Jasprit Bumrah unleashed a fiery spell to leave Australia reeling at 135 for 6 at tea, giving India their first real chance of victory on the fourth day of the fourth Test here on Sunday. Although Australia held a first-innings lead of 105 after India posted 369, Bumrah’s brilliance ensured the hosts did not run away with the match. With an overall lead of 240, the Indian bowlers, led by Bumrah, kept up the pressure.
Bumrah (4/30 in 14 overs) was sensational, completing 200 Test wickets at a phenomenal average of 19.56. His immaculate length, awkward bounce and subtle movements left the Australian batting line-up in complete disarray.
Marnus Labuschagne (65 not out off 118 balls) was Australia’s only fighter but had a huge chance when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a simple catch at third slip off Akash Deep.
For the first time since the Perth Test, Bumrah received substantial support from the other end, leading to Australia losing three wickets in the space of 10 deliveries.
Steve Smith (13) fell to Mohammed Siraj (2/40 in 14 overs), edging out the slips. Bumrah then called for Travis Head (1), who spoke testily to Nitish Kumar Reddy stationed at square leg.
Bumrah produced another unplayable delivery to dismiss Mitchell Marsh (0), a short ball that rose between chest and chin, with just enough movement to undo the batter. Passing around the wicket, Bumrah broke through Alex Carey’s defenses with precision, using the width of the crease to create an angle that left the batter helpless.
The chaos began in the morning session when defender Bumrah dismissed debutant Sam Konstas (8). Siraj followed up with a peach to dismiss Usman Khawaja (21), setting him up with four deliveries before straightening one to break through his defence.
Bumrah and Siraj bowled with renewed vigour, and Akash Deep complemented their efforts by maintaining tight lines and offering no release delivery.
Konstas, who had impressed in the first round, was defeated by the performance of Bumrah, who came back a length to cut him in two. Bumrah’s celebration was unusually lively as he cheered on the Indian crowd, who responded by chanting Virat Kohli’s name.
Siraj, who has faced hostility from the Australian public since his incident in Adelaide with Travis Head, silenced his critics in style. The fans’ jeers turned into cheers as they greeted him with chants of “DSP, DSP”, in reference to his recent appointment as deputy superintendent of police in Telangana.
From scoring his run-up to chasing balls to the boundary or supporting Nitish Reddy to his century, Siraj has endured unprecedented hostility in this series. But with a crucial spell and a memorable delivery, he let his performance do the talking, calming the partisan crowd in emphatic fashion.
