Stumps. Day Three. India 462-8 (Shami 9) trail Australia by 68 runs
Righto, The People. That’s us. What a ker-racking day of high quality Test match cricket. Some great heave-ho from a couple of super-quality batsman who scored centuries. Some super endeavour from a hard-working bowling unit that wasn’t backed up by a normally very good fielding outfit. Some good banter and manly faux-aggression between fast bowlers and flash batters. Bunch of dropped catches. Some humour. Pathos. Not sure about pathos. But it was a top, top day of Test cricket, and officially - and you can take this to the bank via Centrebet - it is Beer O’Clock, and no argument.
What will India do overnight? Ishant Sharma is scheduled to come in next, followed by Umesh Yadav. And if Umesh Yadav is scheduled to come in after Ishant Sharma, it begs the question: what’s the point. Will India declare 68 runs behind and attempt to get stuck into Australia? Will this drop-in pitch have any demonic possession between now and 10:30am AEDST tomorrow? Both No, for mine. But as this funky game of Test cricket continually shows, it’s a funny game, Test cricket.
So - we shall, as ever, see. I’m Matt Cleary. And I’m done like a big chicken dinner. Check back in tomorrow at 10am or thereabouts and you’ll be incredibly entertained by Geoff, Rusty and/or Scott.
Meanwhile, Robert Wilson from the internet, consoles: “Dear Matt. You poor thing. You’re even too tired to make up deranged slang terms now. Screamer-baker was a brave effort but that seems like days ago. It’s top cricket but can you still feel your fingers? Imagine what state Gary Naylor must be in! Or is he some form of Evertonian vampire?”
Screamer-baker is - or least was in Canberra in 1982 - an actual Australian rules football terms for a spectacular mark. Don’t know about the vampire thing.
Bye Robert. Bye all. I’m going to the pub .... now.
Updated
Wicket! Virat Kohli 169 c Haddin b Johnson
Well - cue the billboards and headlines, sub-editors of the world, but Virat Kohli ... he is out. He is out. Mitchell Johnson speared one across him that Kohli had a crack at outside off, and the young man, who’s been out there since ball three of this morning out last ball of the day, caught behind.
Updated
124th Over. India 462-7. (Kohli 169, Shami 9)
Lyon King, Lawnmower Man, Gary - call him what you will, but old man Whippersnipper Nathan Lyon is in again, tossing his respectable finger-spinners right-arm over the wicket. He’s bowling to Shami. Dollars will get you donuts that the No.9 will have a fine big rip at something soon.
123rd Over. India 461-7. (Kohli 168, Shami 9)
Oh - Mitchell Johnson has taken some tap today, and no argument, as Virat Kohli blasts him back over his head and down the ground, shades of Gordon Greenidge, even Sir Vivian in that shot, a powerful lofted blast down the ground off the express paceman. Few years ago I asked Rodney Hogg about bowling to Viv, who said he’d thunder in and bowl the perfect ball on off-stump on a good length and Viv would swat it for six over mid-wicket. Virat Kohli is not Viv Richards because no-one’s Viv Richards except Viv Richards - and good day to you, your Majesty if you’re reading. But this innnings ... Viv would not kick it out of his personal pool room pantheon.
Updated
122nd Over. India 456-7. (Kohli 163, Shami 9)
Boom - Kohli flogs it straight at Umpire Dharmasena’s head. Ha. Lyon, despite his desperate dive, was more chance of catching Elle McPherson. Funny watching umpires flinch and leap about, something about it. Is that so wrong? We all know the answer to that. No sirree Bob Simpson.
121st Over. India 452-7. (Kohli 162, Shami 6)
Johnson, again, Smith is sticking with his strike man despite his leakage of 128 runs from 28 overs. He draws a false lofted drive from Kohli though it’s probably because Kohli’s quite tired. Then he beats Shami. Then he almost gets a caught-and-bowled, but kicks it away by mistake and the batters take a single.
Still hurling in, big MJ. Still bowling with speed, and hurrying a bloke on 162.
Last one’s full. And Kohli tries to heave it down the ground but can’t beat the diving Rhino.
121st Over. India 450-7. (Kohli 161, Shami 5)
Josh Hazlewood. To Shami. Reckon I’ll back the tall fast bowler against the lower-order slog man, even on this wicket. There’s a skied hoick in the Shami Man, I’m tipping.
Ooh - beats him outside off.
Meanwhile, Gary Naylor, wonders:
I reckon they do, Gary. These batters have flogged themselves in the sun, albeit calling for a drink literally every bloody over it should be out-lawed but do They listen to me they do not.
120th Over. India 448-7. (Kohli 160, Shami 4)
Okay. Johnson’s back on, ham-bone apparently fully-functional. He bowls to Kohli who isn’t keen to put Mohammed Shami on strike, he knows his man. And anyway - he’s just smashed Johnson for two more boundaries. He’s a ripper, Virat.
119th Over. India 440-7. (Kohli 152, Shami 4)
Watto, having another trundle. Whack, Kohli hits it straight and hard down the wicket, and it hits the stumps, otherwise it was four bits. And that gets the exciting Mohammed Shami on strike. Cut shot - four runs. Whack, over gully. Dud rock from Watto, allowing the goofy new bloke to free his arms and sa-wing, batter.
And over, five off.
118th Over. India 434-7. (Kohli 151, Shami 0)
Okay - Mohammed Shami, he bats like Warney used to, without regard for hanging about and taking up space. Shami will go hard or go home, probably both. Not home because that’s in Kolkata where he turns out for the excellently-named Knight Riders.
Ha. The Knight Riders, greatest name for a cricket team ever.
After his wicket Harris bowls a bouncer at the new boy Shami that umpire Kettleborough, the world number one, pronounces a wide ball.
The next one he does not.
Kohli should hit out now, you’d suggest.
Wicket Ravi Ashwin 0 c-&-b Ryan Harris.
Harris, he’s got three-fer, has the “knack” of taking Test wickets (because he bowls so accurately and with such skill) AND HE’S GOT ANOTHER ONE. Duck man R.Ashwin has donked a ball back to Harris who’s gone at it with one hand and juggled it into his bread-basket, and now has four (4) more Test wickets to put with the rest.
117th Over. India 434-6. (Kohli 151, Ashwin 0)
Okay. Watto, again, and Kohli - oh, great shot - he’s clipped him wide of mid-on with a push sort of shot that ME Waugh would’ve put in his pool room, top shot. There’s his 150.
116th Over. India 430-6. (Kohli 147, Ashwin 0)
eems Mitch Johnson might have a niggle in the ham-bone given his last spell was of one (1) over and he was off the field getting treatment for same when Peter Siddle grassed the crazy new kid Rahul.
How about cricket? Can’t you speak a lot of malarkey about cricket?
Harris in, again. HA! Richard Kettleborough has turned down the biggest appeal since OJ Simpson was found not guilty, ruling that Ravi Ashwin was not going to be LBW despite everyone including Ravi Ashwin believing he was probably out LBW.
We’ll have a look. But great decision the umpire, it was just clipping the outside of leg stump, and there might’ve been a thin inside edge.
Wicket! MS Dhoni 9 c Haddin b Harris
Okay, big Rhino has nipped out Mahendra Singh with a straight one just outside off stump that Dhoni tried to squeeze square in that funny little squeeze-square way of his but achieved only a healthy snick to Haddin behind the stumps.
115th Over. India 430-5. (Kohli 147, Dhoni 11)
Okay. 50-odd minutes to go, and it’s Our Watto, Shane Watson, with the body built for cricket sin according a man who would know, he’s bowling in and ripping down his skiddy meds that do a little bit here and there.
AND WATTO’S BOWLED A MAIDEN PRAISE TO JEBUS AND SOUND THE GOLDEN BUGLES OF BETHLEHEM, Watto’s bowled a maiden.
Ya.
114th Over. India 430-5. (Kohli 147, Dhoni 11)
Ryan Harris ... MS is doing his wander across the stumps thing, and gets hit on the pad again, there’s a shout, but he’s 10 yards down the wicket.
Harris spears in a yorker, but Kohli squirts it out. He’s chipping it about now.
Four off.
113th Over. India 423-5. (Kohli 146, Dhoni 8)
Ha. MS Dhoni tries a lap-shot behind square, he does the splits, and pops it behind square, but can’t get a run because he can’t get up from the ballerina’s pike position.
Then he whacks Lyon for four, a slog-sweep square. There’s Gary’s century, two wickets for.
And Mahendra Singh, the great MS Dhoni is away.
112th Over. India 419-5. (Kohli 146, Dhoni 1)
Okay - India trail by 113 runs. About 40 minutes from Stumps on Day Three. If I’m framing a market, I have Australia still favourite. Let me check the sports bettors.
Here’s MJ, again.
Centrebet reckons a draw is odds-on, Australia 2-1, India 5-1.
Dhoni, still on a duck egg. He faces Big Mitch. Edge! Along the ground to 2nd slip. MJ digs one in, Dhoni pulls, there’s a leg-bye off the body. Dhoni remains on said egg.
No - it was a run.
MJ into Virat on 146 ... and ... and ... and that’s over.
Updated
111th Over. India 417-5. (Kohli 145, Dhoni 0)
Righto. Our Gary. Dropped the undroppable caught-and-bowled earlier today when Rahane was on 70. Now he’s honed in the wickets. And he has Dhoni lunging, and chopping about. Ungainly looking whacker, MS Dhoni, when he’s not doing the old massive heave-ho. And Lyon bowls a tidy one.
110th Over. India 416-5. (Kohli 144, Dhoni 0)
Poor Rahul, he was in the sheds for five hours, padded up, thinking about it. And three runs and a couple of balls later, he’s back in the sheds again.
Okay - Hazlewood again. He beats Dhoni who fends outside off stump, trying to chop it square with shot equal parts get and out.
Oh! Big shout! A mighty heave-ho by MS Dhoni, across the line, hits his pad ... and it looked a good shout live, though on replay he’s a long way down. Stoopid shot. Get in, man.
Sarah Jane of Dubai, meanwhile, asserts:
Wicket! Lokesh Rahul 3 c Hazlewood b Lyon
Ha. Funny little cameo by the debutant, he’s been over-awed you’d suggest, because he’s attempted to heave Lyon out of the ground and got a top edge that Hazlewood moved around to pouch. The ball before he was dropped by Peter Siddle attempting the same malarkey. The new bloke went mad.
And here comes mighty Mahendra Singh.
Updated
109th Over. India 412-4. (Kohli 142, Rahul 1)
Joshua Tree Hazlewood, running in again, he’s taken 71-0. Hasn’t bowled despicably.
But this wicket ... it’s a peach if you’re a batsman, much less one on 141 not.
Okay - here’s Rahul, the 22-year-old New Kid. Facing Hazlewood, two slips. His first forward defensive is a classical forward defensive. You’d suggest he can bat a bit, this lad, given he’s made the first XI of a country of 1.3 billion people.
108th Over. India 409-4. (Kohli 141, Rahul 1)
Okay, the debutant, Lokesh Rahul, he’s been waiting, padded up, to bat since 11:30am, and it’s 16:32 now. An hour to go. And Rahul’s off the mark first ball.
Updated
Wicket! Ajinkya Rahane 147 LBW Lyon
Well, there is a way to get this man, this Rahane Man, out, and it’s bowl a floating straight one up that entices him to sweep, strike him on the back leg, appeal like you’re in a Toyota advertisement, and effectively convince umpire HDPK Dharmasena that he should raise his finger after the most pregnant of pauses.
And so endeth one of the great knocks. How good was that? Answer: very good.
107th Over. India 403-3. (Kohli 140, Rahane 143)
Josh Hazlewood. Short one. Kohli is able to get inside it and hit down upon it like he was bashing one of the seven dwarves on the head.
Cover drive? Why not. That’s 400 up. This wicket is offering less assistance than if India’s bowlers were allowed to bowl to the Indian batters on it, if by some fluke of time and/or space the likes of Ishant and Aaron could pretend they were the Australian bowlers, and just bowl the most magnificent pies.
Five off. India trails by 126 runs. Will they declare behind, asks Heals on the telly. My answer: there is more chance of Ishant coming out for a bowl to Virat. They’ll keep batting until they both have 300. Then put Australia in for two sessions on Day Five.
106th Over. India 398-3. (Kohli 135, Rahane 143)
Bang. Cover-drive, again, from Rahane, glorious shot, four runs. Australia could be fair dinkum bowling fair dinkum beach balls filled with bean-bag pellets.
105th Over. India 386-3. (Kohli 138, Rahane 134)
This partnership is worth 238 runs. Word is the debutant, Lokesh Rahul, the next man in, is normally an opener. He’s been waiting to bat until 1978.
Rahane - bang. Four runs, he flays Hazlewood backward of point for four. They’re cashing in, India.
Thanks for the concern, Ravi Nair. But like that song by Helen Reddy, “I Will Survive”, I will survive.
THEY JUST HAD ANOTHER DRINK THROUGH ONE OVER AFTER THE DRINKS BREAK.
But I’m okay with that. True*.
* Not true.
Updated
104th Over. India 385-3. (Kohli 131, Rahane 133)
Surmountable? It is a word. Been chopping into this keyboard so hard and so long today it’s like that song about words, don’t come easy, to me., etc.
Something.
Lyon, no footmarks to aim at. Rahane’s plonked him through the covers for the 8 millionth time today.
103rd Over. India 382-3. (Kohli 130, Rahane 131)
Okay - Mighty MJ’s getting another one. Rahane flays him through point. Then backs away and squirts him to first slip. Interesting cricket shots coming out now. India 148 behind, clearly think that’s easily surmountable, and then some.
102nd Over. India 379-3. (Kohli 128, Rahane 130)
Okay - Lyon King. Gary Lyon. Him, the spinner, he’s bowling to Rahane whom he dropped two balls before the new ball, an Impossible Miss that will haunt him to his grave or at least until he knocks the top off a VB stubbie in the sheds later on.
Both men on 128. A lot. Rahane takes two.
Does he get a drink? It’s five minutes until Drinks.
101st Over. India 372-3. (Kohli 124, Rahane 127)
Ha. Johnson bounces Rahane who whacks him over mid-wicket like Kris Srikkanth, a leaping pull shot, the best kind. Next one - similar attempt. Next one, full, and Rahane’s backing away, expecting shortness, getting full one on pads. He gets a stare from MJ ... who bowls a spearing one into leg stump ... THAT RAHANE HITS FOR FOUR DOWN THE GROUND ... ha. Great stuff, Rahane Man, he’s belting the scary fast bowler, backing away and belting him. And again ... he’s doing it every ball. He’s on 123 so it’s hard to question him. Especially after Johnson bowls short and Rahane smashes him through mid-wicket.
AND THEN GETS ANOTHER DRINK THE BLOODY DRINKS BLOKE WAS ON THERE BEFORE JOHNSON HAD GRABBED HIS HAT FROM THE UMPIRE YOU CAN’T DRINK THAT MUCH IT ISN’T HUMANLY POSSIBLE THESE ARE NOT CAMELS.
100th Over. India 360-3. (Kohli 123, Rahane 115)
Oh, please. Another drink? How thirsty can you be? Every over Kohli’s getting some treatment for something. And now he’s taking his time putting his gloves in. Virat? If you’re crook, get off. There’s a Drinks break in 18 minutes.
But do They listen to me? They don’t listen to me.
Regardless, here cometh The Rhino. He concedes a couple.
If Virat gets a drink now I’ll type really, really loudly.
HE DID GET A DRINK HE’S THE THIRSTIEST MAN IN AUSTRALIA.
99th Over. India 358-3. (Kohli 123, Rahane 114)
Another big drink for the batters. They’ve been out there 35 minutes. There’s 25 minutes to the scheduled Drinks break. Just chuck a couple of Gatorades in a hole behind the stumps. Have a drink then.
Anyway.
Oh! 200 partnership is up after Kohli pulls Johnson just over the head of a diving Shaun Marsh. Then he pulls him again. Four more. Australia attacking, they still have a large lead, they can do that. But India is filling their boots. Riding their luck. And filling their boots with gold bullion.
AND KOHLI HITS HIM FOR FOUR MORE IN FRONT OF SQUARE, ANOTHER GREAT PULL SHOT ... this is great stuff. Great cricket. That was a pure, full-blooded pull shot, and Virat stares at Johnson’s back as he walks back as if to say, Aint so bad, aint so bad, Paper Champion.
MJ follows up with a slower one that Virat drives for three, a controlled and tasty cricket shot. This over has gone 444.3 and ....... ..... dot. Ha. it was short. Fifteen off. And that could be Big Mitch’s spell.
98th Over. India 343-3. (Kohli 108, Rahane 114)
Righto. Where are we in this Test? We’re just past the 5-day equinox of the match. Australia still leads by 190 runs, and y’know, that’s still a fair few. But you know who’s going to be dangerous if he comes in with an hour to go? Against a tiring Australian attack on a belter of a wicket?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
He’s due some runs in this country, too, our Mighty MS.
Three off that one from the Rhino.
97th Over. India 340-3. (Kohli 105, Rahane 114)
Mitchell Johnson, Big Mitch, he does thunder in, and no argument. If he were thundering in at me on the MCG I’d play him from Row 22 behind deep backward square leg.
Our Man Rahane, however, guides him through the gully for another three. He’s squirted a few threes through there, I’d find out how many time if I could be arsed but I can not.
Johnson flings in some heaters at Virat that the Firey Centurion sees off.
Updated
96th Over. India 336-3. (Kohli 104, Rahane 111)
Okay. We’re away again. Ryan Harris. Australia need something, anything, from Ryan Harris, and no argument. Thundering in from the Great Southern Stand end. Not really thundering. But nor is he trundling. He’s probably bustling if you absolutely had to describe the human movement of his man-motion. But you don’t so you don’t.
Regardless, that’s a maiden. Australia will take that, and a few more of them. They’d like 20 on the trot.
Updated
Tea. Day Three. India 336-4 (Kohli 104, Rahane 111) trail Australia by 194 runs
Well. Some session of Test cricket. Twin centurions. No wicket since 11:30 this morning. These two have batted, and beautifully, albeit with a wobble at the second new ball. But the Aussies grassed two chances, one from each man, and Brad Haddin couldn’t catch a skied one. But these are the breaks. And this is cricket. And even with Mitch Johnson screaming in on one of his dangerous benders, the India batters rode their luck like Cup-winning hoops. And had Australia not scored 530 runs in their first innings, you’d suggest India would be well on top. But they’re probably about par. And had Nathan Lyon caught the almost un-droppable, Australia would be fairly happy on a pitch as friendly to batters as illegal fat bats.
Australia? Kept on trying. None of their bowlers have been flat-out belted. But they needed to take their chances. And they did not. And here we are.
We’ll be back in 15 minutes to continue this finger-crunching carnage.
95th Over. India 336-3. (Kohli 104, Rahane 111)
Hazlewood. Rahane turns him square. TV showing Nathan Lyon’s sitter on the big screen. Ha. That can’t be pleasant.
Last ball before Tea. And Rahane guides it into the dust. And India has owned that session. I’ll summarise it quickly then get some Dencorub for the fingers, they ache like an old crone’s witch-fingers.
94th Over. India 335-3. (Kohli 103, Rahane 111)
And ... spin. Nathan Lyon, dropper of the easiest non-caught-and bowled ... and there’s Kohli’s hundred. Let’s Key Event it... see below.
Otherwise - tidy over by the Lyon King. Five off. Oxymoron? You could argue a case with @journomatcleary on Twitter, if you dare. Or don’t it is of no import.
Hundred for Virat Kohli
Lovely cover-drive by Virat Kohli from Nathan Lyon’s first ball of the new spell, great batting, his third hundred of the series and his fifth against Australia, the Aussies are jack of him, as they say. But another fine shot, a cover-drive all along the ground, it’s been his Thing all innings. Batted, champion.
93rd Over. India 330-3. (Kohli 98, Rahane 111)
Oh - good nut by Hazlewood, a short one that jags back at Rahane and catches him on the glove, flinching, the batter was laying back to pop it over slips but it followed him and hunted the armpit.
Next one’s an armpit hunter too but Rahane smashes it for four over mid-wicket, a pretty good straight bouncer but Rahane’s bashed it in front of square, four runs, it was worth more. Top shot.
Next one’s short and Rahane does pop it over slips he’s seeing it like one of those Earth balls you could roll about on school. But Davey Warner fields at fine third man.
92nd Over. India 323-3. (Kohli 96, Rahane 106)
Watto again. Kohli circumspect. He’s on 96. And he knows it. Scored relatively few hundreds for a bloke of his outstanding ability.
And there’s four more for Rahane, beautiful cover-drive, the shot’s been a feature of both these batters’ innings. A real feature.
Meanwhile, James Quinton has Brad Hadding suffering in his jocks when he asks...
I’d assume not, James. You’d think it against the rules. But then you can’t have a drink too often before a Drinks break, but they do anyway.
Who knows? Any you People?
Updated
91st Over. India 315-3. (Kohli 93, Rahane 101)
Okay, Joshua “Tree” Hazlewood, he’s going to have a spell here before the Test break in ... 15 minutes.
And he’s mustered a maiden of six dot balls, all at Virat Kohli (93).
90th Over. India 315-3. (Kohli 93, Rahane 101)
Watto! Praise Jebus. Bowling with a relatively new ball, let’s see how his in-dippers go here. Not bad. Not an over Wisden are going to include in their Great Overs Of Our Time almanac, but pretty good. He had Rahane slashing, and Australia, bless them, are still encouraging India to slash. MS Dhoni, if he were under this sort of pump, would ring the field and have Ashwin bowl darts.
Hundred for Ajinkya Rahane
There’s his hundred! Great stuff, Rahane Man, he’s slashed at a wide one from Watson and squirted it over gully by a long way and that’s four runs, well done, Ajinkya, well done.
89th Over. India 311-3. (Kohli 93, Rahane 97)
Righto, our Mitch again, the big tattooed thunder man, he’s bowling with great venom, fired up, and the chances are coming.
Oh - Kohli to 91 with a single that has him stretching to dive. He’d have got home but there was some concern.
Okay - MJ to Rahane Man. He dabs ... outside his body, he knows he’s on 96. On 36 that would’ve gone for four through covers. But he is on 97. So he can hang his head on that, for the moment.
Kohli, chipping through mid-wicket. Two. He’s on 93. Johnson is 82/0. And still bowling with Danger. Good cricket.
88th Over. India 307-3. (Kohli 90, Rahane 96)
Well - this second new ball is a hand-grenade. A shiny, cherry-ripe holy hand-grenade.
And it’s Ryan Harris again, to Kohli, on 89. India want to calm the excitement a little. It’s still a Test match, the long-form of the game. And they are 227 runs behind.
And now 223 after Rahane dabs Harris over slips. No danger there, fine shot. And Rahane is four runs from a century.
87th Over. India 301-3. (Kohli 89, Rahane 91)
Okay. Big Mitch. Short one! Rahane pulls high and catchable if you were 20 metres in, Joe Burns, and there’s the 150-run partnership. It’s been a beauty. But they’re flying seat of the pants airlines now, baby. And Big Mitch has his gander up, whatever a gander is, a male duck, perhaps, or a long look at somethign.... AND OH! AND THE SWAMI ARMY IS ALL UP AND DANCING BECAUSE KOHLI HAS GONE AFTER A SHORT ONE AND THE BALL SPOONED UP IN THE AIR AND BRAD HADDIN CAN’T GET IT! OH MY ... oh my.
And Johnson follows it up with a superb short one. That Rahane tries to avoid and also pop over slips. He can only achieve the first thing. Wow - this is some cricket. Three slips now in. But Kohli’s square pushed for two. And then takes a single. Some over. Told you something would happen. Know how I know? BECAUSE IT’S ALL HAPPENING.
86th Over. India 296-3. (Kohli 88, Rahane 87)
Harris, to Rahane - whack, slashing square cut, beautiful shot, middle of the bat, bang - four runs, it goes through at head height but a backed up Hummer wouldn’t have stopped that, four runs.
Then there’s four more with a beautiful flick behind square, a perfectly timed leg glance. And Rahane’s catching Kohli, he’s on 86. He flicks at a Harris short one, just misses ... a get-out shot that could’ve been four. Ha. Don’t go changin’, Test cricket.
Harris, short again... and Rahane flicks it to square leg for a single. He’s now on 87. Something Incredibly Exciting will happen next over, too, set your watch and warrant on it, an expression I think is one.
85th Over. India 287-3. (Kohli 88, Rahane 78)
Here’s MJ. DROPPED! DROPPED AGAIN! SHANE WATSON ... it was fast and low to his left, Watson, and a genuine edge has beaten Watson ... it was moving ... but ... probably - nay, he definitely - should have caught that. It was Virat Kohli. He’s on 88. And both men have had chances. Fat ones. And Big Mitch is fired up. Was it Haddin’s catch? Mayhap. The keeper caught a screamer earlier, diving like that. And Johnson comes in and ... sprays one, fast and wide.
Game: alive.
Bunch of replays of Watson’s drop ... more you look at it, more like Haddin’s catch. But when Big MJ’s bowling at 150km/h, you don’t have time think much.
Told you something would happen on 287. That was a maiden. But what a maiden. Ha. This Test match ... it’s got more Story than the Disneyland Almanac.
84th Over. India 287-3. (Kohli 88, Rahane 78)
Okay - Harris versus Rahane. The Rhino versus the Rahane Man. And ... he’s got four runs with a chip through mid-wicket that also went through a man there ... Josh Hazlewood, the big Joshua Tree had to come from a great height to get down to that, and could not.
And the score goes to 287, and we’ll definitely see some action next over, this much is certain.
83rd Over. India 283-3. (Kohli 88, Rahane 74)
Righto - 132 run partnership, and Mitch Johnson ... ha. He’s tried to break it by hurling the ball at Kohli ... but it was fair enough, Kohli, who’s batting a long way out of his crease, advanced, and was out of his ground when Johnson had a throw at the stumps. It would have hit, but Kohli got in the way and collected it fair in the buttock. Johnson did apologise. And came screaming back in - and beat! Kohli, who windily woofs outside off. Then oh - nearly chips to square leg on the full. Kohli a little rattled. Just a little. And oh! Kohli’s gone forward to one and squirted it through the vacant fourth slip at catching height and ... ha. And Kohli gives Johnson a heap of lip, and Johnson gives him lip back, and the umpires intervene, and you think, yet again: Test cricket, don’t go changin.
82nd Over. India 279-3. (Kohli 84, Rahane 74)
Enter The Rhino: Ryan Harris. The bustling swing-man from South Aussie who went to Queensland and liked it so much he would play for Australia in 25 Tests from the age of 30 and take 105 Test wickets at 23, an average up there with the Greats. And he’s bowled a maiden, a “win” for Australia in this run-scoring climate, take it to the bank via Centrebet*.
* Don’t do that**
** But if you do, gamble responsibly.
82nd Over. India 279-3. (Kohli 84, Rahane 74)
Still stunned by Lyon’s drop. He probably is, too. And here’s the new ball. Well. A new batter agains the new ball? That could have changed this Test match. Huge moment. In fact, I’ll have to Key Event it.
Anyway. Here’s Mitchell Johnson with the hard red rock and .. he bounces Rahane who SWINGS hard, a pull shot, he gets a top edge but it flies far enough over the inner circle with his big fat bat.
Two slips and a gully. Australia still attacking. So there is that.
But that’s all there is.
Nathan Lyon drops Ajinkya Rahane (70*) one over before new ball
See below. A caught-and-bowled that was spooned back like the easiest dolly-drop ... and Lyon, inexplicably but perhaps because it was too easy and he wasn’t expecting it, grassed it. Key event? You betcha.
81st Over. India 276-3. (Kohli 84, Rahane 71)
Okay. Nathan Lyon. Not getting much spin here, not sideways stuff, anyway. Putting the revolutions on the cherry, for sure. But spin? Over only.
OH! THE WORST DROP IN THE HISTORY OF TEST CRICKET BY NATHAN LYON! A DOLLY, A SITTER ... OH MY WORD. THE EASIEST ... IT WAS SPOONED BACK TO LYON ... WHO’S LET IT GO THROUGH HIS HANDS AND ... OH. Rahane Man survives. One over from the new ball. One ball! from the new ball. Oh my. What a moment. And India roll on.
80th Over. India 274-3. (Kohli 83, Rahane 70)
Almost a maiden from Smith, you’d take that in the current run-scoring climate if you were Australia. But you’re not, and India is not, either, and they take two singles from Smith’s funny looking leggies.
79th Over. India 272-3. (Kohli 82, Rahane 69)
Lyon, bowling tidily, but Kohli works him behind square with the spin. Rahane does the same. As Forrest Gump said in the Oscar-winning motion picture “Forrest Gump”, that’s all I have to say about that.
78th Over. India 270-3. (Kohli 81, Rahane 68)
Okay - not the stupidest move by the Captain, he brings himself on and bowls one of his typically entertaining half-track bouncey ones. Kohli pulls but ineffectively to mid-on. Rahane pulls harder to a fuller one, and hits it hard to mid-wicket. Kohli chips him to square for a single. Then Rahane hits Smith’s full-toss for four past mid-off, Shaun Marsh who might’ve made his captain happy with a dive, but didn’t, and didn’t. Kohli’s on 81, Rahane 68. Belting Australia here, The India. Belting ‘em.
77th Over. India 261-3. (Kohli 78, Rahane 62)
Oh - do they need another drink? Seems they do. Ten minutes after the last one. What’s doing? That’s rubbish.
Lyon, again. Four overs to the new ball. Reckon we’ll see it. Harris and Johnson. Chance the ball will fly hard off the bat. But that’s okay. Australian way. Was that a maiden?
Hark. It was.
76th Over. India 261-3. (Kohli 78, Rahane 62)
Watto, now, having a crack from the Members End. And bang - no matter the end, we resume service as per normal after Kohli jabs an off-drive through extra cover, oh yes, this is fine batting, and the Swami Army are drowning the various Aussie versions. And Kohli’s on 78.
Rahane, he gets three through mid-wicket despite a flock of sea-gulls crossing the pitch. The ball is whistling off willow here in Melbourne. Ten off that one. All India.
75th Over. India 251-3. (Kohli 71, Rahane 59)
Okay - half-hour after Lunch the batters need a drink. Do they really? It’s a tactic, isn’t it? To recalibrate? I think there should be Laws against it. But do They listen to me? They don’t.
Okay - Nathan Lyon, he’s on for the first time this session. Reckon he’ll get a good long spell here, and try to bowl “dry”. He’s in good form, Lyone. But Rahane whacks him to square leg. If he’d missed there’d have been a shout. But he didn’t and there wasn’t.
Updated
74th Over. India 248-3. (Kohli 70, Rahane 57)
Josh Hazlewood, again. He’s getting a little swing, and a little bounce. But pure batting surface this is, the India batters are putting the full face of the bat forward, and blunting anything straight. Anything short is being pulled, hooked or cut, which doesn’t stop Hazlewood from tossing in the odd short one, probably not the worst tactic. At least it shows they’re trying to get the batsmen out. One wicket ... can be a game-changer in Test cricket.
But Rahane’s batting beautifully. A short jab of a an off-drive gets him three after some good sliding work on the fence by Chris Rogers. Hundred partnership. Top batting.
73rd Over. India 243-3. (Kohli 68, Rahane 54)
Good batting track, warm enough day, two batsmen well and truly set ... it’s tough going for these Australian seamers and spin-man. The drop-in pitch is playing like Adelaide crossed with the WACA. This partnership has yielded 92 runs, and India is 291 behind. Still a lot. But seven wickets in hand on this deck... India should be feeling good.
Particularly after Rahane cuts Watson behind point hard, four runs, all the way along the ground, as hard as the ball’s been hit today.
Updated
72nd Over. India 239-3. (Kohli 68, Rahane 50)
Okay - Rahane Man, facing Joshua “Tree” Hazlewood, one run from a deserved half-century ... he cuts! And misses. That was quicker, and Rahane had a good crack at it, but missed. A windy-enough whoosh that.
But he gets his 50. There’s one run off. And onwards we roll.
Fifty for Ajinkya Rahane
Well batted, Rahane Man. It’s been entertaining. He’s driven and cut and pulled his way to a 60-ball half-ton. One “chance” with a snick off Lyon. Otherwise it’s been fairly pure hitting, and batsmanship.
70th Over. India 238-3. (Kohli 68, Rahane 49)
Watto again, bowling his little nippers and dippers. Watto’s got it going both ways, but at 125km/h isn’t exactly bowling Thommo Throat-balls. But he has bowled a maiden over. I used to bowl maidens over. Not these days, so much.
Josh Genner, meanwhile, remains hot for handles to replace “Gary” Lyon:
69th Over. India 238-3. (Kohli 68, Rahane 49)
Hazlewood, short and wide, and Kohli cuts for three. He’s bowled pretty well, Big Joshua Tree, but that was something of a Cherry Pie.
Rahane - whack, slashing square cut, but it doesn’t beat Buck Rogers at point, he was unlucky it didn’t go either side of him, it would’ve been four bits.
Hazlewood responds with a short one at the head that Rahane SMASHES over square-leg, one bounce over the rope, super shot, six anywhere. On Adelaide Oval it would’ve been eight. Maybe ten.
India on top.
68th Over. India 231-3. (Kohli 65, Rahane 45)
Okay - Watto (26-1), first up after Lunch, he trundles in and zips down his nippers. They swing a little bit, on occasion. He’s not Terry Alderman, or even mighty Tasmanian woodsman Ben Hilfenhaus. But he nips it about, a little, with his subtle little swingers.
Doesn’t stop Virat Kohli working him for three through mid-wicket, however.
67th Over. India 226-3. (Kohli 60, Rahane 45)
Hazlewood, in to Rahane, who pulls hard and high to the deep. Bit of a top edge, but he’s showing conviction again, you can’t fault him for conviction.
I think “Gary” Lyon’s nickname is gonna stick, somehow, indeed it has. But...
Updated
Okay, couple of minutes before the afternoon session of this crackerjack day of Test cricket, The People, and Someone from Malaysia writes “JIMAL APA TIDAK BOLI DOLAH.”
Hope they’re not swear words.
Gary Naylor from The Twitter, meanwhile, evokes the OBO gibberer’s Nathan Lyon = Lawnmower Man schtick with...:
And here we go with Josh Hazlewood from the Members End
Lunch. Day Three. India 224-3 (Kohli 60, Rahane 43) trail Australia by 306 runs
Well. Interesting and entertaining morning of Test cricket. The first hour was Australia’s as they removed both the not out batsmen from overnight. The second hour was all India, as their stroke-players Virat Kohli and Ajinkya “Rahane Man” Rahane despatched the Aussie bowlers to most parts of this mighty Melbourne Cricket Ground. Anything too full was hit with purpose in an arc from mid-off to point; anything short was cut or pulled or effectively avoided.
The Aussies didn’t bowl capital-P Poorly, but there’s not a whole lot of assistance in this drop-in cricket wicket, and the India batsmen have batted with conviction and skill.
Plenty of cricket left in this one, The People. Join us again at 13:00 AEDST.
Updated
66th Over. India 224-3. (Kohli 60, Rahane 43)
Gary Lyon, again. Bowls a couple of dots. A single. Then another single. And another one. And that, The People, is Luncheon.
Updated
65th Over. India 221-3. (Kohli 59, Rahane 41)
Johnson ... bang, full and straight and Kohli’s driven him beautifully down the ground, four runs. His driving’s been a feature today. Really fluent and strong.
Oh, wow - and now he’s late cut Johnson for four more. Remember the shot Shaun Marsh nicked in Australia’s innings? Like that except exceptional. Beautiful shot. He’s on 59, and relishing his work.
Bouncer to finish. Eight off. Last over before Lunch coming up.
64th Over. India 213-3. (Kohli 51, Rahane 41)
Tossing it up, Lyon. Hasn’t bowled badly. Drew an edge from Rahane Man early that went too fine for anyone bar Brad Haddin’s thigh and the long-stop boundary rope.
Ha. Long stop. Haven’t thought of that piece of cricket nomenclature since 1981.
Maiden from Gary.
Fifty for Virat Kohli
Well batted, Virat Kohli. He’s looked great this morning. Elegant and confident, poised. Few words like that. But the ball’s hit the middle of the bat most often, and yep. Looked very good. Classy. Even classical.
63rd Over. India 213-3. (Kohli 51, Rahane 41)
Okay, Big MJ, back on just before the Luncheon adjournment. And Rahane Man swots him out to backward of point with a lovely square drive, the ball hit the bottom of his bat but whistled out to deep third man, three runs.
Johnson comes around the wicket ... but Kohli and Rahane, they’re batting with confidence now on a deck without demonic possession. And Kohli goes to fifty. Well batted, champion. A fine guide through gully for four.
62nd Over. India 202-3. (Kohli 43, Rahane 38)
“Gary” Lyon, again, he’s cut to backward point fro two by Rahane Man who hasn’t found a half-tracker or half-volley that hasn’t been to his liking. That one was in the air for a little while but Roger Harper with a fishing net wouldn’t haven’t caught that one, no sirree Bob. Rahane Man’s on 38 from 34 balls, and choofing along.
61st Over. India 198-3. (Kohli 42, Rahane 35)
Okay, India whittling away at the Australia lead, they’re 334 behind, with two batters well set on a fine batting surface. Concentration is key, one would suggest.
Harris coming around the wicket, he bounces Rahane who hooks it hard into the ground behind square, for one. Good batting, again, from our man the Rahane Man.
Harris, short to Kohli who bunts a pull shot, funny looking shot, but he’s confident, now, the first Test captain.
Simon McMahon, meanwhile, currently enjoying a “dram” of whiskey in his kitchen in Scotland, responds to our query about whether “dram” is the right word, by saying: “Yeah, dram is right. And slàinte, pronounced ‘slan-gee’ is the traditional toast when drinking said dram of whisky. Would be interesting to hear what the equivalent was from round the world..?”
It would be indeed.
What say, The People? What’s the slàinte in your neck of this big old beautiful planet earth?
60th Over. India 196-3. (Kohli 41, Rahane 34)
Okay, Nathan Lyon, whom team-mates call “Gary” after the famous footy player, he bowls a short one to Rahane who cuts him with a flourish for two. Then there’s a strong sweep that accrues one.
59th Over. India 193-3. (Kohli 41, Rahane 31)
Nathan Everett from the internet asks: “Why lawnmower man for Lyon?” to which I retort: “Because he was a greenskeeper at Adelaide Oval before he was a first-class cricketer.”
Yeah - why wouldn’t that one stick?
Let’s move on ... with Ryan Harris who’s been pulled for two, and then four behind square leg by the impressive Ajinkya Rahane, who’s starting to enjoy his work on the MCG drop-in. There’s a pull shot to follow, that’s a better shot than the boundary ball, but which finds the man in the deep put there to stop it.
Good batting, Rahane Man.
58th Over. India 186-3. (Kohli 40, Rahane 25)
Tidy over of probing dot balls from the Lawnmower Man, the nickname for Nathan Lyon that’s never stuck despite my spruiking it.
Maiden.
57th Over. India 186-3. (Kohli 40, Rahane 25)
The Rhino, he’s back on. And the India batters take him for a couple of singles with intelligent batsmanship. The pitch is a belter. These drop-ins are like perfect test-tube babies.
Two off.
56th Over. India 184-3. (Kohli 39, Rahane 25)
Lyon. Couple off.
Updated
55th Over. India 182-3. (Kohli 37, Rahane 24)
“Evening Matt,” writes Simon McMahon from Scotland. “What kind of saddo emails the OBO after midnight on December 28? Someone that’s alone in their kitchen drinking whisky and eating prawn crackers? Oh, right, that’ll be me. Merry Christmas!”
Merry Christmas back at you, Macca. Scottish cricket fan?
“That rare thing, an England cricket fan from Scotland. Currently -4 degrees here, so need the whisky to keep warm. Enjoying the coverage from down under as usual on the Guardian, Kohli looking well set.”
He is indeed. Loving that cover drive.
And ... yes, he’s hit another for four. No - it was Rahane Man. The Aussies just over-pitching ... but it’s not the worst plan. There’s still good carry, they’re getting a little swing, and there are two or three slips in place. And ... Rahane Man ... another fine shot, he’s guided a Hazlewood short one through gully for four, he’s s 24 off 14 balls.
Good cricket, The People, it’s keeping Scotsman awake in their kitchens by night.
54th Over. India 162-3. (Kohli 35, Rahane 6)
Our Lawnmower Man, Nathan Lyon, is on, with a nickname that’s never stuck despite me ... OH! Runs. Four runs. The ball’s taken the finest of edges of Rahane’s bat and neatly bisected the slipper and keeper. It just brushed Haddin’s thigh and you almost - almost - can’t blame Watson for not going for it.
Then Rahane smashes him down the ground.
Eleven off, with a chance. Cricket: good.
53rd Over. India 162-3. (Kohli 35, Rahane 6)
Okay - Big Joshy to Rahane Man ... who drives him through the covers, a forceful forward defensive sort of shot, and the batters run three.
Then: Bang. Great shot, V.Kohli, a hook shot off a Hazlewood badge-seeker, four runs. Looking great, Kohli. Dangerous.
Single. And there’s eight off.
The greatest*, Gary Naylor.
* Along with golf.
Updated
52nd Over. India 154-3. (Kohli 30, Rahane 3)
New man, Ajinkya Rahane, pulls Watson for three to mid-wicket. Watto bowled short and Rahane - the Rahane Man, if you will, and I do - whacked him deep to the outlands of this massive MCG.
Kohli follows up with another cracking cover-drive, he loves that shot, and the Aussie bowlers have given him ample opportunity. It’s a cracking shot, right out the middle. Classical. Why are cover-drives all classic? Aren’t leg glances that go for four just as groovy? Or late cuts? Or spoons over slips? We may never know.
Watto’s getting a bit of swing here. But there’s seven runs been taken off him that over.
51st Over. India 147-3. (Kohli 26, Rahane 0)
Josh Hazelwood, good bouncer to Kohli, makes him duck. But he played it well, Virat, on one knee. Super batter, our Virat. But Hazlewood’s testing him with balls that are bending both ways, and occasionally bouncing at the badge alarmingly. Looks the goods, the big yin. This is good cricket. But my ... the wicket is flat and Australia’s got the two overnight men before Drinks. Big innings required from Kohli.
Maiden.
50th Over. India 147-3. (Kohli 26, Rahane 0)
Okay. Good over from Watson. Got the wicket of the in-form Murali Vijay with a fairly crafty piece of medium-fast skid-bowling.
Wicket! Murali Vijay 68 c Marsh b Watson
Well - Watson follows up his slow probing length balls with a short one that’s a bit quicker and wider, and Murali thinks, You beauty, I am eating this baby. But it got big one him and he edged firmly to Marsh at first slip who took a tidy catch at head height. That’s a big wicket. Know they’re all big. But that’s a big wicket.
Earlier Vijay and Kohli called for a drink, seven minutes before the Drinks break. How can this be? Are there not Laws? Playing Conditions? Even Understandings? Etiquette? It’s quite confounding.
Watson then bowled a wide one, that in-form Vijay drove at airly, but the ball found the middle, as is the way when you’re “in” form, and rolling about in it like a nude man in cash money at Vegas, something like it.
Then he was out.
49th Over. India 147-2. (Vijay 68 Kohli 26)
Double-change, thought there might be, it’s Big Josh Hazlewood who bowled quiet well the evening before, having a catch dropped by Haddin who took a screamer this morning, that, friends, is cricket.
Good cricket here. The pitch looks a belter, but there’s bounce in it, and a bit of swing about. Good contest.
One off.
48th Over. India 146-2. (Vijay 67 Kohli 26)
Here’s Watto ... and Kohli drives him straight down the ground for two. Watto took a bit of the sting off it and Nathan Lyon hauled it in just inside the rope.
The rest of the over feature those skidding, dipping probers that Watto’s bowling in these times.
They don’t stop Kohli taking four off him, however.
47th Over. India 142-2. (Vijay 67 Kohli 22)
Johnson again and bang, Murali Vijay drives him beautifully for four wide of mid-off, cracking shot. The Aussie bowlers are pitching them up - when they’re not bowling them short - and the Indian batters are taking some toll. So Mitch bounces Vijay, the ball whizzing past his grill, but the in-form opener sways back very well and lets it glide past, the six-stitcher fizzing by his face. Top stuff.
Johnson comes wide around the wicket and throws down a scrambled-seam slower ball. Vijay is not bedazzled into a drive.
46th Over. India 138-2. (Vijay 63 Kohli 22)
The Rhino, again, another bouncer. They’ve been good ones from the Aussie morning-pair. You can bowl short and you can bowl short-and-well, the difference between a medium-rare rib-eye and a chunk of T-bone steak burnt to charcoal, and ruined. Something like it.
Kohli batting outside his crease, and shuffling in front of the stumps, and playing really quite well. Two off.
45th Over. India 136-2. (Vijay 63 Kohli 20)
Wow. Johnson, great short one, it’s neck high and Vijay goes back and plays it off his gloves. Could’ve gone anywhere, but it went to the ground.
Next one - wowza. On the back of the helmet. Whack, Murali turned his head and wore it on the lid. Aussie players ask him if he’s okay. He is. And Johnson thunders in again ...
... and Vijay leaves one, well, shouldering arms. Sign of a man in form, a man who can shoulder arms with alacrity.
Johnson slams down another bouncer, and our Murali Vijay ducks, and knows this: it’s contest time. Big Mitch looks on.
Maiden.
44th Over. India 136-2. (Vijay 63 Kohli 20)
Okay - the Rhino, again, and bang, Kohli’s hit him through the covers. He’s loving that cover-drive. And the Rhino’s obliging with a probing line and length, the best kind. Three off.
43rd Over. India 133-2. (Vijay 63 Kohli 17)
Johnson - again, driven beautifully by Kohli through the covers. Johnson looking to entice the drive and bring the slips into play, and Virat’s obliging - and whacking him through the covers.
Johnson responds by bouncing Murali, making him flinch a tad, but he played it well, ultimately.
Updated
42nd Over. India 128-2. (Vijay 59 Kohli 16)
Rhino, again. He’s got both of the India wickets to fall. Bustling in, bowling skiddy quick ones on or about off-stump that do a little in the air, you’ll take Test wickets like that. Rhino’s taken 105.
41st Over. India 128-2. (Vijay 59 Kohli 16)
Oh - quick single by the batters, and they’re just home. Vijay tucked it off his hip and Virat called him through, and Joe Burns darted out and got it and threw it back and almost hit the stumps with Kohli just in, replays confirm. Excitement.
Then Kohli blasts Johnson down the ground, glorious drive, it wasn’t that full and he took it slightly on the up and off-drove it imperiously, superbly, way down the ground. Four bits.
Then Johnson draws an edge, but it was a fat one and the ball zooted off through the vacant fourth slip position for four more.
Cracking day, perfect for cricket spectatorship. And we’re enjoying this battle early.
Gary Naylor, meanwhile, like Dr Lecter, sees a lot...
40th Over. India 118-2. (Vijay 58 Kohli 7)
Shot - lovely cover-drive by Kohli, middle of the bat, the ball whistles across the billiard table to the cover boundary. Top stuff.
Harris bounces him as if to say, How dare you? How dare you. Then he’s back on the middle and off line with an in-swinger. Then there’s a bouncer. Good speed, 142 clicks. He’s 35 years old, The Rhino, but continues to rumble and bustle on in.
And over.
39th Over. India 114-2. (Vijay 58 Kohli 3)
Big MJ - Mitchell Johnson - comes in from the ... whatever end he’s coming in from, and Vijay drives him firmly for three down the ground. He’s on 58, and looks in fair nick.
Three slips and a gully. Point. Rest of ‘em spread around. The Rhino’s at fine leg. Michael Clarke’s in the commentary box. And Virat Kohli is driving Johnson through the covers for three to get off the mark. Classy looking batter man, Our Virat.
Johnson bounces Vijay. And there are six off.
Updated
38th Over. India 108-2. (Vijay 55 Kohli 0)
Well. There you go. The Rhino’s first one is over and our man Pujara is back in the sheds after two balls. Ordinary shot, really, though it was probably close enough to his body to make him play. That might be being kind, he could have left it. Instead he had a little whack at it, got a fat edge, and Haddin took a screamer-baker.
Kohli survived the next four teasers. It’s the Harris way: total teasing.
Wicket! Cheteshwar Pujara 25 c Haddin b Harris
Well! What a catch by Haddin! Pujara on the second ball of the day has wafted outside off-stump and Haddin has made up for his one-handed drop last night with a cracker! Leaping away to his right he’s flown in front of Shane Watson who was leaping to his left, and pocketed one of the catches of this and any other season.
Ha. What a start.
It’s the Rhino first up, he’ll be bowling to our man Pujara.
Jimmy from Dewsbury, up late and into his Tim Tams, no doubt, reckons: “India will not lose a wicket until Tea, then fold like many cards.”
Moments away now, folks, from the first ball, and our first Big Prediction is in. Garry McLeod from the Clan McLeod predicts: “India all out for 245. Australia 2-260 at stumps, David Warner 152 not out.”
And Ravi Ashwin thought 650 was bullish.
Updated
Greetings, The People, and welcome to Day Three of this Third Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series, and we’re up for an interesting day.
India trails by 422 runs with 9 wickets in hand, with Murali Vijay (55) and Cheteshwar Pujara (25) both “in” on a batting surface that looks firm, bone-dry and white like the sands of Jervis Bay, the world’s whitest. Beautiful day. Perfect for batsmanship. Ravi Ashwin reckons India will make 650 and put Australia in, a bullish statement, there should be more of them.
Australia? Will still fancy their chances of getting deep into an Indian batting line-up that - apart from lower-order thrashing by Mohammed Shami - has offered little resistance from 8, 9, 10, Jack. And that, along with the Tendulkar-esque contribution of Steven Peter Devereux Smith, has been a key feature of the series thus far.
Okay. We’re about 20 minutes from first ball, The People. I’m Matt Cleary, and I’ll be chopping into this keyboard across all three sessions today, an endeavour that experienced OBO men reckon will see me gibbering like a crack-crazed spider monkey by Stumps, fingers like stumps of blood-n-bone.
Good times.
So! What say, The People? What’s your prediction? Where will be at Stumps? Zap your tip to matt.cleary@theguardian.com or @journomatcleary on The Twitter, and the closest one we’ll laud within an inch of its life, and award the inaugural Guardian OBO daily score-tip trophy, The Golden Spider-monkey*.
* There will be no golden monkey trophy.
Righto! Join us for the OBO stuff at 10:30am AEDST, 11:30pm the night before in Ye Olde London Town, and 6:30am in Ho Chi Minh City a city randomly-generated by a random city generator, an internet Thing.
Talk at you then.
Updated
