India draw level at 1-1 Test series in Australia; visitors had lost first Test after collapsing to 36 all out; Australia fined and deducted four World Test Championship points for slow over-rate in second Test; third Test confirmed for Sydney despite Covid outbreak
Tuesday 29 December 2020 14:41, UK
India completed a stunning form reversal by sealing an eight-wicket win over Australia on day four of the second Test at the MCG to draw level at 1-1 in the four-match series.
The tourists' thumping victory in Melbourne came just over a week after they had slumped to a national-record low total of 36 in an eight-wicket loss to Australia in Adelaide.
India - captained by Ajinkya Rahane in the absence of Virat Kohli, who has flown home for the birth of his child - reached their target of 70 in 15.5 overs after bowling Australia out for 200.
India lost Mayank Agarwal (5) with the score on 16 and Cheteshwar Pujara (3) with the total on 19 as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins struck in the fifth and sixth over respectively.
Rahane, dropped on 19, finished unbeaten on 27 and hit the winning run, fittingly after his first-innings century, while opener Shubman Gill ended 35 not out.
Debutant India seamer Mohammed Siraj led his side off the field at lunch after adding a second-innings 3-37 to his 2-40 in Australia's first knock.
The hosts resumed day four on 133-6 and Pat Cummins (22) and Cameron Green (45) added another 23 before Cummins fended a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah to second slip, the seventh-wicket partnership ended at 57.
Green was caught at midwicket off Siraj to make it 177-8, before Siraj removed Nathan Lyon (3) eight runs later.
Josh Hazlewood (10) was last man out, offering no shot to be bowled by spinner Ravi Ashwin (2-71), with Starc left stranded on 14.
Australia had elected to bat after winning the toss on Boxing Day but were dismissed for 195 before Rahane's 112 lifted India to 326 in reply.
Sydney will host the third Test from January 7 after Cricket Australia deemed that the recent Covid-19 outbreak in the city had sufficiently subsided.
A surge of cases in Sydney's northern beaches prior to Christmas had seen Melbourne placed on standby to host back-to-back Tests but the Sydney Cricket Ground will stage the game as planned.
The governments of New South Wales and Queensland were involved in the decision, with Queensland to host the fourth Test, at The Gabba in Brisbane, from January 15.
Complicating the hosting decision was the closure of the Queensland border to anyone coming from the greater Sydney area, putting events, broadcast and media contingents in limbo, as well as the Australia and India players.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia's Interim CEO, said: "Despite the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am delighted to say Cricket Australia remains on track to deliver the men's international series as scheduled.
"We have met regularly over the past week to assess the unfolding public health situation in Sydney and gauge its impact on border restrictions around the country.
"To date, we have been able to deliver a safe and successful summer thanks to our detailed biosecurity protocols and the amazing work of so many great people behind the scenes. To that end, we have made the decision to keep the New Year's Test at the SCG."
Australia have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee and penalised four ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate in the second Test in Melbourne.
Tim Paine's side were ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration with match referee David Boon imposing the sanction.
Paine has pleaded guilty to the offence so there was no need for a formal hearing.
"In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC code of conduct which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20% of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time," the ICC said.
"In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised two points for each over short."
