India vs Australia Highlights, 4th Test Day 4: Lyon, Boland frustrate India after Bumrah's record spell

India vs Australia LIVE Score, 4th Test Day 4: Australia's Nathan Lyon, left, and Scott Boland run between the wickets to score during play on the day four of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

India vs Australia Highlights, 4th Test Day 4: The final session of play on day four of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG saw Australia’s rearguard frustrate India, who struggled to bowl out the tail despite a fantastic afternoon session earlier in the day. Marnus Labuschagne and Pat Cummins added on a few more runs to cross the 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket, before Mohammed Siraj finally snapped that piece of resistance by catching Labuschagne LBW. Cummins added a few more runs, but edged a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja to skipper Rohit Sharma at slip. Mitchell Starc couldn’t add crucial runs with his big hitting, as a sharp piece of fielding by Rishabh Pant saw him run out. The most frustrating element for India, however, was a stubborn partnership for the last wicket between numbers 10 and 11, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland, as they took Australia’s lead to 333 and made it a stiff chase for India on day five.

A charged-up Mohammed Siraj got the big wicket of Marnus Labuschagne with his very first ball of the third session. Labuschagne and Pat Cummins had managed to seal some of the cracks that were opened up in a fiery spell from Jasprit Bumrah early in the second session. Bumrah tore into Australia's middle order and the hosts were suddenly down to their last four wickets with their lead less than 200. Australia started the second session well with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looking settled. However Mohammed Siraj started off the fireworks by sending back Smith after which Bumrah dismissed Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in the next over. Bumrah then cleaned up Alex Carey in his next over.

Australia earlier went to Lunch with a lead of 158 runs on Day 4 of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the MCG. Bumrah got his revenge on Sam Konstas, who had smashed him everywhere in the first innings, dismissing the debutant opener in the seventh over. Siraj looked far better than he has done for most of this series and got his reward in the form of Usman Khawaja's scalp. Akash Deep, meanwhile, was extraordinarily unlucky to not get a single wicket throughout the first session. Australia went into Lunch with their score reading 53/2. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were the two batters in the middle.

Nitish Kumar Reddy earlier added nine runs to his overnight score of 105, falling to Nathan Lyon and thus bringing the curtains down on one of the great innings by an Indian batter in Australia. India were all out for 369 and Reddy's innings, coupled with what Washington Sundar did on Day 3, has reduced Australia's lead to 105.

At a stadium which has created heroes and iconic images throughout its fabled history, one more was added to the rich tapestry of the Melbourne Cricket Ground as Nitish Kumar Reddy headlined India’s fightback in the Boxing Day Test match on day three. Reddy brought up his maiden international century when India needed it most, with a fine display of stoic and solid defensive batting mixed in with some typical flourishing and aggressive strokeplay.

Although play was cut short by bad light and a spot of rain towards the end of day’s play, the most exciting 15 minutes of the day arrived right towards the end, with Washington Sundar’s dismissal on 50 after a terrific, match-saving 127-run partnership with Reddy. Reddy was batting 97* at the time, but Jasprit Bumrah’s dismissal partway through Pat Cummins’ over meant there was a real chance of the Andhra all-rounder being stranded down the other end on 99. With his family watching on from the crowd and clearly feeling the tension, much like the tens of thousands of Indian fans at the MCG, the crunch moment came as number eleven Mohammed Siraj played a picture-perfect forward defence to see out the over and turn the strike over to the man of the hour.

Celebrating in style with a reference to Bahubali, Reddy’s loft over mid-on brought up a crucial century, as India slowly continued to chip away at the deficit. Now, heading into day four, Reddy’s knock has ensured that India can be confident about avoiding a loss in Melbourne, if not potentially even harbour hopes of going for a win as this Test reaches its climax. India will head out with one wicket in hand and a 116-run deficit, but Reddy has shown himself to be capable of scoring runs at a canter when required. Anything from this point will be a bonus, with the pressure of the match situation on Australia’s batters once they walk in for their second innings.

If Pat Cummins’ men want to try and force a result, they will have to go hell-for-leather in a similar manner to the Gabba, which didn’t quite work out for them before rain interrupted day five and saw a wash-out draw. The question the Aussie think-tank will ask themselves is two-part: how many sessions do they think they will need to bowl India out a second time, and how many runs will they be comfortable defending in that amount of time?

The directive, particularly for young debutant Sam Konstas and firecracker Travis Head, will be to go out and bat with freedom and look for runs, with the knowledge that even if wickets fall, there are plenty of batters within the Australian team who are capable of hanging on and making sure it doesn’t turn ugly for the hosts. Australia might look to bat until the final 8-10 overs of day four, looking to get as close to a lead of 400 as possible, which might need them to score at almost 4 runs per over consistently through the day on a pitch which is gradually showing some signs of spice.

In that ideal situation, the Aussies will be on the hunt for a wicket or two in the fading light of Melbourne, heaping all the pressure right back onto India and asking a fragile batting order to see out the entirety of day five, by which point it would be extremely surprising if the pitch doesn’t begin to deteriorate and offer more for Australia’s deathly-precise bowling unit. The less time India bats in the fourth innings, the more likely a draw is, while if Australia collapse in pursuit of runs similar to at the Gabba, even a win might be on the cards for the visiting team.

Australia’s approach early in their innings on Sunday will come to define the direction that this match takes, with all three results fairly feasible at the moment. India will be keeping a wary eye on how much purchase Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep, as well as the spin duo of Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, will find on the MCG pitch.

Nitish Kumar Reddy established himself as one of the heroes of this year’s tour down under, but the story in this Test match might not be done quite yet.

Here are some pointers to India vs Australia 4th Test Day 4:

- Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland's unbeaten 50-run stand for the final wicket helped Australia to take 333-run lead at Stumps

- Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland's final-wicket resistance saw Australia take their lead past 300.

- Ravindra Jadeja ended Pat Cummins' vigil as the Australia captain departed for 40 off 91.

- Mohammed Siraj dismissed Marnus Labuschagne with his first ball of the 3rd session

- Australia 135/6, lead by 240 runs at Tea

- Marnus Labuschagne got to his 22nd Test fifty in 105 balls

- Bumrah dismissed Marsh in the same over and Carey in the next

- Jasprit Bumrah sent back Travis Head to pick his 200th Test wicket

- Steve Smith fell to Mohammed Siraj while going for an expansive drive

- Australia 53/2 at Lunch, lead by 158 runs

- Mohammed Siraj struck at last with the wicket of Usman Khawaja in the 19th over

- Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Sam Konstas early

- India all out for 369, Australia started second innings with a lead of 105

- Nitish Kumar Reddy fell for 114 off 189 balls