Agencies
Sydney, January 10
India survived a late scare to salvage a draw from the fourth and final Test and limit Australia’s series-winning margin to 2-0, in Sydney.
Australia set the tourists an improbable victory target of 349 after declaring on their overnight total of 251-6 and at 201-3 in the evening session were struggling to make in-roads.However, their own hopes were rekindled as India lost four wickets for 16 runs to set up a tense finish before Ajinkya Rahane (38no) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (20no) saw the visitors to 252-7 and safety.
India had earlier begun their second innings with history against them, the highest successful fourth innings run chase in a Test at the SCG being the 288-2 scored by South Africa in 2006.
Openers Lokesh Rahul (16) and Murali Vijay (80) offered stout resistance from the off, sharing a 48-run stand for the first wicket in just over 13 overs.
Rahul’s was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, spinner Nathan Lyon achieving the breakthrough with a ball that clipped the batsman’s glove gifting David Warner a simple chance at backward short leg.
Rohit Sharma (39) survived a strong shout for a stumping off his first ball, the third umpire ruling he had just succeeded in touching his foot down in the crease before wicketkeeper Brad Haddin broke the stumps and went on with Vijay to see India through to lunch for no further loss.
The pair improved their partnership to 54 before Sharma fell to a superb diving catch by Steve Smith at slip – the Australia skipper clinging onto a sharp one-handed chance as Shane Watson found the edge of the bat.
Runs rather dried up thereafter as Vijay and Virat Kohli bedded in, Lyon and Hazlewood bowling six straight maidens between them.
Vijay was fortunate to survive a confident lbw appeal on 46 against Hazlewood, who found some late swing to get the ball arrowing in towards middle and leg only for umpire Richard Kettleborough not to give the decision.
He survived to reach his half-century off 135 balls in 222 minutes but was third out when he edged Hazlewood (2-31) through to Brad Haddin.
When Mitchell Starc removed Kohli thanks to a catch by Shane Watson at first slip the tourists were under pressure at 201-4 and that pressure increased when the left-armer removed Suresh Raina lbw for a duck in his very next over.
Lyon trapped Wriddhiman Saha lbw for another duck with a ball that kept low and India were suddenly 217-7 when Hazlewood removed Ravichandran Ashwin lbw for a single.
But with time against them, Australia could not finish off the tail as Rahane and Kumar stood firm to earn their side a second successive draw following defeats in Adelaide and Brisbane.
