Boland heroics put India in trouble against Australia in SCG finale

SYDNEY: India brushed off the absence on Saturday of captain Jasprit Bumrah to dismiss Australia for 181 and reach 141 for six for an overall lead of 145 on an extraordinary second day of the finely-balanced fifth test.

Boland is fast becoming a cult hero in Australia and possibly the loudest roar came when he bowled a peach of a delivery to take out opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s off stump and end a promising innings on 22.

On a day of high drama at a sunbathed Sydney Cricket Ground, Bumrah took the first wicket to set India on their way but departed with the team doctor soon after lunch for medical scans of his back after suffering spasms.

Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped into the considerable bowling void left by their captain to rout Australia and fire India to a slender first-innings lead of four runs at tea.

There was still plenty of spice in the wicket, however, and paceman Scott Boland took 4-42 in the final session to add to his four-wicket haul on Friday, as Australia lopped the top off the Indian batting and dug deep into the middle order.

Rishabh Pant threw off the shackles and produced some extraordinary shots in a stunning 28-ball half century to stop the rot but he too departed for 61 in the final hour, Australia skipper Pat Cummins claiming the 14th wicket of the day.

There was still time for Boland to claim his fourth victim in the shape of Nitish Kumar Reddy, leaving Ravindra Jadeja, who was eight not out, and Washington Sundar, unbeaten on six, at the crease at the close of play.

“As many runs as possible would be great for us,” Krishna said, when asked how big a lead the Indian bowlers would be comfortable defending, potentially without Bumrah.

“We don’t really know how the wicket is behaving. It’s going up, it’s going down. If you can be aggressive, there is risk involved, but you get a reward of runs.”

Australia coach Andrew McDonald thought “generational” bowling talent on both teams was the reason for the number of falling wickets and said his plans for day three were straightforward.

“First and foremost, we’ve got four wickets to get, to try to keep that total as low as possible,” he told reporters.

“There’s a long way still to go … so we’ll see what happens.”

The crowd of 47,257 enjoying the Sydney sunshine certainly got their money’s worth as the momentum shifted back and forth, as it has over the series, which Australia lead 2-1.

Debutant all-rounder Beau Webster, whose 57 was Australia’s highest score, was cheered to the rafters for his half century and again when he removed Shubman Gill for 13 later in the day to claim his maiden test wicket.

Virat Kohli, standing in as India captain after Bumrah’s departure, was booed to the crease for what is likely to be his final innings in Australia, and cheered back to the boundary rope after Boland had him caught in the slips for a timid six.

The Indian supporters had plenty to cheer too, starting with Bumrah’s dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne in the morning session to take his series tally to 32 wickets at an average of 13.06.

Krishna also had the Indian flags waving when he had Steve Smith caught in the slips for 33 to break up a fifth-wicket partnership of 57 with Webster and leave the former Australia captain five short of 10,000 test runs.

India, who dropped captain Rohit Sharma for the match, need to win in Sydney to square up the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.