New Delhi
The Indian team would have had to come on the fourth day to bat in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test match, but Australia’s last pair did not allow this to happen. Australia’s last pair has become a thorn in the side of India for the second time in this match. Even in the first innings, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland had faced more than 50 balls for the last wicket and they have done the same in the second innings also. After 63 years, any pair has done this in both the innings.
Before Scott Boland arrived at the crease, Australia’s score was 173/9 in 64.1 overs. After this he played about 18 overs with Nathan Lyon and at the end of play on the fourth day of the match, Australia’s score was 228/9 after 82 overs. In the first innings, both batted from 455/9 (114.1) to 474-10 (122.4). During that time he faced 8 overs and 3 balls. In this way, this pair has been successful in playing at least 50 balls in both the innings. Lion-Boland played more than 100 balls in the second innings.
You will be surprised to know that since 1961, no pair has been able to survive more than 50 balls in both the innings in world cricket, but Nathan Lyon and Boland have done so. The last time 63 years ago, Pakistan’s Afaq Hussain and Haseeb Ehsan batted for the last wicket for 9.2 overs in the first innings and 18.1 overs in the second innings against England in Lahore. Lyon and Boland have batted 8.3 and 17.4 overs. They are unbeaten. They will start playing beyond this on the fifth day. Australia has got a lead of 333 runs.
