- Updates from the fourth day of play at the MCG
- Geoff Lemon on Australia’s supposed summer of improvement
- Any thoughts? Email or tweet @GeoffLemonSport
92nd over: Australia 179-8 (Starc 6, Lyon 1) The lead is 46 as Ashwin comes on for the next over, Starc and Lyon the partnership. They add a couple of singles promptly. Nothing extravagant.
91st over: Australia 177-8 (Starc 5) The over starts with Siraj to Starc, right-armer to left-hander over the wicket, wheeling around in an appeal but that was likely pitching outside leg and maybe even hitting him outside leg. Some swing on show. Starc drives hard at the next ball but mid-on is deep enough to dive across and keep the scoring to one. Green gets enough width to leave, but comes forward to the next to on-drive for four! What a beautiful shot. Simple, elegant, that was the fine linen bedsheet of cricket.
But the bed gets unmade from the last ball of the over. Short, about rib height, he pulls instinctively. It’s there for the shot. He gets a good piece of it, but hits it up rather than down, and Jadeja at midwicket gets off the ground to claim the catch above his head. Green throws back his own head in frustration. He can’t believe he didn’t nail that contact better. He’s played a gem, but needed it to shine for longer.
