4th Test: Jaiswal, Pant keeps India afloat in chase of 340
At tea, India have reached 112/3 in 54 overs, with Jaiswal batting on 63 off 159 balls, his second fifty of this game coming with a mix of attacking shots and solid defence. Pant, meanwhile, is 28 not out off 93 balls and has shown unbelievable restraint.
The duo’s efforts have meant India are in a serious chance of ending the Melbourne Test with a drawn result, especially with the second new ball 26 overs away. The post-lunch session began with Jaiswal playing back-to-back controlled cut shots to take boundaries off Scott Boland, followed by hitting the same shot for a similar result in the pacer’s next over.
Pant also had a go at Boland by swiping across the line for four, before Jaiswal slashed Mitchell Starc for another boundary. A ball later, Starc’s nip-backer hit Jaiswal on the back pad and Australia went in for a review, only for the umpire’s call to save the batter, as replays showed the ball clipping just top of leg-stump.
With the old ball softening and Australia’s bowlers tiring, Jaiswal and Pant were diligent in seeking runs while trying to be patient at the crease. Jaiswal got his second half-century of the match with a delightful flick off Nathan Lyon, also his seventh four of the innings.
Pant, who was content in defending and leaving deliveries after copping criticism for his first-innings dismissal, flicked Starc through fine leg for four before the duo walked off for tea break after a brilliant session of playing rearguard cricket for India.
Brief Scores: Australia 474 and 234 in 83.4 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 70, Nathan Lyon 41; Jasprit Bumrah 5-57, Mohammed Siraj 3-70) lead India 369 and 112/3 in 54 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 63 not out, Rishabh Pant 28 not out; Pat Cummins 2-19, Mitchell Starc 1-24) by 228 runs.
