India on verge of win

At press time this morning, Australia were 279 for 9 needing 49 runs for a stunning victory  in the first test at Adelaide while India needed only one wicket.

Earlier yesterday, India’s pacemen removed Australia’s last two specialist batsmen to put Virat Kohli’s side within four wickets of victory at lunch on the final day of the first test on Monday.

Ishant Sharma had local favourite Travis Head caught for 14 in the gully early in the session before Jasprit Bumrah broke through to have Shaun Marsh caught behind for 60 after the drinks break at Adelaide Oval.

Australia’s wicketkeeper-captain Tim Paine was 40 not out, with tail-ender Pat Cummins on five, the pair showing impressive grit to push to 186 for six — 137 runs shy of their 323 victory target.

Australia had resumed on a docile fifth-day wicket on 104 for four, their hopes pinned on Marsh and Head building a partnership with the ageing ball.

India bowled with patience and determination, backed by the knowledge that no team had scored more than 315 runs in a successful run chase at Adelaide Oval.

Ishant struck half an hour into the session to remove Head with a venomous short ball that reared up and caught the shoulder of the bat, the edge flying high to Ajinkya Rahane.

Marsh, on a dreadful run of scores, stuck firm with Paine and took to India’s bowlers with some crisp shot-making.

He smashed Ashwin past midwicket for four to bring up a defiant half-century and then whipped Shami off his pads for another boundary before drinks.

It took Bumrah to make the breakthrough, the young seamer inducing an outside edge off lefthander Marsh with a ball that moved slightly off the seam and flew through to a gleeful Rishabh Pant.

Marsh trudged off for 60, the budding partnership of 41 broken and Australia’s tail exposed.

Ashwin was immediately recalled to attack Pat Cummins and thought he had the seamer out twice in the first over of his new spell.

India squandered a review on a caught-behind decision before Cummins was given out for a duck by umpire Nigel Llong, caught at short leg. Cummins reviewed successfully, however, the technology showing the ball whistling by his glove to continue Llong’s poor test after a slew of overturned decisions.

Paine took the burden of scoring from the departed Marsh and batted with application, milking runs from the last overs of the ageing ball.

Ishant took the second new ball 12 minutes before lunch and almost had Paine, a nick flying between second slip and gully.

The skipper survived to keep Australia’s faint hopes of pulling off a famous victory alive.