Bancroft guides Aussies home

When play on day four began at 1 pm following after-effects of Saturday’s torrential downpour, West Australian Cameron Bancroft played the lead hand with a patient 58 as the home side chased down the 159 required with three wickets in hand. 

Repeated pitch inspections on day four under blue skies frustrated players and spectators alike, and when play finally got underway at 1 pm, India’s pacemen struggled to get much out of the wicket, which looked to have slowed somewhat from days two and three.

Bancroft and Webster settled into the task at hand, the latter’s pull shot for four off Thakur a particular highlight from his 87-ball stay in the middle. 

The Tasmanian was trapped lbw by Varun Aaron with the score at 107, and when Whiteman edged spinner Jayant Yadav to Karun Nair at first slip shortly after tea and with 28 runs still required, there were nerves aplenty in the hosts’ camp.