The beauty of a Test match lies in its uncertainty – in a matter of overs the dynamics can completely change and at the Optus Stadium in Perth, the hour after lunch on Day 4 completely changed the Test match.
At lunch, Australia was cruising at 190-4 and wrestling the Test match away from Indian reach. They had a well set Usman Khawaja batting with captain Tim Paine and on a difficult Perth pitch, batting India out of the game.
The Indians toiled hard in the first session with no success as they failed to make any inroads into the host's overnight wickets column. But in a matter of a couple of overs after lunch, Mohammed Shami bounced three Australian top order batsmen out and Jasprit Bumrah followed up to dismiss Pat Cummins of a delivery that refused to bounce.
Shami then followed it up with a bouncer that hit Nathan Lyon on the helmet and immediately after bounced him out too!
Twitter went crazy at the sudden Indian revival that has once again thrown the Test match right into the melting pot.
Nathan Lyon cops a short one from Shami on the grille of the helmet. He gets the all clear from the Doc and is all good to continue batting: https://t.co/mzWOwn19la #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/8b1VJRg7Xg
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2018
And Lyon falls the next ball. Sharmi has 6! 9-250 #AUSvIND
— Lùcàs?? ⚽️??? (@3ptSpanishking) December 17, 2018
Dayya pta kro, Shami lunch me Kia kha kr Aya ha? Five-for for Shami #AusvInd
— Muhammad Noman (@Noman2294) December 17, 2018
-MAGICIAN
— JAYRAJ (@KeeperBatsman) December 17, 2018
noun
- a person with magical powers
- a conjuror
- a person with exceptional skills in a particular area
- Shami in second innings.#INDvAUS #AUSvIND#Shami
Mohammed Shami has been astonishing since lunch. Almost every ball has been either a vicious, lifting bouncer, or around the top of off stump. If India win this Test, Shami's spell could well be seen as historic. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Z1syFsR7AQ
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) December 17, 2018
Geez the wicket has come to life. Shami bowling hand grenade’s! Unplayable. Only good thing about this is that India still need to bat on this deck chasing 250 plus against Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood. @cricketcomau @grantcarm43 #AUSvIND
— The Crazy Taylors' (Sim&Bec) (@CrazyTaylors) December 17, 2018
This is a ripper spell of bowling from Mohammed Shami. The dismissal of Tim Paine was the ball of the summer so far #AusvInd
— Lance Jenkinson (@westsport) December 17, 2018
Second innings Shami on Fire
— RaijinAntony (@RaijinAntony10) December 17, 2018
Firey spell ???
Third 5 wicket haul for Mohammed Shami #AUSvIND
Jesus bloody christ this is a collapse and a half! #AUSvIND
— Justin Bird (@Birdstar67) December 17, 2018
What a turnaround. Indian bowlers on fire ? #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/ECNyOEk27o
— That Indian Guy (@BestTestCricket) December 17, 2018
Only 15 times has an India fast bowler taken a Test 5-fa in Australia. Mohammed Shami has done it twice. Kapil Dev did it five times #AUSvIND
— Samuel Ferris (@samuelfez) December 17, 2018
What a spell of bowling ? @MdShami11 #AUSvIND ?
— աαզαs ??? (@iCricketFreak) December 17, 2018
Australia has been reduced to 213-9 from 190-4 at lunch and Shami's spell might arguably be the most vicious spell of fast bowling by an Indian on Australian soil, or perhaps anywhere.