Australia v India, 4th Test, Sydney, 5th day

Photo By David Gray

India 475 (Kohli 147, Rahul 111, Starc 3-106) and 7 for 252 (Vijay 80) drew with Australia 7 for 572 dec (Smith 117, Warner 101, Rogers 95, Shami 5-112) and 6 for 251 dec (Smith 71, Burns 66, Rogers 56, Ashwin 4-105)

                                                                                                               

Australia's captain Steven Smith (C) holds the Border-Gavaskar trophy after his team won the four-test series against India 2-0 after the final day of the fourth test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) January 10, 2015.

Sydney: Statistical highlights of day five of the fourth and final cricket Test between India and Australia at the SCG, here on Saturday.

Nathan Lyon has claimed 23 wickets at an average of 34.82 - his career-best performance in a Test rubber, eclipsing the 19 (ave.29.36) in five Tests vs England in 2013-14.

Lyon's above wickets' tally is the highest by any bowler in the just concluded rubber.

Lyon has conceded 100 runs or more in the series six times. The last bowler to achieve this dubious distinction was India's Subhash Gupte vs West Indies in 1958-59.

Steven Smith has got the Man of the Match for the third time in Tests - his second against India.

Smith has received his first Player of the Series award in Tests for top-scoring in the rubber - his tally being 769 (ave.128.16)

Murali Vijay has totalled 482 runs at an average of 60.25 in four Tests - his best performance in terms of runs' tally in a Test series, outstripping the 430 (ave.61.42) in four Tests in India in 2012-13.

Vijay's aforesaid aggregate is the highest by an Indian opening batsman in a Test series in Australia.

Vijay's excellent innings of 80 is his tenth fifty in Tests - his fifth against Australia. He became the first Indian opener to post five innings of fifty-plus in a Test series in Australia - a century and four fifties.

Rohit Sharma has totalled 92 runs (53 + 39) - his best performance in a Test match away from home, surpassing the 91 (72 + 19) vs New Zealand at Auckland in February 2014

Virat Kohli, as captain, enjoys a superb record in Tests - his aggregate being 449 in four innings at an average of 112.25, including three hundreds.

Kohli has amassed 193 runs (147 + 46) in the recently concluded Test - the most by an Indian skipper in a Test match at Sydney.

In drawn Tests, Kohli is averaging 70.53 - his tally being 1058 in nine Tests, including five centuries and four fifties.

Kohli's fantastic tally of 692 (ave.86.50) is the highest by India's number four batsman in a Test series - the fifth best in a Test rubber by any batsman - the top four being DCS Compton (753 vs SA in 1947), ED Weekes (716 vs India in 1952-53), JH Kallis (712 vs West Indies in 2003-04) and EH Hendren (693 vs WI in 1929-30).

In only eight Tests in Australia, Virat Kohli has aggregated 992 runs at an average of 62.00, including five hundreds and two fifties. His tally is the fourth highest by an Indian batsman in Tests vs Australia in Australia, joining Sachin Tendulkar - 1809 (ave.53.20) in 20 Tests, VVS Laxman - 1236 (ave.44.14) in 15 Tests and Rahul Dravid - 1143 (ave.43.96) in 15 Tests.

The series between India and Australia has witnessed 25 instances of bowlers conceding 100 runs or more in a Test innings - a new record for a Test rubber, surpassing the 23 in the 1924-25 series between Australia and England in Australia.

Australia have won three consecutive Test series against India in Australia - the results being by 2-1 in 2007-08, by 4-0 in 2011-12 and by 2-0 in 2014-15.

Three thousand runs or more by a team in a four-Test series have been recorded for the first time - 3113 by Australia has eclipsed the 2962 by South Africa vs West Indies in 2003-04. 5870 runs recorded in the series is a record by both teams in a four-Test rubber.

Mitchell Starc has become the 72nd Australian bowler to complete 50 wickets or more in Tests.

Australia v India, 4th Test, Sydney, 3rd day

"India 5 for 342 (Kohli 140*, Rahul 110, Rohit 53) trail Australia 7 for 572 dec by 230 runs "

India will tour Australia to play four Tests and a triangular series. The first Test starts on December 9, 2014 at the Adelaide Oval. The last Test starting on January 6, 2015 will be played at Sydney. The last time India toured Australia they were whitewashed four nil and failed to reach the final of the tri-series that preceded the Tests. The unfortunate death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes has resulted in the tour itinerary being revised.

Apart from the Adelaide Oval, the other three venues for the remaining Tests are Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia go in as favorites despite the fact that they were trounced two nil in the United Arab Emirates by Pakistan.

The loss to Pakistan apart Michael Clarke’s side has been in very good form. In the 2013-14 Ashes they hammered England five nil and then proceeded to beat South Africa on an away tour. India on the other hand have not won a Test away from home since 2011 against the West Indies. Thereafter their performance abroad has been terrible. They recently lost three to one in England in a Test series.

Before the England loss they were trumped in New Zealand and before in a two –Test series in South Africa. MS Dhoni’s men would be hoping to change all in the series against Australia.

Australia v India, 4th Test, Sydney, 2nd day

India 1 for 71 (Rohit 40*, Rahul 31*) trail Australia 7 for 572 dec (Smith 117, Warner 101, Rogers 95, Marsh 73, Burns 58, Shami 5-112) by 501 runs

Courtesy @ Cric Info

Steve Smith completed his fourth century in as many matches on Wednesday as Australia compiled a daunting first innings total in the final test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Australian captain added to his incredible run of form against the tourists with a composed 117 as Australia, already holding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, declared on 572 for seven shortly after tea on day two.

In response to the huge total, India got off to a horrible start, losing in-form opener Murali Vijay for a duck on the third ball to left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc.

But Lokesh Rahul (31 not out) and Rohit Sharma (40 not out), brought back after being dropped for the third test in Melbourne, ensured there was no further damage and took India to 71-1 at stumps.

After Australia had resumed on 348-2, Shane Watson fell for 81 in the morning session with Shaun Marsh (73) the only batsman to get out in the afternoon. A half-century from Joe Burns (58) meant the home side's top six batsmen made at least a fifty.

Burns and Ryan Harris fell at the start of the third session to give India paceman Mohammed Shami his second five-wicket haul in tests.

Watson and Smith added 196 for the third wicket after openers David Warner (101) and Chris Rogers (95) put on 200 on Tuesday as Australia's top order cashed in on a flat pitch.

Smith continued his extraordinary run of form, following up his 162 not out in the first test in Adelaide, 133 in the second test in Brisbane and 192 in the third test in Melbourne with another hundred.

Resuming on 82, he reached his eighth test ton when he smashed a full toss from fast bowler Umesh Yadav for a boundary.

Australia v India, 4th Test, Sydney, 1st day

" Australia's top four hammer India "

Philip Hughes 1988-2014

Australia 2 for 348 (Warner 101, Rogers 95, Smith 82*, Watson 61*) vs India

David Warner's 12th test century and a bittersweet 95 from Chris Rogers put Australia on course for a huge total on an emotional first day in the fourth and final test against India on Tuesday.

Warner smashed 101 off just 114 balls while Rogers fell five short of a hundred as the Australian pair put on an even 200 for the opening wicket at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Both were dismissed after lunch but new captain Steve Smith (81 not out) and Shane Watson (56 not out) ensured the hosts maintained their momentum with an unbroken third-wicket stand of 144 to take Australia to 348 for two at stumps.

Although Australia have already secured the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after wins in Adelaide and Brisbane, emotions were heightened for the final match because it is being played at the same ground where former teammate Phillip Hughes was fatally injured six weeks ago.

The death of the 25-year-old Hughes, who was struck by a short delivery in a first class match in late November, has hung over the entire series but has been brought to the fore in the New South Wales state capital.

Cricket Australia unveiled a memorial plaque outside the home side's dressing room on Monday, while both teams paid tribute to the left-hander before the game began on Tuesday.

Regular captain Michael Clarke, who tore a hamstring in the first test and is fighting to be fit for the upcoming World Cup, paid his own tribute to Hughes before the match.

"This is where he played his last game, this is where his spirit will live forever," Clarke told the Nine Network.

Rogers and Warner did exactly that after Smith, Clarke's replacement as skipper, won the toss and chose to bat on a flat pitch offering little assistance to the Indian bowlers.

BLISTERING START

They put on 123 in a blistering opening session with Warner pausing to kiss the pitch and signal to the sky when he reached 63, the score Hughes was on when he was hit by the ball.

Warner, who scored twin centuries in Adelaide, brought up his ton when he pulled Mohammed Shami to the deep square leg for his 16th boundary.

But he departed shortly after when he edged Ravichandran Ashwin to Murali Vijay at gully after he and Rogers had brought up their double-century partnership.

Rogers, who had made half-centuries in each of his last four test innings, was given a life on 19 when he was dropped by Lokesh Rahuon at second slip but once again missed out on triple figures when he got a thick edge from Mohammed Shami that crashed into his stumps.

Smith has already scored three tons in the series and continued his rich form by notching up his 10th half-century in tests as the hapless Indian bowlers went wicketless in the final session.

Watson, who has failed to convert his starts in the series, looked solid on his way to his 24th test fifty but was lucky to survive an edge in the last over off Umesh Yadav which flew through the hands of Ashwin at first slip.

AUSTRALIA: DA Warner, CJL Rogers, SR Watson, SPD Smith (capt), SE Marsh, JA Burns, BJ Haddin (wk), MA Starc, RJ Harris, NM Lyon, JR Hazlewood

INDIA: M Vijay, KL Rahul, RG Sharma, V Kohli (capt), AM Rahane, SK Raina, WP Saha 9wk), R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, UT Yadav, B Kumar

Australia Vs India 4th Test , 2014

Starc Repalce Johson © Getty Images

Australia have made one change for the fourth and final Test against India on Tuesday, confirming that injured bowler Mitchell Johnson has been replaced by Mitchell Starc.

Skipper Steven Smith said Monday that paceman Johnson, who has a hamstring strain, would “probably” have played at the Sydney Cricket Ground match beginning Tuesday had the four-Test series been in the balance.

“I think there’s no secret there’s a pretty big summer coming up,” Smith said.

“We want him to be fresh for the One-Day International (ODI) and World Cup coming up. We don’t want to risk him.”

Australia Playing XI – David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steve Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Ravi Shastri 'bullish' about India's Test future

@Cric Info

India team director Ravi Shastri is "bullish" about the Test side's future, saying that the key was to develop an attack that could take 20 wickets on a regular basis. The deciding factor in the ongoing four-Test series, which Australia won after maintaining their 2-0 lead by drawing the third Test at the MCG, according to Shastri, was the difference between the bowling groups: Australia's had experience and India's did not.

"There's hard work ahead no doubt," Shastri said. "Primarily, we have to get or develop bowlers who can get 20 wickets regularly. But I am extremely bullish. The most important thing is we have got an aggressive mindset. Let's talk 12-15 months down the road."

India will be led by Virat Kohli in the final Test in Sydney, following MS Dhoni's sudden retirement from Test cricket at the end of the third match in Melbourne, a development Shastri said had left the dressing-room "stumped". However, he said the change in leadership was unlikely to affect the players' mindsets.

"In my days, I played under several captains, none of whom were alike," Shastri said. "Captains have their own personalities and the best ones make players adapt to their thinking and methods."
It was an unexpected decision no doubt, but a courageous one. In my esteem Dhoni has gone up by miles. He hasn't waited to complete 100 Tests and all such pointless statistical stuff. He didn't want any farewell fanfare. That shows his character. He's different and quite remarkable."
Ishant Sharma,most experienced player in the Indian Test side now has been appointed as vice-captain of Indian Cricket team.
Source :- CricInfo