Ind vs Aus: Australia crush India by 122 runs at MCG

Fine bowling performances by James Pattinson (4/53) and Peter Siddle (3/42) guided Australia to register a crushing 122-run victory over India on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Today.

Spinner Nathan Lyon finally got the wicket as he scalped Umesh Yadav to bowl out India for 169 in 47.5 overs in their second innings.

Aussie seamers were on a roll right from the start as they claimed half of the Indian side inside 70 runs to put Australia on top against the visitors.

Paceman James Pattinson, who was certainly the hero of the day, dismissed Zaheer Khan (13) and skipper MS Dhoni (23) in quick succession as he claimed four wickets giving away just 53 runs in 15 overs.

Pattinson was truly rewarded with the man of the match award for his match-winning performance.

Seamer Peter Siddle claimed R Ashwin, who played a breezy knock of 35-ball 30 that included five fours, soon after the tea interval as India lost their seventh wicket at the score of 117. India were 117 for six at tea.

Chasing 292 for victory, India lost the momentum in the post-lunch session after losing five of their crucial wickets in the second session against Australia on Day 4 of the first Test at MCG.

Peter Siddle joined the party who got the prized wicket of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar as India lost their sixth wicket at the score of 81 on Day 4 of the first Test.

Tendulkar, who was in good touch, went for the drive on a widish delivery but it was well caught by Michael Hussey at gully to give India another jolt. Tendulkar scored a quickfire 32 of 46 balls with the help of four boundaries.

Earlier, paceman James Pattinson double-strike gave India denting blow as he dismissed Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in quick succession followed by Ben Hilfenhaus who claimed his second by trapping Virat Kohli for duck.

India lost Dravid, Laxman and Kohli in a span of 11 runs. Laxman's trademark flick off Pattinson went straight to Ed Cowan at square leg, who made no mistake in grabbing it, as India were tottering at 69/5 from 58/3 at one stage.

Pattinson cleaned up Dravid who managed to score only 10 runs in the second innings. Dravid got out in a similar fashion the way he lost his wicket in the first innings.

The angular full-length delivery from Pattinson went through between bat and pad of Dravid to hit the timber.

Peter Siddle had Gautam Gambhir, soon after lunch, caught by Ricky Ponting at second slip to put India under pressure on the fourth day of the first Test.

India were 24 for one at lunch in their Indian second innings in pursuit of a 292-run victory target.

The Indian run chase got off to a bad start as Michael Hussey took a sharp catch at gully to dismiss Virender Sehwag off Ben Hilfenhaus.

Sehwag (7) went for a wild swing at a wide delivery, middled it but Hussey grasped it out of thin air over his head to dismiss the dangerman for Australia.

Earlier in the day, India bowled out Australia for 240 runs in their second innings which left them with a 292-run victory target after Hussey and James Pattinson resumed the Australian second innings on Day 4.

Ishant Sharma took the last Australian wicket when he had Ben Hilfenhaus caught by VVS Laxman at second slip. Zaheer Khan squared up Michael Hussey with an absolute beauty and had him caught behind by MS Dhoni.

Hussey hit 9 fours in his 89-run knock before edging a good length delivery outside the off-stump that kicked up a hint and seamed away from him.

Boxing Day Test Live: Australia crossed the 250-run, partnership between Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle

Australia crossed the 250-run mark as a handy partnership between Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle averted a complete collapse in the final session of play.

Ed Cowan (68) finally caved-in to the pressure mounted by the Indian bowlers, caught behind by MS Dhoni off Ravichandran Ashwin’s spin.

The scorecard read 214/6 at the fall with the Indian outfit dominating for the first time in the day.

Before the collapse, Zaheer Khan had finally struck hard as he clean bowled Michael Clarke (31) with an awesome delivery that was dragged back onto the stumps. He followed it up with another beauty and dismissed Michael Hussey for a duck on the very next delivery.

The spectators were treated to Test cricket of the highest quality as the world’s top teams competed with full fervour, not giving the other any room to breathe. However, it was the Australians with the home advantage that held a slightly upper hand.

Second Session

Umesh Yadav struck gold on being reintroduced into the attack, claiming the all important scalp of Ricky Ponting (62). The third breakthrough from Yadav got the bounce back into the Indian outfit as the scorecard read 170/3 at tea on Day 1.

The second session of play belonged majorly to Australia as Cowan and Ponting kept on piling runs and did not give away their wicket cheaply.

Ponting had looked dangerous as he slammed a solid fifty to steady the innings, his 59th in Test cricket for Australia in the last fifteen years. He was given apt support from opener Ed Cowan who toiled for his runs but kept the wicket intact against a disciplined attack, slamming a fifty of his own.

The post-lunch session had begun a bit late as rain gods kept on bothering the proceedings in a largely filled MCG.

First Session

Rain stopped play as an early lunch was taken at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the Australian scorecard reading 68/2. The game was delicately poised at the break as the Indian bowlers pegged back towards the later part of the session while the home team averted any collapses.

India had got the first breakthrough as Umesh Yadav claimed David Warner (37) right after a short break that could have resulted in a lapse of concentration on the batsman’s part.

Shaun Marsh was the new man on the crease and he was out for a duck, giving Yadav his second scalp of the Australian summers. Warner gloved a short one into the hands of India skipper MS Dhoni while Marsh was caught by Kohli with the scorecard reading 46/2.

Just before that, covers had come on the turf at the MCG because rain stopped play after 13 overs. The break was however short lived as the drizzle stopped within a few minutes and play resumed.

Openers Ed Cowan and Warner had started the proceedings on a positive note as speedsters Ishant and Zaheer looked for an early breakthrough while there was still some movement in the air.

Zaheer was particularly tight in his line and length as he had a couple of loud appeals and close calls.

An Oz summer had begun with home captain Michael Clarke winning the toss and electing to bowl against India in the Boxing Day Test. There was some good news for the Indian camp as both pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma proved their fitness and were drafted for the test Down Under.