Smith's 140, late rush of wickets push India on the back foot

Scott Boland got Virat Kohli's edge not long before stumps (Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Melbourne, December 27 — Stumps India 164 for 5 (Jaiswal 82, Kohli 36, Pant 6*, Jadeja 4*, Boland 2-24, Cummins 2-57) trail Australia 474 (Smith 140, Labuschagne 72, Konstas 60, Khawaja 57, Cummins 49, Bumrah 4-99, Jadeja 3-78, Akash Deep 2-94) by 310 runs

Local hero Scott Boland was part of a late surge by Australia on the second day in Melbourne as they took control of the fourth Test after Steven Smith set up an imposing total with his second hundred in consecutive matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli had responded with a century stand but both fell in a dramatic final half-an-hour to leave India with a mountain to climb.

Jaiswal had moved into the 80s when he drove firmly to mid-on and set off for a run to which Kohli didn't respond and there was no way to beat Pat Cummins' throw. Two overs later, Boland found Kohli's outside edge to send the MCG into raptures and, all of a sudden, hope of anything close to parity on first innings looked a long way off.

To cap off Australia's day, Boland had nightwatcher Akash Deep taken at leg gully with minutes remaining as India lost 3 for 6.

It was a day that started and ended badly for India. They were insipid in the field during the morning as Australia ransacked 143 runs off 27 overs with Smith, who went to his 34th Test century to be within 51 of reaching 10,000 Test runs, and Cummins combining to add 112 for the seventh wicket.