Even if the ball is not doing enough, a team can easily bogged down by the scoreboard pressure but it didn’t happen, as India managed to put a fight and scored 475 runs in the first innings.
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Both team played attacking cricket on the fourth day with Indian skipper Virat Kohli tried something different, while Australian team looked to increase their lead.
Kohli, right from the start, set an attacking field and he was soon rewarded when David Warner edged Ravichandran Ashwin. India soon created few run out opportunities and they could have had both Shane Watson and Rogers.
Ashwin exploited the conditions to his benefit and got the wicket of Watson (16) early in the post-tea session. The ball turning in took Watson’s edge and disturbed the timber. Steve Smith and Rogers continued pilling runs and the latter departed after completing his fifty.
Australia kept losing wickets on regular intervals in a bid to increase the run rate and increase the lead. The hosts, meanwhile, managed to end the day on 251/6, with an overall lead of 348 runs, with Brad Haddin (31 not out) and Ryan Harris (0 not out) in the middle.
Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers and finished with four wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami chipped in with one wicket each.
Earlier in the morning session, India lost skipper Virat Kohli when he was caught by Chris Rogers off Ryan Harris. A length ball from Harris brought an end to a 60-run partnership between Kohli (147) and Wriddhiman Saha for the sixth wicket.
Saha (35) looked solid since the beginning and left the balls outside the off stump, the Bengal batsman ensured that visitors avoid the follow-on scare, as the Indian tail has failed to put any resistance in the series so far.
This, however, wasn’t the case this time as after the departure of Saha, who was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood, Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar put a stern resistance to bring India close to Australia’s first innings total.
Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar made a 65-run partnership for the eighth wicket and played with grit and determination, which the Indian tailenders were lacking in previous occasions.
Nathan Lyon broke the flourishing partnership when he dismissed Bhuvneshwar (30). The ball seemed to have bounce before reaching Shane Watson but on-field umpires, in consultation with the third umpire, declared Bhuvneshwar out.
Australia sensed an opening as soon as Bhuvneshwar was dismissed, but Ashwin, meanwhile, completed his fourth Test half-century. But, soon after making his maiden fifty of the series, he was dismissed by Mitchell Starc.
Mohammed Shami also contributed lower down the order and made an unbeaten 26-ball 16, featuring two fours and one six. Umesh Yadav was the last to depart when Harris dismissed just few overs before tea.
