Sports Desk:

Destructive Indian seamer Jasprit Bumrah scythed through Australia’s middle order Sunday, leaving the hosts 135-6 in their second innings, a lead of 240 runs in the fourth Test.

Day four burst into life as the hosts lost four wickets for 11 runs after lunch to slump to 91-6 before Marnus Labuschagne, unbeaten on 65, and captain Pat Cummins, 21 not out, restored some stability before tea.

Australia remain in the stronger position at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after leading by 105 runs on the first innings, and with variable bounce starting to become a factor.

Bumrah was almost unplayable at times, extracting jagged movement that troubled every Australia batsman.

He took 4-30 in 14 overs to continue his dominance across a series in which he has claimed 29 wickets.

The 31-year-old from Gujarat powered past 200 Test wickets and he boasts the lowest average at 19.39 of all 85 bowlers to have reached that milestone.

Labuschagne, who scored 72 in the first innings, was beaten on numerous occasions by Bumrah but kept his nerve in a stoic 118-ball knock.

The Australian number three batted through the session, though was fortunate, on 46, to survive a straightforward dropped chance in the slips by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Jaiswal also couldn’t grasp a sharp chance under the helmet offered by Cummins in the final over of the session.