Australia vs India. 4th Test. Melbourne. 2024/25. Day Four.

Hello to everyone out there who believes Test cricket should be shortened to four-day games. You are imbeciles.

We enter the fifth day of this 4th Test no wiser as to what the result of this game will be. What has become obvious is that the bowlers from both sides are also required to score the majority of the runs. Yesterday on a pitch that died completely once the ball became old, Reddy did what he has done all series, seemingly scoring runs with ease, and twice now having been a big part as to why India have managed to avoid two follow on's in succession. His 114 and Washington Sundar's 50 have proven to be a stumbling block for the Australian bowlers. It also shows that India's selection policy is based around having a lengthy batting line up. In two innings in this match, where India has bowled a total of 205 overs, between them Reddy and Sundar have bowled only 27, a little over 13%. They obviously have not been a part of India's bowling plans, which to be fair revolve almost entirely around throwing Jasprit Bumrah the ball and hoping he decimates the Australian batting. Which, to be fair, he did again today. He removed their middle order in 11 deliveries, and with the scoreline at 6/91 and a lead of just ove4r a hundred, it began to look as though the Test would be over today. Then Cummins again fought hard with 41 runs off 90 deliveries, and the final pair of the rabbit Nathan Lyon (41 off 54) and the ferret Scott Boland (10 off 65) put on an unbroken partnership of 55 runs to get Australia to an overall lead of 333 runs. After Bumrah's spell Australia scored 3/137 off 46 overs. It was almost ridiculously easy for Australia's 10 and 11 to see off 18 overs at the end of the day.

Which brings us to tomorrow. What happens from here. 98 overs are available to both teams. Which team is the bravest to announce they are looking for victory? We know that England now seem to play for victory at all costs from any position no matter how ridiculous, but will either of these teams risk defeat to chase victory? In India's case, they don't need to win. A drawn series sees them hold the Border Gavaskar Trophy, and after the first two days they would see a draw as a great result, much as they did in Brisbane. Australia need to win the series, which means they need to win here. Is the bowling cartel up to the task, given Starc is obviously not 100% and Marsh has barely bowled all summer? Will Cummins continue to attack even if the pitch flattens out further, or will he retreat to a defensive mindset and hope that India implodes? Will the Indian top six hope to repeat their victory at the Gabba four years ago, or repeat the draw in Sydney the week earlier on that same tour?

333 is a gettable target in the modern age, and the pitch doesn't seem to have deteriorated too much. Their elder statesmen are not in the best of form but certainly have the pedigree to break out of their slumber for a famous run chase. Australia will rely on Boland's nagging accuracy, Cummins' aggression and Lyon's persistency. To win Australia will have to risk losing, to draw India into a chase they may want to attack. India will be positive early but even with Jaiswal and Pant and Jadeja in that top six, you feel they will want to ensure they are safe before they looking for a victory chase.

Whatever happens, it should be the final day that Mitch Marsh treads on the field for Australia in a Test match. I have spoken about generational change in the Australian Test team all summer so far, and any attempt to retain Marsh in this team should mean the immediate eviction of the selection panel from their jobs. There are a lot of players in this team who will be waving their goodbyes in the near future, but Marsh should be given his plane ticket to the BBL as soon as stumps are called tomorrow afternoon.