Categories: Cricket

Australia gamble pays off as India collapse late in all-time classic Boxing Day Test

  • Australia 474 & 234 beat India 369 & 155 by 184 runs
  • Hosts take seven final-session wickets for 2-1 lead at MCG

In the end, the dice landed the right way up for the shooter. Had India managed to bat for another hour, another 14 overs, Australia’s tactics would have been sliced up: too conservative in batting into the final day. But Australia’s gamble was about laying off risk on the other half of the equation, all but eliminating India’s chance of a win at the cost of reducing their own. In the end, this time, it worked, when Nathan Lyon snagged the 10th wicket just before half past five Melbourne time; Australia winning the fourth Test and leading 2-1 before the series ends in Sydney.

It was, in the end, a close-run thing, a reminder that you’re often only vindicated in the sporting business if you happen to guess right. Lyon’s 10th-wicket partnership with Scott Boland in the third innings ended up being 61, adding only six of those after resuming on the fifth morning, and costing Australia four overs to do it. That final extension may not have worked out, but the previous evening’s runs made a major psychological difference, taking India’s target from a high 200s score, one that would have felt possible, to 340, that didn’t.

Continue reading…

Source: Cricket - The Guardian

WBN

Share
Published by
WBN

Recent Posts

iOS 18.3 beta 2 fixes key Calculator issue introduced last fall

Apple has just released iOS 18.3 beta 2. While so far we haven’t seen a…

24 hours ago

These Shoes Might Be Putting You at Greater Risk for Running Injuries, Study Finds

New research suggests that thicker shoes might make it harder to know your optimal running…

24 hours ago

After Founder’s Arrest, Telegram Began Sharing Info on Thousands More Users With Police

The social media platform changed its policies in September and began responding to law enforcement…

24 hours ago

Texas Police ‘Seize Photographs’ From Sally Mann Exhibition

Police have reportedly seized Sally Mann photographs from an exhibition at the Modern Art Museum…

1 day ago

Apple’s second iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 developer betas kick off 2025

Apple has moved on to its second round of developer betas, issuing fresh builds of…

1 day ago

Satechi unveils new essential OntheGo collection for 2025 [Hands-on]

As someone who’s been using Satechi products for years, I’ve always admired their sleek designs…

1 day ago