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4th Test: India at 73/1 chasing 349 vs Australia
Sydney: India reached 134/1 at lunch in their second innings while chasing a target of 349 runs on the fifth day of the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Saturday.
Australia declared at their overnight score of 251/6, leaving India a target of 349 runs in 90 overs.
Australian skipper Steven Smith and the team management believed that it would be quite difficult for India to chase down 349 runs on a fifth day pitch and declared early in the morning.
Openers Murali Vijay (35 batting) and Lokesh Rahul (16) looked solid at the crease though Vijay was dropped in the 10th over by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin off spinner Nathan Lyon.
However, Australia did not have to wait long for success as Lyon, the most successful bowler of the series with 21 wickets, got another when he scalped first innings century maker Rahul, who gloved a turning delivery to backward short leg.
Vijay and Rohit Sharma (19 batting) stuck it out in the middle thereon.
Though offie Lyon was the lone wicket taker, Aussie pacers were the stars in the morning session, testing the Indian batsmen with their length and pace in seaming conditions.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with respective figures of 7-4-5-0 and 5-4-1-0 built the pressure on India by giving away less than a run per over.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.