India‘s cricket team is just two wickets away from victory after day four of the third Test match against Australia in Melbourne. The Aussies were on 258 for the loss of eight wickets at stumps, still needing 141 runs to win.
India resumed their second innings on 54 for five on the morning of day four at the MCG.
They batted for just over 10 overs adding 52 more runs to their total before declaring their innings closed on 106 for eight setting the Australians an unlikely victory target of 399.
Their openers, Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch, again failed to set a strong platform, departing cheaply as the hosts went to lunch on 44 for two.
The Aussies managed to get to the 100 mark in the post lunch session but they lost three more wickets stumbling to tea on 138 for five. Travis Head and his captain Tim Paine were the casualties on the other side of the break and the Aussies were staring down the barrel on 176 for seven.
But tail-ender Pat Cummins, who took nine wickets in the match, also came to the party with the bat.
He dared Aussie fans to dream with a defiant career-best 61 including five fours and one six. Cummins and Nathan Lyon showed the discipline lacking in the top order sharing in an unbeaten 43-run ninth wicket stand guiding their side to stumps on 258 for eight.
Cummins ended the day unbeaten on 61 and Lyon on six with Australia needing another 141 runs for an likely victory while India, who has never won a Test series Down Under needs just two scalps for 2-1 lead in the four match series.
