Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

Those who advocate for five-day Tests are having a night out as the MCG Test between Australia and India is set for a thrilling finale. After countless twists and turns in a riveting Boxing Day Test, Australia finished day four leading by 333 with a wicket in hand.

Day four was far from smooth sailing for the hosts. Jasprit Bumrah was at his magnificent best, becoming the first bowler in history to take 200 Test wickets at an average below 20. Mohammed Siraj stood up and the luckless Akash Deep also threatened all day.

Crucially for Australia, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland showed the sort of fight that Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar did a day earlier to lead India’s stirring fightback. Australia’s lower order rescued the team from the depths of 91/6 to the safety of 228/9 to make it probable that the worst result will be 1-1 heading into Sydney.

Questions for Australia – have they left it too late to seal victory at the MCG?

The home side still face a massive test. They will need to take 10 wickets in a single day on an MCG pitch they struggled for penetration on during a frustrating third day’s play. It led to criticism from some parts as to why Pat Cummins didn’t declare and attempt to prize out an Indian wicket or two late on day four, but the extra runs and additional rest for the bowlers will prove a masterstroke if Australia go on and win.

The MCG track is still playing well, but there was a significant number of plays and misses, plus deliveries that hit the batsmen, after movement off the pitch. That’s not typical of your typical road. The ball seamed the most on day four, with 30% of deliveries seaming more than one degree at the 60-over mark of Australia’s second innings according to broadcaster Channel 7’s analysis.

However, the key question is whether Australia have the resources to take advantage given that India bat deep, as seen in the first innings. The new ball is crucial and the hosts can pounce early, but can this attack, in its current form, prize out scalps against an in-form middle-to-lower order when the ball is older? After all, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland looked quite comfortable in their unbroken 55-run partnership spanning 110 balls.

Mitchell Starc was holding his back quite regularly on day three. Plus, his record in the fourth and fifth Tests of a series makes for sorry reading. If he has an off day or struggles with his back complaint, the pressure only increases on Pat Cummins and Scott Boland with Mitchell Marsh unable to deliver the quantity and quality of overs required from an all-rounder. Marsh’s continued selection is one that could come back to bite, with his batting nowhere near compensating for his lack of overs.

This then brightens the spotlight on Nathan Lyon. The offspinner has found the going challenging this series, often unable to find the kind of bite and bounce that has made him successful. The MCG surface had very little in it for Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar on day four, so how much Lyon can extract out of it will make for interesting viewing.

If Australia don’t go on and win, some may point to the decision to bat until the close of day four. However, Australia’s difficult day three would be the more decisive of the two. They spent the entire day’s play in the field after starting proceedings hoping to be batting by tea given India were five down and 310 behind. Huge credit goes to Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, who not only cut the deficit by 127 together, but took so much time out of the game.

So, it seems Pat Cummins and Scott Boland hold the key to a 2-1 series lead. However, the door is proving a little difficult to open. If they can find the kind of movement India did for upwards of 50 overs in Australia’s second innings, the hosts can have India fighting for a draw late. However, whether there is enough penetration in this attack once the ball gets older remains to be seen.

If Australia do end up heading to Sydney 1-1, it isn’t the end of the world, but the pressure ramps up especially if there is the usual, dodgy Sydney weather around. Plus, there is the World Test Championship Final at stake.

One tiny silver lining is Jasprit Bumrah has been run into the ground and it’s a short turnaround to the SCG Test. However, you can’t be banking on Bumrah having a poor Test no matter the circumstances, especially if it’s a must-win match. He’s simply too good.

That being said, it promises to be a fascinating fifth day at the MCG. The anticipation of a final day where all results are possible is unmatched in cricket. If this lives up to the billing, we will be in for an absolute cracker of a finale.