Australia won by 184 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series after tearing out seven Indian wickets in Monday’s last session of the fourth Test in Melbourne.
With 12.5 overs remaining in the contest at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India fell to 155 all out. To tie the series and keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they must win the fourth Test, which begins in Sydney on Friday.
Top-scorer Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for 84 by Australia skipper Pat Cummins, who took 3-28, while India’s final seven wickets fell for 34 runs from 20.3 overs.
India appeared poised to rescue it as Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant batted through the second session to be 112-3 at tea, with an improbable 340 runs needed to win.
Their collapse, however, was caused by Pant’s departure for 30, caught in the middle of a reckless shot off part-time spinner Travis Head.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, the first-innings centurion, and Ravindra Jadeja came and went swiftly before Cummins controversially ended Jaiswal’s tough 208-ball performance.
An attempted hook resulted in the 23-year-old being given not out following a caught-behind appeal.
Despite the fact that technology did not detect any noise, the TV umpire reversed the ruling based on visual proof that the ball had altered course.
Before Jasprit Bumrah got his second duck of the game and Mohammed Siraj was the final man out, trapped leg before wicket by Nathan Lyon, who finished with 2-37, Akash Deep was caught at short leg off Scott Boland (3-39).
Despite his best efforts, Washington Sundar failed to score a fifth after 45 balls.
When senior batsmen Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma all left for single figures in the first session, India’s hopes were dashed.
Cummins had an incredible Test, collecting 3-38 and six wickets overall while scoring 90 runs, his highest-ever batting match total.
