Will India or Australia win the 4th Test and take series honours?

March 22, 2017 10:57 am.by Dominic Ciconte

AUS v IND 4th Test

HAVE you ever wanted Australia to win a series more than this one in India?

If the answer is no, then you may as well stop reading now.

In all honesty, this has been a Test series that has captivated two continents, with both sides slinging plenty of mud – and acting with pure indignation.

We have the classic hero-villain juxtaposition.

Whacky Indian captain Virat Kohli and his alternative facts have led Australian media to brand him as the Donald Trump of the cricketing world.

Yet, in India, despite the fact he has not been able to hit a ball off the square against the Aussies, he is like royalty.

By contrast, Aussie captain Steve Smith has solidified his reputation as the game’s greatest modern day batsman with a remarkable series that has featured the highest score by a visiting Australian captain on Indian soil.

It has made him an Australian hero – if he wasn’t already – but also made him public enemy number one in India.

But, whatever side of the fence you sit on, these two national teams’ bitterness for each other on and off the cricket field has made for compelling viewing heading into the fourth Test, which starts on Saturday afternoon.

Forget everything you know about this series, it all comes down to this.

Will the Indians keep their reputation as a home fortress in tact, or can they Aussies show their remarkable fighting spirit one last time and put their most-hated opponent to the sword and claim an historic series win?

The Indians are still the hot odds on favourites to win the fourth Test at -133.33 with Sportsbet.com.au, but there has been no shortage of interest in the Australians, at $4.10, with the draw at exactly the same quote as a green and gold victory.

The series is tied at one all after the two teams split the first two Tests, before fighting out an entertaining draw in the Third Test at Ranchi.

Smith won a crucial toss and elected to bat on another horrid looking wicket and the Aussies fought their way to a huge 451, on the back of the captain’s record breaking unbeaten 178, coupled with a maiden Test century to much maligned Victorian Glenn Maxwell.

Smith’s marathon innings came off 361 balls and featured 17 boundaries, while Maxwell took the attack up to the Indians, plundering nine fours and two sixes in his 185 ball knock, showing poise and precision few believed he possessed. He is a lock for the fourth Test.

Ravindra Jadeja was the best of the Indian bowlers with 5/124.

In reply, the Indians made a mockery of the Aussiess score, smashing 9/603 thanks to a double ton from Cheteshwar Pujara and 117 from Wriddhiman Saha.

Pat Cummins showed no signs of fear or fatigue in his return to the Test cricket arena after a long injury layoff, snaring 4/106 off of a marathon 39 overs, but it was Steve O’Keefe who did the bulk of the work, sending down a remarkable 77 overs and finishing with figures of 3/199, one off the double ton.

With a 150 odd-run buffer, the Indians declared and sent the Aussies back in, figuring they would run through them and, when Smith fell with the score at 4/63, it looked like the collapse was on.

But no one told Victorian stud Peter Handscomb and the under siege Shaun Marsh, both men eyeing out half centuries to lead the Aussies to 6/204 and a drawn match.

Marsh’s 53 came off 197 balls, while Handscomb took exactly 200 for his 72. Both men hit seven fours and, while they were both back in the rooms when stumps were drawn, they were chiefly responsible for the Aussies’ escape without defeat.

Before this series, there were some cricket pundits wondering – and even saying – that Kohli was better than Sachin Tendulkar.

Now they are wondering if he is even better than Pujara.

The captain has had a wretched series with the bat, preferring to let his mouth do the talking an doing a great job of looking like a goat.

His Test average has fallen below 50 for the first time in many moons, he is carrying a shoulder injury and his five innings in three Tests this series are: 0, 13, 12, 15 and 6.

And yet, for some reason, he is still the favourite with WilliamHill.com.au to score the most runs for the Indians in the first innings, at $3.

There’s no doubt this is a talented man, but he looks mentally shot against the Aussies and we would urge caution here.

Smith is the obvious pick for the Aussies at $3.50 and, being that he is notoriously hard to dismiss and handles the conditions in India as well as any non Indian on the planet, he always works hard for your money. Outside of that, steer clear of second favourite David Warner, who just hasn’t been able to get it going, while if you think the Big Show can get the job done again, then he is offering a gaudy $9. Hey, stranger things have happened.