5th Test: Boland Claims Four Wickets Again, Leaving the Match in Suspense After Pant's Explosive 61
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Sydney, Jan 4 (NationPress) Fast bowler Scott Boland showcased another remarkable performance with a four-wicket haul, leading Australia’s resurgence in the final session of day two and placing the fifth Test in a precarious position at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
After India secured a narrow four-run lead in their first innings, they launched an aggressive assault in their second innings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal hitting four boundaries off Mitchell Starc in the first over. However, Boland orchestrated Australia's comeback by taking three wickets in quick succession, ultimately finishing with figures of 4-42.
In contrast, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant commanded the innings with a blistering 61 runs off just 33 deliveries, which included the fastest fifty by an overseas player in Tests on Australian soil and the second-fastest for an Indian batsman in the format. Despite India holding a lead of 145 runs at the close of day two, ending at 141/6, they are down to just four wickets, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion.
Much will hinge on the performance of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who remain unbeaten on eight and six runs respectively, as day three approaches. Additionally, India will be anxiously awaiting news on captain Jasprit Bumrah, who underwent scans after experiencing back spasms, hoping he will be fit to bowl on a challenging batting surface.
The final session began with Jaiswal capitalizing on short, wide deliveries from Starc with three exquisite cuts and a cover drive. KL Rahul also got off to a good start with two boundaries, before becoming Boland’s first wicket of the innings when he edged a drive onto his stumps for 13 runs.
Boland then delivered a seaming delivery that brushed past Jaiswal's outside edge, hitting the top of off-stump and dismissing the opener for 22 runs. He followed up by having Virat Kohli caught at second slip for six runs. India's woes continued as Shubman Gill attempted to dance down the pitch but edged a delivery from newcomer Beau Webster to Alex Carey, marking Webster’s first Test wicket at 13.
With India struggling at 78/4, Pant made his entrance in style, dancing down the pitch to launch Boland over long-on. He struck boundaries off Cummins and sent another over the top for four more off Boland, showcasing his range of shots including sweeps and lofted drives against Webster.
Pant reached his fifty in just 29 balls by sending a six over mid-wicket off Starc, then followed it up with another six in the same area. However, his explosive innings came to an end when Cummins lured him into an edge that was caught by Carey.
Boland captured his fourth wicket when Nitish Kumar Reddy misplayed a lofted drive, resulting in a catch to Cummins at mid-off. Australia could have had another wicket in this session, but Usman Khawaja dropped Jadeja on six runs off Webster, concluding another gripping day of Test cricket.
Brief scores: India 185 and 141/6 in 32 overs (Rishabh Pant 61; Scott Boland 4-42) lead Australia 181 (Beau Webster 57, Steve Smith 33; Prasidh Krishna 3-42, Mohammed Siraj 3-51) by 145 runs.
