Australia on Track for WTC Final After Defeating India at the MCG

It was a stroke of misfortune for India. A match seemingly heading for a draw turned into a defeat under the dominance of Australian bowlers. On the final day of the Melbourne Test, Australia needed 10 wickets to secure a win, while India needed to bat through three sessions. Ultimately, India was bowled out for 155 runs, handing Australia a 184-run victory.

In their second innings, India required 339 runs to win at Melbourne. However, the first session saw them lose three crucial wickets. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul were all dismissed in single digits, leaving India at 33 for 3.

In the second session, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant tried to stabilize the innings with an 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, Pant fell to Travis Head after scoring 30 runs. On the other end, opener Jaiswal continued to bat valiantly.

But under relentless pressure from Australian bowlers, India kept losing wickets. Apart from Jaiswal and Pant, no other Indian batter managed to reach double figures. Jaiswal was dismissed for 84 runs by Pat Cummins. India lost their last six wickets for just 34 runs, collapsing to 155 all out in their second innings.

For Australia, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland claimed three wickets each, while Nathan Lyon took two. Cummins was named Player of the Match.

With this win, Australia has taken a big step towards the World Test Championship Final. On the other hand, the path to the final has become significantly tougher for India.