Match Details

AUS vs IND 4th TEST, IND vs AUS 2023

team important image
AUS 480(167.2)
175-278.1
Match Drawn
571(178.5)
IND
team image
S Smith Logo
S Smith Jersy

10

(59)

S Smith
10(59)
4s: 2
6s: 0
SR:16.95
+
M Labuschagne Logo
M Labuschagne Jersy
4s: 7
6s: 0
SR:29.58
S Gill Logo
S Gill Jersy

0-1

(1.1)

S Gill

0-1(1.1)
Econ: 0.86
76th Over:
0
0
0
0
0
0
 
= 0
77th Over:
0
0
0
1
0
0
 
= 1
Last Over:
1
0
0
0
0
0
 
= 1
This Over:
0
 
= 0

Player of the Match

Virat Kohli Logo
Virat Kohli Jersy
Virat Kohli
India
186(364)

Commentary

All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Inn 3
Inn 4
Milestone
So a month-long blockbuster of exuberating red-ball cricket ends here with a 2-1 series win for the hosts. India and Australia will now meet in the 2021-2023 cycle's World Test Championship (WTC) Final which will be taking place at the Oval between June 7-11. For now, this is me AkshayaKrishna Polya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Arijit Kundu, who, alongside our scorer/analyst Yogesh Kumar, brought you all the live-action of the final day from 2023's BGT. We will meet in the next match. Until then, it's cheers!

Match Bulletins (Day 5)


  • Ashwin removes nightwatchman Kuhnemann who doesn’t review

  • Drinks, Session 1 33/1 (Head 18*, Labuschagne: 9*)

  • 50 runs stand between Head and Labuschagne

  • Lunch: Australia - 73/1 (Head 45*, Labuschagne 22*)

  • 100 runs stand between Head and Labuschagne

  • Drinks, Session 2 AUS: 123/1 (Head 76*, Labuschagne 37*)

  • Labuschagne notches up his fifty in 150 balls

  • Axar sneaks through the gates of Head (90) to give a late hope for India

  • Tea: Australia - 158/2 ( Labuschagne 56*, Smith 0*)

  • Marnus and Smith offered dead bat, playing for a draw 

  • Drinks, Session 3 AUS: 173/2 ( Labuschagne 61*, Smith 10*)

  • Stumps Day 5 Australia - 175/2 ( Labuschagne 63*, Smith 10*)

    Match Result: Draw

Rohit Sharma receives Border-Gavaskar Trophy from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and now the whole team poses for the photograph
CREX's Player of the Day: Travis Head (90 runs off 163 balls) 

He took Indian victory out of the equation with his semi-aggressive intent and instilled a draw.
Session Breakdown:

First Session: 30 overs, 70 runs 1 wicket
Second Session: 28 overs, 85 runs 1 wicket
Third Session: 14.1 overs, 17 runs 0 wickets

Overall the 5th day saw 72.1 overs of play with 172 runs being scored for the loss of two wickets.
Most Player of the series awards in Tests:

Muttiah Muralitharan: 11
Ravichandran Ashwin: 10
Jacques Kallis: 9
Rohit Sharma (India Captain): "Yeah, it was fantastic. Right from the word go, we played really see. There was something in it for everyone. A few players were playing for the first time. We knew the importance of this series and the quality of opposition we faced. We have worked hard for this. We have stood up at difficult times.
 
The Test match at Delhi, it was good to see winning that Test match. We were behind in the game and we came back well. Again at Indore, we were not able to put pressure, but yeah, happy with the result as well. That was the most pleasing thing in the series. Test cricket is not easy. At different matches, different people come back and put their hands up.

A lot of the guys took responsibility. They took the situation and took us out of tough situations. The kinda benchmark I had set for myself, I could've done a little better. We got the result we wanted for the series. As I said, it was a hard-fought series, and to get the result was desirable."
Ravindra Jadeja: "Obviously feeling good. We are passing each other information about the wicket. Small, small things, we keep discussing. I think I am not happy with my batting. I missed out on some crucial occasions. I will try to work hard after this series. The conversations have been a lot more. I feel I need to be communicate, what are the likes, what are dislikes. He has also been great at chopping and changing lines and length. I think more of an everything. I think he has a very good cricketing brain. He knows everything, every tournament in the world. Which team is playing where and what tournament, he knows everything."
Ravichandran Ashwin: "Haha, I just asked him who will speak first. It has been a great journey so far. We aren't the same without each other. It's great to bowl together. He gives me a lot of freedom to be inventive on the field. Credits to him. I think he was outstanding at Delhi. Haha, I was frustrated in the dressing room when he was batting so long in the innings (telling about his late turn with the bat). That's why we both are here."
Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin both are judged as Players of the Series.
Virat Kohli (Player of the Match):"Ah, to be honest, the expectations I myself have as a player, they are more important for me. I feel I was not able to play with the tempo I batted for the last 10 years. But I was able to put some impactful performances and tried to bat as long as possible for the team. I did it for the team on various occasions but was not able to bat according to my capabilities.

Yes, I was satisfied with this knock. I could play the way I wanted to play. I was patient with it. I was very happy with the defense and the tempo I was playing with. I am not at that stage where I necessarily need to go out and prove myself. I was happy to do my job for the team and I am happy to do it.

Tbh, when I was 60 not-out overnight, we did think to play positively that night. Shreyas was injured and therefore we were not able to do that. We batted time. I was happy with the innings. The way innings went, I feel they set the fieldings really well, we were a batter shot and were trying to make two ends meet. Yeah, it went according to our plans."
Player of the Match: Virat Kohli
Game changer of the match: Shubman Gill
Strongest performer of the match: Axar Patel.
Steven Smith (Australia Captain): "It did slow down a bit as the match ended. It was a flat track. The boys had a great time. We always get a good hospitality here in India. Crowds here are always cheerful. We started to play a lot better as the series progressed. The madness for an hour in Delhi and the comeback we did after that loss was superb. We did great in Indore to bounce back. The pitch here was really flat to force a result. All three spinners bowled really well. Murphy and Kuhnemann bowled well throughout. They held their composure under pressure. Lyon was amazing. The way he bowled here in this flat pitch was good to see. To be honest, this is the best I saw him bowling. Yeah, I am getting a big old. Let's see of the next tour in 2027. Not sure how I will go along."
3:47 PM IST | Time for post-match presentations...
Rahul Dravid (India head coach): "Yeah thanks Ravi. It was really a hard-fought series. Throughout the series, we were put in extreme pressure at times. When we needed someone to put on an impactful performance we found them. Rohit notched up a century in the first Test, Virat Kohli put up a 180 runs knock when needed. Be it Axar, Ashwin Jadeja, and if I miss any names; I think we have put up a good fight overall.

Australia putting up 480 in this match, we needed someone to step up and respond to them. It has been a heartening thing for me as a coach. Australia are the no.1 team in the Test. To be able to fight against them and step up when required, it has been a great thing. 

It has been some exciting 4-5 months for Shubman. Scoring a hundred in the white ball format, scoring a double hundred, and a century here. Coming up and maturing, taking on the responsibility, putting up the performances that is in demand. Works hard for his skills, great opportunity for him to learn from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, to watch Steve Smith bat in the opposition. Lovely kid, a good thing for him to learn and grow. 

We followed it over four or five overs [NZ vs SL 1st Test]. We followed it in bits and pieces. It's not easy to produce results home and away. We've put years of hardworks, to get the chance to play in the Oval again. It is a great thing to put the performances and play the final again.

It has been absolutely brilliant. He [Nathan Lyon] has been exceptional in the way he bowled. Just the kind of pressure or the control he gave. And also the two spinners they came with - Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy; they were brilliant. Sometimes you leak runs from the other end, but these young guys maintain the pressure. Some of them were saying of Panesar and Swann, they were a quality attack in India. off course, we see individual brilliances, bit these youngsters with Nathan Lyon has been a quality, a brilliant thing.

Kartik, we just qualified at Lunch time today, I didn't count my chickens before they hatched. Obviously, we have the three One Day matches, we will play. It is going to be a challenge. There are logistics. There is the IPL Final and the WTC final as well. It is a big game, the boys are excited and keen on it too. We will think about it and plan forward."
Nathan Lyon: "It's been a difficult task. We knew coming to India would be difficult, but it has been rewarding, and our group has gained a lot from it. We can improve in some areas, but there are some proud moments along the way.

It was a completely different surface that didn't have much in it. It can be difficult, but it is our responsibility as bowlers to try to catch the guys in the crease and force them to play false shots. Unlike the first three pitches, this one was more compact and had few footmarks. We were watching the score (NZ-SL game), but we had a feeling we'd be facing India in the final. It's going to be exciting; we've got a good lead-up with some time off and then some preparation, but we're looking forward to it.

I feel I was able to play a significant role at the beginning of their (Murphy and Kuhnemann) Test journey; I know Matty is eager to speak with Jadeja tonight; they should be very proud of what they have accomplished; bowling against the best spinners is no easy feat."
Shubman Gill: "Lyon is always on his mark. He tests your patience so much. We tried to put him under pressure. But I don't think he was under any pressure. 

I think the pacers bowled well, but he doesn't give you many areas you know. He doesn't give you much half-volleys or short balls. It is important for you to be patient and take the singles. When you're batting it is more about the bowlers. He takes the pressure.

To be honest, I think, on this wicket if you're not bowling in the roughs, there is nothing for the bowlers. They kept bowling in the wickets and I played my shots"
Coming into bat late on day 4, Australia sent Matthew Kuhnemann, a nightwatchman along with Travis Head as Usman Khawaja, the regular opener was not fit to play. They survived the small time period before stumps and came out to bat today. 

Ravichandran Ashwin removed Kuhnemann early in the first session but then it was a dead rubber with Head and Marnus Labuschagne piling the frustration on the Indian bowlers. Both in total added 139 runs for the 2nd wicket, which saw both batters getting through their respective fifties.

Axar Patel broke this massive partnership by sneaking through the gates of Head, who was out once again in the 90s with few overs left for Tea. Labuschange (63*) and Steven Smith (10*) continued to bat after the tea break for 14.1 overs before the two captains shook hands, agreeing on a draw.

Now, both India and Australia will meet in the 2021-2023 cycle's World Test Championship (WTC) Final which will be taking place at the Oval between June 7-11. 

Stay tuned for the presentations...
Commentary