A massive crowd of over 66,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) witnessed Australia take a 2-1 lead in the series with a stunning win over India. Pat Cummins and his team triggered a dramatic Indian collapse, taking 7 wickets for just 34 runs in the final session.
India had hoped to save the game with a strong middle session, led by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant. However, Pant’s dismissal after Tea, attempting an ambitious shot off a part-time bowler, became the turning point. Travis Head’s half-tracker was hit straight to Mitchell Marsh at long-on, leaving India vulnerable.
Australia quickly capitalized, with Scott Boland dismissing Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon removing Nitish Reddy cheaply. India slumped from 121/3 to 130/6 in no time.
Yashasvi Jaiswal fought hard but fell to a controversial decision, with the third umpire overturning the on-field call. His dismissal, followed by Akash Deep’s wicket, left India struggling to survive.
Earlier in the day, India’s top order crumbled under pressure. Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli all fell to the new ball in quick succession. While Jaiswal and Pant provided brief resistance, the collapse resumed after Tea.
Australia wrapped up the game in style, with Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon taking the last two wickets. This emphatic victory gave Australia a 184-run win.
Brief Scores
- Australia: 474 (Steve Smith 140, Labuschagne 72; Bumrah 4-99) & 234 (Labuschagne 70; Bumrah 5-56, Siraj 3-70)
- India: 369 (Reddy 114, Jaiswal 82, Sundar 50; Boland 3-57, Cummins 3-89, Lyon 3-96) & 155 (Jaiswal 84; Cummins 3-28, Boland 3-39, Lyon 2-37)
Result: Australia won by 184 runs.
