IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli scores 186 as India take 91-run lead but high-scoring 4th Test heading towards draw

Add as a preferred source on Google

Virat Kohli hit his 28th Test hundred and finished his marathon innings at 186 off 364 as India took a 91-run lead on Day 4 of the fourth and final Test match in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Courtesy Kohli's scintillating knock, India piled up 571 runs in the fourth innings to take a 91-run lead over the visitors. The lead could have been higher Shreyas Iyer did not come to bat at all due to a recurring back problem which forced him to go for scans.

Australia played out the six overs in the end moment of the Day 4 without losing any wicket. Opener Travis Head was joined by nightwatchman Matthew Kuhnemann but he managed to survive 18 balls without scoring any run.

IND vs AUS: Iyer-less India post 571 at Narendra Modi Stadium

Earlier in the day, Ravindra Jadeja could add only 12 runs to his overnight total of 16 before getting out on 28. He was dismissed by Todd Murphy as he was caught by Usman Khawaja at mid-on while trying to play a lofted shot down the ground. However, Kohli continued from one end and partnered for 84 runs with KS Bharat. The wicketkeeper batter looked during his 88-ball stay for 44 runs. A highly focussed Kohli did not score a single boundary in the first session and the pair went unbeaten for lunch.

Bharat, who hit two fours and three sixes, had to walk back to the pavilion soon after the lunch break after getting caught by Peter Handscomb at short leg.

Kohli then got a very able support in Axar Patel. The southpaw continued with his good run with the bat and brought up his third fifty of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23. The duo stitched together a 162-run partnership off 215 balls. It was during this period of the game that Kohli brought end to his 1205 days wait for 28th Test hundred. Axar was 21 away from a maiden Test hundred when Mitchell Starc cleaned his stumps. Ashwin soon departed after getting caught out while attempting a slog sweep off Lyon.

With still no signs of Iyer and India seven down for 568, Kohli had no option but to accelerate. He asked Umesh Yadav to get ready for a double but the pacer got run out on the very next delivery while trying to complete the second run. India innings came to an end moments later after was caught at mid-wicket boundary as Murphy dismissed him for the fourth time in the series.

With just one day left in the Test and the surface still not doing match, the batters aren't facing any trouble whatsoever. A high-scoring draw looks unavoidable at the moment.