Australia bag 2-1 lead in BGT as India collapse in Melbourne run-chase

Australia bowled out India for a mere 155 with over 10 overs to spare with a clinical bowling led by captain Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc to win the fourth Test in the five-match series.

"Getting more than 400 in the first innings set the game for us. You always think anything can happen. We bowled well in the first session to have them 3/30. They batted well in the middle session.

"We knew that we had to get one breakthrough and anything can happen and that proved to be the case," Cummins, who became the Player of the Match for his allround performance, said at the post-match presentation.

India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's sudden bid to play a lofty shot in the middle of his defensive innings cost him his wicket that offered Australia a golden opportunity to return to the match, which was held by the tourists in the mid-season.

Pant, who was rebuked by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar for allegedly throwing his wicket at a crucial juncture in the first innings, partnered Yashasvi Jaiswal after Australia bagged the vital wicket of iconic batter Virat Kohli at the stroke of lunch on day five.

Pant's love for strokes once again cost him his wicket as the wicketkeeper-batter fell in the trap of part-time bowler Travis Head who tempted him to go for a big shot to only get caught in the deep.

The southpaw's exit at 30 from 104 balls (two fours) was followed to the change room by Jaiswal, who was controversially given out by third umpire after suffering a heartbreaking runout due to misunderstanding with Kohli in the previous innings.

Though the snicko meter shows no edge, third umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat asked the on-field umpire to reverse his decision to 'Out' solely based on a deflection as noticed on camera.

Several cricket analysts including Gavaskar slammed the decision claiming the technology should have been relied on over visuals. "When there is technology, it must be used," said Gavaskar while doing commentary in Hindi.

Jaiswal, who was dismissed caught behind by Alex Carey in Australia captain Pat Cummins' delivery, added 84 in the second innings after slamming a neat 82 in the first.

Australia were earlier on Monday bowled out by India for 234 in the second innings. The tourists needed 340 runs to win the match.

After India survived the fiery Australian bowling in the first hour, Cummins picked a couple of wickets in the 17th over, removing opponent skipper Rohit Sharma (9 from 40 balls) and technically sound KL Rahul (0).

Minutes before lunch, Australia drew more blood as Starc picked Kohli, who scored just five from 29 balls in front of a packed crowd that included his wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma.

India's pace bowling sensation Jasprit Bumrah picked the only Australian wicket left in the morning in the form of Nathan Lyon, who added 40 until he was bowled out.

India's second defeat in the ongoing BGT series has raised questions on skipper Rohit Sharma's relentless poor form, Kohli's dismissals in off-stump balls, Pant's shot selections at crucial juncture as well as team choice.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has pointed finger at picking two spin-bowling allrounders- Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar- on a surface which had a little offer to them.

"Pant needs to understand what is required from himself more than any one of us telling him... it's about him understanding and figuring out what is the right way to go about it," said Rohit at the post-match presser.

"It's very hard to have a conversation when it has given him a lot of success as well but it's about him figuring out what is the right way to do things. It's just about the situation of the game where if there is a risk percentage, 'do you want to take that risk and let the opposition comeback?' Those are the things he needs to figure out himself," the India captain added.