India vs Australia 4th Test, Sydney: Australia expose India’s poor bowling attack, win series 2-0 after Sydney Test drawn

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File Pic : Virat Kohli, India new Test skipper
File Pic : Virat Kohli, India’s new Test skipper

Ajinkya Rahane ensured that India saved the 4th and final Test against Australia at Sydney with his gutsy performance, seeing off a tense last 12 ovrs of the day. With this draw, Australia have managed to clinch the 4 Test match Border-Gavaskar series 2-0 with wins in Adelaide and Brisbane. Both the Boxing Day Test match and the Sydney Test were drawn.

India was set a target of 349 in 90 overs after Australia declared their second innings at the overnight score of 251 for six. However the Indians failed to register their first win in the series after the top order failed to fire as needed to. Indian batsmen got off to a good start but suffered a dramatic collapse after tea. India were 160-2 at tea needing 189 off 33 overs to win the Sydney Test in the final session after Rohit Sharma (39) and Murali Vijay steadied the ship. But then the batting line-up collapsed. Murali Vijay scored a good 80 before getting out followed by captain Virat Kohli who scored 46. Suresh Raina went for a duck and so did Wriddhiman Saha, while Ravichandran Ashwin could add only 1 to the scoreboard. By now the Australians had started aiming for a win as they saw Indian wickets fall in quick succession.

In came Ajinkya Rahane to carefully put all the hopes of an Australian win to rest with his patient 38 not out. He got good support from tailender Bhuvaneswar Kumar who remained unbeaten at 20. The Indian team ended the day at  252-7 in 89.5 overs.

The main cause of concern for the Indian team surely has to be its wayward bowling that was criticized by captain Virat Kohli as well at the post-match conference. The team has been let down its bowlers right through the series and with such a performance with the imminent World Cup defence in the same conditions, it will certainly give some sleepless nights. Mohammad Shami was the most successful bowler with 15 wickets in the series but even he leaked runs at over 4 an over. The biggest problem that the Indian team is facing is that their bowlers can’t seem to manage taking 20 wickets in a match overseas, which is how one wins a Test.

 

 

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