NEW DELHI: An exhilarating fourth day’s play of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on Sunday was topped off with a dramatic last over that saw India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah being denied a fifer despite an unusual and lucky catch taken by teammate KL Rahul.
With the last wicket stand of Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland frustrating India with an unbeaten stand of 55, Bumrah came in to bowl the last over of the day. He even got Lyon to edge one to Rahul in the slips but unluckily overstepped to hand the Australia no.10 a lifeline.
The incident took place on the fourth ball of the last over of the day when Bumrah got one to straighten from length as Lyon, rooted to his crease, tried to defend it but edged it to third slip.
Rahul, who was stationed at third slip, initially fumbled and lost the ball but then used his legs to clutch on to it as India began to celebrate the end of the Australian innings.
However, in a late twist, the Indian team was then told by the umpire that Bumrah had over-stepped and the no ball meant that Lyon got a lucky lifeline.
Seeing the hand being raised by the umpire for a no-ball, Bumrah and the team were seemingly disappointed.
Adding salt to injury, Lyon then collected a couple of runs off the fifth ball and the final ball then flew past the third slip for a boundary after a Lyon poke as Australia ended the day at 228 for 9, taking their overall lead to 333 at stumps.
At the close of play, Lyon was at 41 not out and no.11 Scott Boland had scored 10 as India failed to take the final wicket.
In the second innings, Bumrah has four wickets wickets to his name while Mohammed Siraj picked up three after Australia took a healthy 105-run first innings lead.