LIVE IND V AUS, 4th Test Day 4: Rahul-Rahane get India within touching distance

Photo: AP

LIVE SCORECARD

  India WIN by 8 wickets Pat Cummins to Ajinkya Rahane, SIX! Outstanding intent this from Rahane. Cummins goes around the wicket to Rahane and bangs this short. Think the Indian captain was up for it and pulls it over deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie. The Australians are flabbergasted after that shot. India 71/2. Rahul 42, Rahane 16 Pat Cummins to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! This time Rahane connects well! Shorter but angling down the leg side, Rahane gets in good position and helps it on its way down to the fine leg fence. India need 39 more runs to win. Nathan Lyon to Lokesh Rahul, FOUR! Not in control but India won't mind it! Floats it outside off, Rahul looks for the drive but gets it off the outer half past the short third man fielder for a boundary. India 56/2. Rahul 33, Rahane 10 Pat Cummins to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! Intent from the Indian skipper! Shorter length around off, Rahane was waiting for it and picks the bones out of it, dispatches it over mid-wicket for a boundary. India need 51 more runs to win. Pat Cummins to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! Pristine! Fuller outside off, Rahane just presents the full face of the bat and gets it through mid off for a boundary. Superb shot, that! 50 up for India. Pat Cummins to Murali Vijay, OUT! Vijay's misery comes to an end! He was struggling to time the ball today and has to walk back now. Pat Cummins bowls this just in the area outside off on a length, Vijay has to play at it. He gets an outside edge and carries at a good height to Wade who accepts the catch gleefully. A well-deserved wicket for the Australian fast bowler. India need 60 more runs to win Pat Cummins to Murali Vijay, OUT! Vijay's misery comes to an end! He was struggling to time the ball today and has to walk back now. Pat Cummins bowls this just in the area outside off on a length, Vijay has to play at it. He gets an outside edge and carries at a good height to Wade who accepts the catch gleefully. A well-deserved wicket for the Australian fast bowler. India need 60 more runs to win. India 46/0. Rahul 33, Vijay 8 Josh Hazlewood to Lokesh Rahul, FOUR! Quick hands! A tad short outside off, Rahul picks it early and pummels it through mid-wicket for a boundary. That was similar to the shot played by Smith yesterday and was bowled. Difference though was this was a lot closer to the stumps. Steve O'Keefe to Lokesh Rahul, FOUR! Neatly done! Floats it outside off, Rahul does not miss out and drives it through cover-point for a boundary. That was nicely played. Steve O'Keefe to Lokesh Rahul, FOUR! Rahul is not going to waste any time! This one is fuller on the stumps, Rahul kneels down and sweeps it powerfully through square leg for a boundary. India need 67 more runs to win. India 30/0. Rahul 19, Vijay 7 Josh Hazlewood to Lokesh Rahul, FOUR! In the gap! Back of a length outside off, Rahul spots the width and flashes at it. The ball goes off the edge and flies between third slip and the gully fielder for a boundary. Steve O'Keefe to Lokesh Rahul, Rahul goes back and tucks it towards square leg for a single. 7 runs off that over. Steve O'Keefe to Lokesh Rahul, Four Byes! Lands it outside off, Rahul shapes to play at it but spots the turn and holds his shot a touch. The ball spins away from the keeper and runs into the third man fence. The umpire signals it byes. Steve O'Keefe to Lokesh Rahul, First runs of the day! Shorter around off, Rahul goes back and tucks it towards mid-wicket for a single. A testing over, maiden to start with. Josh Hazlewood to Murali Vijay, Another shout for an lbw but not given! Hazlewood angles it on off and middle, Vijay looks to clip it through but gets an inside edge onto his pads. There is another confident lbw appeal but yet again the two sounds save him. Australia think about the review but do not go for it. Replays detect the inside edge too. Josh Hazlewood to Murali Vijay, Loud shout for an lbw! Full outside off, Vijay comes forward to defend but misses and is rapped on the pads. There were two sounds though as the players go up in an appeal. It is a loud one too but nothing from the umpire. Australia do not go for the review as it looked outside off. Replays confirm the same. India 19/0. Rahul 13, Vijay 6 The players are out in the middle. The two Indian openers, Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul are out to bat. Australia begin the day with Josh Hazlewood. Three slips in place for him along with a gully. 87 to win for India, 10 wickets for Australia. Here we go.... Pitch report - Sunil Gavaskar and Brett Lee doing the pitch report reckon that the first half an hour will be crucial for Australia since early wickets will put pressure on the hosts. Gavaskar opines that the visitors need to get their bowling ends right. Feels that the fast bowlers have to bowl from the right end to cause a few problems. Lee adds that there is not enough wear and tear on the wicket but there is still a tinge of live grass which should encourage the bowlers However disappointed the visitors may be with their effort yesterday, they will need to put it behind them and come out firing to put hosts under pressure. Wickets tend to fall in a cluster on Indian decks and the Australians will want to believe they have a chance if they get a few scalps with the new ball. Should be a cracker of a day, stay tuned for all the action. Hello everyone and welcome to the coverage of what is likely to be the final day of this magnificent Test series. We've had to wait till the end of Day 3 of this fourth and final game to predict a clear favorite. India are just 87 runs away from a hard fought, series win. This though is not to suggest that those runs are going to come easily and stranger things have happened in the game of cricket. It remains to be seen if we witness further twists in this Test. DAY 4 SESSION 1