India
survived to draw in the fourth & last Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, leaving
Australia 2-0 winners of the series.
Australia set to handed a victory target of 349 when they declared
at 251-6 before the start of play, India were 160-2 at lunch & reached 252 -7 at the end.
Despite some disciplined bowling from the Australians on a turning pitch, only
one Indian batsman had fallen in each of the first two sessions and the match
looked destined for a draw at the second break.
Murali
Vijay had illustrated the limited ambition of india, when he took 222
minutes and 135 balls to score a half century but it was only when his
partnership with skipper Virat Kohli was broken that an Indian victory could be
discounted.
Vijay survive an leg before wicket appeal off the bowling of
Josh Hazlewood when he was on 46 and the paceman finally got his man when he
induced the opener into an edge that Brad Haddin claimed behind the stumps for
80.
It was just reward for Hazlewood (2-31), who had bowled with great discipline and miserly economy in the first two sessions without taking a wicket.
It was just reward for Hazlewood (2-31), who had bowled with great discipline and miserly economy in the first two sessions without taking a wicket.
Left-armer Mitchell Starc struck next, removing Kohli for 46 with a slanted
delivery that the Indian captain edged to Shane Watson at first slip.
India were now rocking at 201-4 and Starc drove home Australia's
advantage in his next over by trapping Suresh Raina leg before wicket for a
duck to give the recalled batsman a pair for the match.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who had removed opener Lokesh Rahul before lunch,
returned to dismiss Wriddhiman Saha lbw for another duck with a delivery that
took a devilish bounce off the pitch and into the batsman's pads.
The 15,000 spectators at the SCG were now buzzing and Hazlewood elicited
another huge roar when he reduced the tourists to 217-7 by trapping
Ravichandran Ashwin lbw for one run.
Even on a day when the Australian bowlers took centre stage, captain Steve
Smith could not be kept out of the limelight and it was his brilliant diving catch
that ushered Rohit Sharma back to the dressing room for 39 just after lunch.
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