Aussies are scrapping through it, for now. Head got of strike first ball, nudging away. He’s done that so easily compared to everyone else. Marsh though does get off the mark with a sliced drive behind point for three.
Back to the bouncer field for Head. One slip now, Kohli standing at about one and a half. Deep backward, deep third, fine leg, short backward, deep square, halfway back at midwicket, mid on, mid off. But Siraj is outside leg stump, and Head can tickle that finer of the fine leg for four. That’s funny.
28th over: Australia 93-5 (Head 58, Marsh 0) Bumrah continues, and Head hasn’t had too many problems with him. Starts with a couple of runs flicked through leg, then plays an audacious little late steer with a horizontal bat, just touching the ball towards deep third. They have two fielders back for that, one fine and one square, and he puts it between them for two more. Bumrah pushes back a fly slip, then changes his mind and brings Rahul back into the cordon.
So, two slips, two variations on dee third, plus a fine leg and a deep square. Set up for the short ball, but Bumrah bowls full. Head can’t beat midwicket. That fielder, with mid off and mid on, are the only ones set for the fuller ball. Lots of space through cover, and Head goes there but only for one. And abruptly it’s different for Marsh facing, a horrible lifter that he fends into a gap on the leg side. Still yet to score.