India’s chances of securing a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final suffered a major blow as they faced a 184-run defeat against Australia in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Chasing a daunting target of 340, the visitors were bowled out for 155, losing their way in the final session of the fifth day. With this win, Australia took a 2-1 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and boosted their chances of meeting South Africa in the WTC final.
Australia laid a strong foundation on Day 1, thanks to young debutant Sam Konstas’ blazing 60 off 65 balls and Steve Smith’s steady 140 on Day 2. Konstas, along with Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, set the tone for a dominant first innings total of 474. India’s reply faltered early, but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 82 and Nitish Reddy’s maiden Test century provided some resistance, taking India to 369.
Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s remarkable performance in Australia’s second innings, where he claimed his 200th Test wicket, dropped catches allowed the hosts to set a challenging target. India’s top-order collapse in their chase, despite a valiant 84 from Jaiswal, sealed their defeat.
The final Test in Sydney now offers India a slim chance to equalize, but their WTC hopes hang by a thread. Meanwhile, Australia’s stronghold on the series reaffirms their dominance on home soil.
