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Rediff.com  » Cricket » PHOTOS: Smith breaks Bradman's record to give Australia big lead

PHOTOS: Smith breaks Bradman's record to give Australia big lead

Last updated on: January 09, 2015 14:21 IST
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Australia captain Steve Smith slammed a half-century to break Don Bradman's record for the most runs in a Test series against India and put the hosts in control on Day 4 of the fourth and final Test in Sydney, on Friday.

- Scorecard

Smith scored 71 in the second innings to finish with 769 runs in the four-match series and go past Bradman, who had aggregated 715 runs in 1947-48.

Joe Burns, playing in only his second Test, stroked a quickfire 66 from 39 balls for his second fifty in the match, while Chris Rogers made 56, as Australia reached 251 for six in 40 overs at stumps, for an overall lead of 348 runs.

India's bowlers struggled as Australia hammered 213 runs in 34 overs in the post-tea session to leave themselves with enough time on the final day on a pitch offering a lot of turn and bounce.

Check out some images from Day 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground:

Australian captain Steve Smith bats during Day 4. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Australia captain Steve Smith raced to his half century off 44 balls and soon passed Donald Bradman as his country's highest scorer in a series against India.

Shaun Marsh came and went for a single run to give Ravichandran Ashwin his third wicket before Smith's 93-minute innings came to an end when Mohammed Shami trapped him plumb lbw.

His 71 took his series tally to 769 and a group of fans in the members' stand bowed low to him as he walked back to the Sydney Cricket Ground dressing room to ponder his declaration.

Joe Burns hits out. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Burns took up the mantle and grabbed his maiden Test half century, hitting three sixes and eight fours in his 39-ball 66, while Brad Haddin ably assisted with 31 not out.

The duo brought up the 50-run stand for the sixth wicket off only 36 balls, with the lead swelling past 300.

Ravichandran Ashwin (right) celebrates with team mates after dismissing David Warner. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Ashwin took four for 105 to record his best bowling figures overseas as he got a lot of purchase from the SCG track.

The off-spinner, who had hit a half-century with the bat earlier in the day, returned to dismiss Australia opener David Warner (4), caught at slip, in the second over of the innings.

He then bowled Shane Watson off an inside edge for 16 before having Shaun Marsh (1) caught at slips and Burns at square leg.

India captain Virat Kohli reacts. Photograph: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Their eyes firmly set on a 3-0 result, Australia went on the attack against the Indian bowlers in the post-tea session and young captain Virat Kohli seemed clueless on how to stop the flow of boundaries.

Pacer Umesh Yadav, who has had a terrible series, conceded 45 runs in just three overs, epitomising India's poor bowling in the face of an Australian onslaught.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India walks

Bhuvneshwar Kumar walks back after being dismissed by Nathan Lyon. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images

Earlier, Australia mopped up the Indian tail to dismiss the tourists for 475 before tea on the fourth day, claiming a first-innings lead of 97.

Looking to wrap up the series 3-0, the Australians struck early to remove dangerman Kohli for 147 and winkled out four more batsman despite the Sydney Cricket Ground still offering excellent conditions for batting.

They got some help from the third umpire to get rid of Bhuvneshwar Kumar after a referred decision that will do little to persuade India to embrace the Decision Review System.

Ravichandran Ashwin of India talks to team mate Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Ravichandran Ashwin talks to team mate Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

He had reached 30 in a doughty 65-run partnership with Ashwin when he made contact with a third Lyon delivery, the ball coming off the bottom of his bat in a spray of dirt and flying to Shane Watson in the slips.

After a muted appeal from the Australians, the officials referred the decision to the third umpire who, to the disbelief of almost everybody in the ground, decided he was 100 per cent certain the ball had come straight off the bat to Watson.

Ryan Harris of Australia celebrates taking the wicket of Virat Kohli of India

Ryan Harris celebrates taking the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

India skipper Kohli added just five runs to his overnight score in 19 minutes before he clipped a Ryan Harris delivery to Chris Rogers at mid-wicket, shaking his head in disappointment at his dismissal for 145.

His fourth century of the series helped bring his tally over the four Tests to 646 runs, the second highest by an Indian batsman in an overseas series after the 774 Sunil Gavaskar accumulated in the West Indies in 1971.

Wriddhiman Saha of India ducks under a high delivery from Mitchell Starc of Australia

Wriddhiman Saha ducks under a high delivery from Australia's Mitchell Starc. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images

Saha survived another 50 minutes of penetrating Australian fast bowling in bright sunshine at the SCG before he too departed attempting to pull a short Josh Hazlewood delivery.

Caught in two minds over whether to play the shot or leave it, he could only top edge it to Steve Smith in the cordon and the Australia skipper took a comfortable catch.

It was a welcome boost for Smith, who dropped Kohli and opener Lokesh Rahul on Thursday before they both went on to make centuries.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India

Bhuvneshwar Kumar hits a boundary. Photograph: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Mohammad Shami (16 not out) and Umesh Yadav (4) threw their bats around to reduce the deficit below 100 runs, but the latter skied a catch to 'keeper Brad Haddin off Harris (2/96) as India were bowled out for 475 in their first innings.

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