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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Geoff Lemon and Jonathan Howcroft

Australia v India: third Test, day three – as it happened

David Warner
David Warner is dismissed LBW in Australia’s second innings. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Summary

Three run outs, nasty injuries to both Pant and Jadeja, and a collapse from 142-3 to 244 all out meant this was a day to forget for India. Australia played their part, bowling diligently, batting with intent, and fielding magnificently, but this was one of those days that sometimes happens on a tour Down Under, when everything goes wrong and the massive Australian grounds seem to swallow up a team in duress.

Perhaps the only thing that went India’s way was the absence of a large parochial crowd to rub it in. The few thousand in attendance were in cheerful mood, wearing pink and celebrating the McGrath Foundation.

Australia resume tomorrow with a 197-run lead on a wearing pitch and two days left in the contest. It seems only a matter of when, not if, they head to Brisbane with a 2-1 advantage.

Thanks for joining us today. We’ll be back to do it all again tomorrow. But for now, here’s your match report.

We’ll be back half-an-hour earlier again tomorrow. I wonder if Sunday’s play will also end 13 overs short?

Close on day 3: Australia 103-2 (lead of 197 runs)

A day that began with both teams deep in this contest ends with Australia strolling to victory and India in a heap.

Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labuschagne was in the runs again for Australia at the SCG. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

29th over: Australia 103-2 (Labuschagne 47, Smith 29) Cricinfo tells me there are still 13 overs scheduled in the day, but both sides take an absolute age over Saini’s latest set of six with play grinding to a virtual halt. In amongst the forced pauses Smith pushes one and Labuschagne clips a leg stump half-volley for four.

28th over: Australia 97-2 (Labuschagne 42, Smith 28) Labuschagne plays out a maiden off Siraj as this long day leaks towards its conclusion.

27th over: Australia 97-2 (Labuschagne 42, Smith 28) Saini continues to bend his back but Australia are now playing safely for stumps. If there was any doubt, Nathan Lyon is padded up as nightwatchman.

26th over: Australia 96-2 (Labuschagne 41, Smith 28) Smith now has that familiar air of a man batting with a lump of wood about two metres wide. He is in position before the bowler knows where the ball is going to go. Four off Siraj’s latest over sees the lead hit 190.

25th over: Australia 92-2 (Labuschagne 40, Smith 26) Smith caresses Saini for four through extra cover in a demonstration of his form. This partnership’s runs now seem more important for what they indicate about the fourth Test than how relevant they are to this one.

24th over: Australia 86-2 (Labuschagne 39, Smith 22) Siraj has Labuschagne playing and missing outside off stump with an uncharacteristic nothing shot. After such a fluent hour or so, maybe this pair have decided to play for stumps? A clipped three later in the over suggests maybe not.

“Steve Smith is in the top few batsmen of this generation, maybe the best,” emails Abhi. Forgive my ignorance, but looking at his technique I often wonder how he would have fared against Murali or Warne who were big turners, or genuine quick reverse swingers like Akram or Waqar... On the risk of sounding a complete noob his footwork feels so weird and I often think if bowlers of old would have allowed his extremely gifted hand work to compensate for his dancing around the crease. A steamed up Akhtar would surely be too quick wouldn’t he? I remember his spell at Ponting at Perth and I wonder how Steve would have coped with that...”.

You never know Abhi, but I would counter with two responses. Firstly, anybody in cricket history would struggle against those bowlers you mention, Smith no exception. Secondly, this is a golden age of sorts for bowling. Anderson and Broad for England (especially in English conditions), New Zealand’s crew, Steyn and Rabada in SA, India’s allround corps, etc. So it isn’t as if Smith has feasted on buffet bowling for his average.

23rd over: Australia 83-2 (Labuschagne 36, Smith 22) It’s been an age since a false stroke but Bumrah squares up Smith with a beauty that whistles past the outside edge. The Australian genius settles for a rare maiden.

We’re now pretty much at the scheduled close of play - just the 19 overs behind schedule.

22nd over: Australia 83-2 (Labuschagne 36, Smith 22) Siraj returns for his second spell and Australia navigate safely, with the addition of two singles to the scoreboard.

21st over: Australia 81-2 (Labuschagne 35, Smith 21) Another glorious boundary from Smith, driving Bumrah on the up through the covers with a lovely flourish. That arrived late in an over that demonstrated more uneven bounce in this surface with a couple of balls keeping low.

The lead now 175.

20th over: Australia 77-2 (Labuschagne 35, Smith 17) Smith punches three towards the extra-cover boundary in another demonstration of this partnership’s intent. They are cruising in the evening sunlight and driving Australia into a commanding position.

Pant was also taken for scans earlier to check on the nasty blow to his elbow. Could be some important press releases later this evening.

19th over: Australia 73-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 14) Smith milks a couple down to fine-leg in an otherwise tight Bumrah over.

18th over: Australia 71-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 12) Australia really asserting themselves now with their star pair at the crease. On this occasion Smith skips down the crease then lofts Ashwin imperiously over extra cover for four, holding his pose like Freddy Mercury wielding a mic stand.

17th over: Australia 64-2 (Labuschagne 33, Smith 6) Maybe this will liven things up, back comes Bumrah for his second spell. His opening burst was disappointing, and his second begins with little menace. Labuschagne demonstrates how much in control he is at the crease with a VVS Laxman-like wristy flick for four from a delivery on middle stump.

16th over: Australia 60-2 (Labuschagne 29, Smith 6) There’s a half-shout for LBW against Labuschagne but otherwise it’s a regulation over for Australia. The sting has been removed from this contest as the shadows lengthen over the SCG.

15th over: Australia 57-2 (Labuschagne 27, Smith 5) Labuschagne has pushed hard at a few deliveries outside off today and it almost brings about his downfall. He pokes at Saini and the ball flies off the outside edge but drops an inch short of the diving Rahane in the gully. His aggression is better placed later in the over when Saini drops short and invites the controlled pull for four. Australia look very keen to keep the scoreboard ticking over, avoiding the quicksand both sides wandered into during their first digs.

The lead is now 151, already reaching the kind of territory India would not enjoy chasing.

14th over: Australia 50-2 (Labuschagne 21, Smith 4) Labuschagne doesn’t miss out on a rare Ashwin full toss, then he cuts a shorter ball away for three. Australia pass 50 in their second innings as we begin the long march towards the close of play, an unrealistic 28 overs away.

13th over: Australia 41-2 (Labuschagne 13, Smith 3) Saini continues, and not for the first time this innings a short ball doesn’t get up and Smith plays over the top of it. Horizontal bat shots are going to perilous over the next couple of days as the variable bounce increases. Drinks.

12th over: Australia 40-2 (Labuschagne 13, Smith 3) This wearing pitch is going to make chasing an absolute nightmare. Ashwin is already a handful but his side is going to struggle to overhaul Australia’s lead, which currently stands at 134.

Not out - umpire's call

There’s no bat involved with Smith’s aggressive swipe across the line, but ball tracking shows the delivery umpire’s call for clipping leg stump when it crashes into the front pad. Considering the match situation, that was worth a gamble.

India review

Smith is given not out onfield after missing a full delivery from Ashwin.

11th over: Australia 39-2 (Labuschagne 13, Smith 2) Better from Saini, a maiden, and he’s almost rewarded with the wicket of Labuschagne who played and missed with an expansive drive outside off stump.

India currently have Pant off the field with a suspected broken arm, Jadeja in the sheds with a busted thumb, and now Bumrah has walked off. Yikes! This is in addition to the absence of Shami, injured in Adelaide, and Ishant, who didn’t travel.

10th over: Australia 39-2 (Labuschagne 13, Smith 2) India are suddenly a couple of quick wickets from playing their way back into this match. Unfortunately for them those couple of wickets are currently defended by Australia’s premier batsmen.

WICKET! Warner LBW Ashwin 13 (Australia 35-2)

Warner is down on one knee aiming a slog sweep to a length delivery but he plays over the top of it and is hit in the midriff. DRS reveals no bat is involved and ball-tracking shows umpire’s call on height, with the ball adjudged to be clipping the top of leg stump. An unnecessarily rash shot from Warner who was playing himself into form.

Australia review

Warner has been given out onfield for LBW to the second ball of Ashwin’s first over.

9th over: Australia 35-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 11) Navdeep Saini is handed the ball but after Warner rotates the strike Labuschagne feasts on a short wide one, slashing it through the covers with disdain. The same boundary would have been breached twice further in the over but there’s already a cover sweeper to save the bad ball.

8th over: Australia 28-1 (Warner 11, Labuschagne 6) Siraj tries to bounce Labuschagne but it doesn’t get up anywhere near enough and the Queenslander gobbles it up, pulling Ponting-like for four. That was a lovely riposte from the batsman after the bowler had a shy at the stumps in his follow through the previous delivery. Young Siraj is a feisty character, I like his energy.

7th over: Australia 24-1 (Warner 11, Labuschagne 2) Bumrah begins his fourth over by pitching too full and straight to Warner who presents the full face of the bat and watches the ball race away in the direction of the sightscreen. Increasingly at ease in the middle, Warner bludgeons a couple through the covers in trademark fashion.

6th over: Australia 18-1 (Warner 5, Labuschagne 2) Australia’s No.3 off the mark straight away with a couple worked through the onside, but that was Siraj’s over. For the second innings in a row he takes the first wicket.

WICKET! Pucovski c Saha b Siraj 10 (Australia 16-1)

Siraj’s skiddy trajectory causes Pucovski a few issues when he tries to pull a delivery that doesn’t get up as much as he expected. The Victorian responds with a much straighter blade and earns two runs as a consequence. That’s his last scoring shot though because he is undone by an absolute pearler from the young paceman. From wide on the crease the ball is angled in, lands on a perfect length, then shapes away, kissing the shoulder of Pucovski’s bat on its way through to Saha’s safe gloves. That was superb bowling.

5th over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 5, Pucovski 8) Regulation start to Australia’s inning s so far. Couple more runs off Bumrah’s latest over. The Indian star has yet to hit his straps.

4th over: Australia 12-0 (Warner 3, Pucovski 8) Siraj was all over Warner first over and he almost cleans up at the beginning of his second with a length delivery that barely bounced after pitching on a decent length. Fortunately for Australia the line was wide of off stump. As the over progressed Warner looked more assured and by its conclusion his feet and hands looked in sync and a couple of runs went his way.

3rd over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 1, Pucovski 8) Length from Bumrah but width with it, and Pucovski shows great balance, a straight bat, and carves four through the covers with crisp timing. That was a seriously impressive shot.

A slight delay in play while a member of the groundstaff comes on with a massive mallet to hammer down the footmarks. In a world where the planet’s richest man aspires to build a colony on Mars, and here we are where a billion dollar sport can involve a man with a heavy stick flattening some mud to repair a pitch based on medieval agrarian dimensions. I love cricket.

2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 1, Pucovski 4) Siraj shares the new ball and he begins beautifully, keeping Warner pinned to the crease, squaring him up on a couple of occasions and finally beating the outside edge with a jaffa that deserved to kiss a faint edge.

1st over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 1, Pucovski 4) Jasprit Bumrah opens the bowling, and the star paceman needs a vintage early burst to keep India afloat in a match that has run away from them quickly this afternoon. He doesn’t start particularly threateningly. The major item of note is Pucovski’s guard, which is well outside leg stump to compensate for his sizeable trigger movement back and across. He executes that movement to perfection to the final ball of the over, getting into an A1 position to whipcrack a pull shot just in front of square leg for four. That was a confident, precise stroke.

David Warner and Will Pucovski are out in the middle for Australia. They have a long 40-over evening session to make hay while the sun shines, bolstered by a 94-run lead.

Unsurprisingly, after suffering that blow while batting, Rishabh Pant has not come out to keep during Australia’s second-innings. Wriddhiman Saha comes in as a substitue for the time being. He will be unable to bat in India’s second dig.

I’m heavily influenced by Ian Chappell in this discussion, namely that protective equipment has lulled the current generation into a false sense of security (and some bad habits) that are exposed at the very highest level.

Tea - India 244 all out (Australia lead by 94 runs)

This match has ebbed and flowed since Thursday morning, but it took a decisive turn during this afternoon session. Australia ripped through India’s middle and lower order to set themselves up for victory with a 94-run first-innings lead.

Mitchell Starc
Australia have the upper hand in the third Test at Tea on day three. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Updated

WICKET! Siraj c Paine b Cummins 6 (India 244)

Starc’s tail-mopping day is over, he’s replaced by the superb Pat Cummins. His first ball to Siraj is a bouncer that the batsman begins ducking under before the bowler had even reached his delivery stride! He then backs away to a length ball that he almost feathers behind, before ducking under a pretty pointless bumper. Back on a length next ball Cummins finds a regulation edge through to the keeper and the finger goes up. Siraj Reviews, because why not? And snicko confirms the innings is over.

100th over: India 244-9 (Jadeja 28, Siraj 6) Jadeja steps to leg and slaps Green down to third-man - but Pucovski is there and the single is declined. A bouncer sails harmlessly through to Paine before Jadeja fails to connect with a swipe outside off stump. A tighter line forces the batsman onto his toes, defending under his front armpit, then it’s all about Jadeja finding a single from somewhere. It almost comes from the penultimate ball but Siraj wisely gets back in his ground. Then the field comes in and Jadeja pounds a short ball into the open space for four through square leg. He’s toughing this out and doing his bit for the cause.

Updated

99th over: India 240-9 (Jadeja 24, Siraj 6) After a long delay Jadeja resumes his innings and immediately pushes a Starc length delivery to the right of Labuschagne at short-leg and the Queenslander almost completes a miraculous diving catch. Jadeja survives and farms the strike by gliding a bouncer down to third-man.

98.4 over: India 239-9 (Jadeja 23, Siraj 6) Great fun. Starc around the wicket to Jadeja who hooks with fast hands for four down to a very narrow fine-leg. Then he launches a huge drive to a length ball outside off that spirals into the stratosphere before landing safely halfway between Paine and the sightscreen. Jadeja, a consummate entertainer, then times a beautiful cover drive for two.

Starc responds with a tasty short ball that raps Jadeja on his gloves, sending the allrounder’s left hand - his bowling hand - flying off the handle. Off come the gloves, out comes the physio and doctor - again - and this looks like bad news for Jadeja’s left thumb.

98th over: India 231-9 (Jadeja 15, Siraj 6) With Siraj on strike Green is tossed the ball, presumably in an effort by Paine to coax a maiden Test wicket for the big allrounder. It almost arrives when the second delivery ghosts past the off bail but thereafter a poor short ball precedes runs, first a push for two, then a very handsome square cut for four. Another poor bumper completes a disappointing over.

97th over: India 225-9 (Jadeja 15, Siraj 0) Death or glory now for Jadeja who larrups Starc for four towards cow corner, then bottom edges a mighty slog almost directly behind the stumps for another boundary. Can Siraj survive the start of the next over?

WICKET! Bumrah run out (Labuschagne) 0 (India 215-9)

Three run outs for the innings, eight for the series, India are imploding at the SCG. The latest calamity is another superb piece of fielding from Australia, this time Marnus Labuschagne sprinting from short-leg to midwicket to hunt down the ball and throw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Bumrah failing to complete a sharp second.

Will Pucovski
Will Pucovski celebrates Marnus Labuschagne’s brilliant fielding. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

96th over: India 215-8 (Jadeja 6, Bumrah 0) India’s first-innings deficit will be determined by how many runs Jadeja can muster with the tail. He collects five off Lyon’s latest over, most of them with a wristy cut behind point delivered in the manner of his sword swishing milestone celebration.

95th over: India 210-8 (Jadeja 1, Bumrah 0) This has been a match-defining session. In time it may prove to be a series-defining one.

WICKET! Saini c Wade b Starc 4 (India 210-8)

Mitchell Starc returns to blow away the tail and after a couple of sighters he sends down a brute to Saini that the debutant fends timidly in the air into the offside but there’s no fielder to accept the chance. An almost identical ball follows which loops off the shoulder of an apologetically placed bat but drops short of gully. That forces Tim Paine to call in a short cover - and guess what? Another ball on the same line and length, another limp fend, and it’s straight to Wade under the lid exactly where his skipper positioned him. Tim.Paine.Hannibal.I.Love.It.When.A.Plan.Comes.Together.gif

Navdeep Saini
Navdeep Saini tried this stroke three times with predictable results. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

94th over: India 208-7 (Jadeja 1, Saini 2) Lyon rattles through a quick over to Saini worth one single. An engrossing Test that threatened to reach a gripping conclusion on a wearing fifth-day pitch now looks to be one-way traffic.

Updated

93rd over: India 207-7 (Jadeja 1, Saini 1) Replays of that run out do not reflect well on Ashwin. That was textbook how not to back-up. Ball-watching, not trusting his partner’s call, slow to run, no dive, no attempt to cross the line of the throw. Awful cubed. Quite how India have conspired for two run outs in a match where they’ve barely scored above two rpo is quite the accomplishment.

WICKET! Ashwin run out (Cummins) 10 (India 206-7)

Sheesh, calamity for India. What on earth are they doing? Cameron Green is called into the attack and from his second ball Jadeja dabs into the offside and sets off for a sharp - but gettable single. Ashwin is awfully slow out of the blocks and looks like he’s running in slow motion, like one of those post-cheese night terrors. Cummins is alert at mid-off and his throw is right over the bails to allow Labuschagne to complete a gift of a wicket. Australia are suddenly in a dominant position.

Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin, too late. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Updated

92nd over: India 206-6 (Jadeja 1, Ashwin 10) Nathan Lyon gets an early look at the second new ball. He could cause mayhem with the harder Kookaburra on a surface that is noticeably deteriorating. Ashwin watches the first ball of the over misbehave outside off stump so he charges ball two, meets it on the half-volley, and drives through mid-off for four. The rest of the over is cat-and-mouse with Lyon alternating between straighter overspinning deliveries and slower tempters outside off, inviting further attacking strokes.

91st over: India 202-6 (Jadeja 1, Ashwin 6) Pat Cummins continues around the wicket to Jadeja, mixing up a full length targeting the pads and short balls targeting the Indian left-handers magnificent mane. A maiden ensures. Cummins has figures of 3/29 from 21 overs. Bloody hero.

Thank you very much Mr Lemon. Don’t forget the pancakes.

(Very Kiwi accent) It’s Geoff Lemon day!

90th over: India 202-6 (Jadeja 1, Ashwin 6) Jadeja off the mark as Starc fumbles a straight drive. Hazlewood gets five balls at Ashwin, who hasn’t done much with the bat this series and whose batting has fallen away from his good early years. Gets away nicely here though, striding forward and driving four through cover. A touch overpitched. Next ball is shorter but stays low, and Ashwin has to jab down at it to protect his pads. He does better than that next ball, picking off two runs from a similar line. Drinks break.

India are 136 runs behind. Quite the half day it’s been. That’s the end of my part in it, I shall take my leave and I shall leave you with the excellent Jonathan Pavlova Howcroft.

89th over: India 195-6 (Jadeja 0, Ashwin 0) Suddenly the match has changed. India were building, but now they’re 143 behind with the two bowling all-rounders at the crease both on nought. Australia well on top here, looking for a big lead. Cummins nearly draws a nick from Ashwin second ball, he has 3 for 29 from 20 overs.

WICKET! Pujara c Paine b Cummins 50, India 195-6

He won’t get that chance! Caught behind, and Pat Cummins might have hit that spot on the pitch that has made the ball misbehave. Pujara is shaping to defend on the crease but the ball explodes off the surface, and rather than hitting halfway up the bat it hits up above the shoulder of it, almost shoulder of the bat plus glove, through to the wicketkeeper. The rock has been eroded by the endless waves. India in strife!

Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins, too good. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Updated

Fifty! Pujara 50 from 174 balls

88th over: India 195-5 (Pujara 50, Jadeja 0) A simple on-drive for one brings up he half-century for Pujara, his slowest in Test cricket. Then the wicket falls. Jadeja gets a length ball from Hazlewood that he leaves, then the two of them engage in a pantomime staring contest. The over comes to an end. Pujara has defended fiercely, has been impressive, but does need to start increasing the scoring rate a bit.

WICKET! Pant c Warner b Hazlewood 36, India 195-5

That felt like it was imminent. Pant has been rattled by his injury and was likely to try to score quickly, and with Hazlewood coming around the wicket and bowling a good length, Pant tries a big off-drive. Hazlewood with some movement, takes the outside edge to first slip. Straightforward.

India still 143 behind, so a huge job for Jadeja and Pujara.

David Warner
David Warner celebrates a vital dismissal. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

87th over: India 193-4 (Pujara 49, Pant 35) Now it’s Pujara being hit! There’s enough zing in this pitch, the way the batsmen are playing it seems that the bounce is inconsistent. Cummins bangs it in and hits him on the upper arm, luckily for him on the fleshier part so he doesn’t have the same problem as Pant. I did notice earlier that Pujara wears the arm guard and Pant doesn’t, and I do wonder why any batsman wouldn’t when you see how often forearm injuries derail a player’s day. Pujara is ok, and once he’s settled he reaches out to guide a ball to the third man boundary for four.

86th over: India 189-4 (Pujara 45, Pant 35) Hazlewood bowling to Pant, who unsurprisingly has a whoosh outside off stump first ball. Even less surprisingly, gets a couple of short balls. Decides to evade them and just last the over out. He makes it, and faces a maiden.

85th over: India 189-4 (Pujara 45, Pant 35) Rishabh Pant is hit! And hurt. Pat Cummins is the one who broke Shaun Marsh’s arm in the nets during the World Cup, and who broke Mohammed Shami’s arm in Adelaide recently, and he might have done for Rishabh here. Cummins around the wicket, attacking the stumps, then nearly drawing a play and miss. But from the fifth ball he comes in short at Rishabh, chest high, and the batsman tries to pull but gets through the shot early. It hits his left elbow on the bone and he’s in real pain. Down on his knees, testing out his arm. Flinching as the physio touches it.

He looks in real pain, and he’s trying to tough it out. Gets some bandaging on there, there’s a big swelling like we’ve seen from Jimmy Neesham or Brendon McCullum before, from memory. After a very long delay, as the umpires give a hurry-up, Pant comes back to the crease. He doesn’t look convinced but he’s going to try, after taking some pills and pouring water down his neck, over his head, down his gullet, trying to compose himself. Breathing deep. He takes his time to mark his guard, get set.

Here’s Cummins, one ball left to come, and Pant hooks him fiercely! Looked like four, but Pucovski does well on the boundary to save, and Pant has only run a single so he’ll also keep the strike. Not what he wants, perhaps, as he shook his arm in pain after playing that shot.

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant was in a lot of pain after being struck by Pat Cummins. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Updated

84th over: India 188-4 (Pujara 45, Pant 34) A single for Pant, then Pujara starts blocking again. He does tend to bat very long and slowly and then increase his scoring pace later in the innings, which could yet happen here. But as of this stage, he’s never made an innings worth this many runs that was slower than this one. His strike rate is 26.94. He does have 29 slower Test innings but they’re mostly low scores.

83rd over: India 187-4 (Pujara 45, Pant 33) Starc to Pujara, who is looking to score through point but directs the push to gully instead. Goes under a bouncer. Getting pretty quick is Starc, and Pujara sees out another maiden.

82nd over: India 187-4 (Pujara 45, Pant 33) Hazlewood the new-ball partner, and even when Rishabh isn’t trying to score runs he can’t help it. Leaves the bat hanging out and then instinctively nudges at a length ball outside off, the bat held almost in his backlift, but running the ball off the full face into the ground, into the gap between slip and gully, who are both in attendance.

81st over: India 183-4 (Pujara 45, Pant 29) New ball immediately, and it will be Starc to get first use rather than one of the other two quicks. Paine wanting him to swing one into the right-hander, or get some extra bounce with a short one. But mostly it’ll be pitched up, you’d assume. Good yorker first ball! Swinging in, but Pujara is waiting for that, equal to it, glancing it off his toe and away through backward square for two. Short leg, leg gully, midwicket, fine leg all in place. Two slips and a gully, cover, mid off. Pujara leaves one angled across outside off, leaves another swinging down leg.

80th over: India 181-4 (Pujara 43, Pant 29) Lyon with the first over after lunch, nothing doing, Pujara kicking away the line well outside off stump, then working a shorter one square on the leg side for a run to end the over.

Lunch – India 180 for 4

They’re 158 runs behind, with a well set batting pair and then Jadeja and Ashwin’s batting to come. Will that be enough to reach parity? So much riding on exactly that. Batting last will be difficult, so India can’t expect to chase anything substantial. The Australians really kept the pressure on through much of that session, but Pant got things moving late in the way that he does. Call him the prunes of the Indian team. They made 84 in the session, but without him it was 55. Two wickets gone, those of Rahane and Vihari, but Che Pujara has been rock-solid, even as Lyon has posed questions. The new ball will arrive one over after lunch, and that’s been the time in this match when bowlers have looked most dangerous. I suspect we’ll see Cummins and Hazlewood take it. On we go in half an hour.

79th over: India 180-4 (Pujara 42, Pant 29) Green with the last over before lunch, and it’s a decent one, testing out Pant with the short ball a couple of times. The batsman keeps his powder dry through these final six deliveries, and reaches the break intact.

78th over: India 180-4 (Pujara 42, Pant 29) Three singles worked around from the Labuschagne over, no dramas. Pant equals his score from Melbourne. He’s brought the gap down to 158 runs. A long way to go but it’s a useful start.

Here’s a modern visual poem of sorts.

77th over: India 177-4 (Pujara 41, Pant 27) Cameron Green gets a bowl now. The all-rounder has waited 76 overs for this, and has been asked to bowl with a ball of loosely taped-together sponge. He gets a good appeal in after hitting Rishabh on the pad, but that pitched well outside leg. A decent bouncer follows and Pant descends. He knocks a single to mid-on from the sixth ball.

Rishabh Pant
It’s all action when Rishabh Pant is at the crease. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images

76th over: India 176-4 (Pujara 41, Pant 26) Labuschagne comes around the wicket to the left-hander, and this is proper part-time leggie stuff. First ball, half-tracker that Pant smashes into the ground and into Wade’s shoulder at short leg. Second ball, high full toss that Pant slides through midwicket for a run. Pujara is proactive immediately, advancing at Labuschagne and trying to drive through cover along the ground, but it’s half stopped and kept to a single. Pant scores one more to deep mid. Pujara leaves a couple, and there’s big turn for Marnus. The first turns past Paine’s gloves and it takes Smith diving across from slip to stop it. “You’re welcome, Tim,” he says through the stump mic as he gets up.

75th over: India 173-4 (Pujara 40, Pant 24) Schmack! Pant’s off. Starc is wearing a headband and bowling short but Pant just rocks back and flays him over backward point! Four runs in quick time. He dodges the next couple of bouncers, then jabs a ball off his hip just square of Wade at short leg, who is getting very frustrated at the number of times a catch has eluded him.

74th over: India 168-4 (Pujara 40, Pant 19) Seven overs to the new ball, and Paine brings Marnus Labuschagne into the attack. He very nearly gets a wicket first ball with a filthy half-tracker down the leg side. Pant swishes across the line at it, and it’s extremely close to the underside of the glove. Umpire Wilson says not out, Paine is utterly convinced. Refers it, and the Australians are celebrating when they see the close-up replay that looks very much like the ball has brushed glove. But there’s no deflection, and no Hot Spot, and no movement on the sound graph. Pant has missed it by a millimetre.

He celebrates by dismissively swatting Labuschagne through square leg for four. Down on one knee. Then knocks a single. Pujara plays a big cover drive to close the over, but straight to the field.

Updated

73rd over: India 163-4 (Pujara 40, Pant 14) Starc to Pant, who drives square the first ball of the over. Splits the field for two runs, then knocks a shorter ball away towards fine leg for one. Pujara tries to dodge a similar ball and deflects it off the elbow part of his arm guard for a leg bye. Then Pant forearms a short ball over the top of Paine! It’s given as a run, the umpire says it was off glove, and the Australians were excited, but the replay looks like it missed his glove. So had it been caught he could have referred and overturned it. Probably.

72nd over: India 158-4 (Pujara 40, Pant 10) Lyon loses his accuracy in this over. Floats one very wide to Pant that the batsman leaves. Then one a bit short that lets Pant cut a single, and now width to the right-hander and Pujara forces square for four! Cracks that with an almost straight bat, top shot between point and cover. El Che moves on to 40 from 133 balls.

71st over: India 153-4 (Pujara 36, Pant 9) Starc to Pujara, and this one’s a maiden. Making him play most of the time, but Pujara just wants to stay.

The deficit is 185 runs.

70th over: India 153-4 (Pujara 36, Pant 9) Well then. Pujara has managed to get one of his close catchers removed – the leg slip is gone. He pushes Lyon through point for a single. The field for Pant is just a slip and a short leg, with more off-side protection: cover, point, backward point. Doesn’t matter, Pant cuts for four! Good shot, waited back, cuts finer of the backward point. Then pushes a single to the right of cover, and Pujara follows by using his feet again to whip a run square of mid-on. That’s seven from the Lyon over, well worked, and Pujara against Lyon has been good recently. Pant has 9 runs from 9 balls. This is absorbing Test cricket.

69th over: India 146-4 (Pujara 34, Pant 4) Starc is back to replace Hazlewood. The keeper-batsman is off the mark quickly, opening the face to guide two runs to third man. Left-hander v left-armer. Tries to repeat the dose but it’s stopped at gully. Pant drives to mid-off, stopped, then he plays a forcing shot through point to finish the over with two more. The runs coming as soon as he arrives, and that’s the benefit Pant can bring. If he can stick around, he’ll help bring down the gap between the scores expeditiously.

68th over: India 142-4 (Pujara 34, Pant 0) Goodness me, what a waste of a wicket. But then, taking on a fielder in that position wouldn’t have seemed too risky. Rishabh Pant comes to the middle. Dropped a couple of catches, can he balance that out with important runs?

India’s deficit is 196.

WICKET! Vihari run out 4, India 142-4

Whaaaaat is that? Self-destruction from India, brilliance from Hazlewood! Lyon is bowling to Vihari after Pujara turned over the strike. Vihari tries to do the same. Pushes towards mid-on where the big fast bowler is fielding and has no hesitation taking him on. Tim Paine behind the stumps shouts “Hoff, keeper!” Hazlewood ignores him, picks up in one motion, throws across his body falling forward, and nails the stumps at the bowler’s end. We saw Cummins do it to Pujara in Adelaide in 2018, and now Hazlewood to Pujara’s partner this time around. This wasn’t as athletic a take and dive, and he had more stumps to aim at, but it was still a fine piece of fielding.

Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari missed his opportunity to cement his place in India’s side. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

67th over: India 141-3 (Pujara 33, Vihari 4) A maiden from Hazlewood to Vihari.

66th over: India 141-3 (Pujara 33, Vihari 4) Lyon bowling and Vihari is able to get on the back foot for the most part, then comes forward to knock a run towards mid-off. Lyon is trying to force the batsmen to play everything to the leg side, where his field is set. Pujara is equal to it for now, using his feet again and whipping two runs through the leg. He tries to repeat the dose but finds Pucovski at square leg. There’s also a midwicket and a backward square, all quite straight, the three quite close together to block that part of the field.

65th over: India 138-3 (Pujara 31, Vihari 3) Hazlewood continues and this time Pujara drives him for four. He’s moving against both forms of bowling. That ball was full at the stumps and Pujara plays an economical push through the line of it, down through mid-off and it beats the chase. Hazlewood brings in a short straight midwicket to stand alongside the short straight mid-on, starting to build a reverse cordon in front of the wicket. Hazlewood bowls a couple down the leg side.

64th over: India 134-3 (Pujara 26, Vihari 3) Lyon to Vihari, who takes a couple of runs with a glance down the leg side, darts back for the second. Then another edge over Wade! Vihari pushing hard it, looking to score, edging into pad and on a finer angle than Wade could cover at short leg, again diving back but not getting a touch.

Updated

Colum writes in – and to be fair to him, this was just before Pujara went after Lyon.

“If India are to get close to Australia’s total, I think Vihari and Pujara are going to have to take Lyon on and attack his bowling as Rahane managed to do fleetingly and as Smith managed to do against Ashwin. Easier said than done on a turning pitch and Lyon flighting the ball beautifully but Australia don’t have the spin back-up that India have with Jadeja.”

If he keeps bowling with four catchers, certainly.

63rd over: India 132-3 (Pujara 27, Vihari 1) Thank goodness that’s over. Pujara reverts to type, playing out a maiden against Hazlewood. No risks against the Menace of Adelaide. Drinks break.

Updated

62nd over: India 132-3 (Pujara 27, Vihari 1) Four around the bat for Pujara again, so he takes them on! Skips down and on-drives along the ground for four. He recognises that he has to force that field back, and that he has opportunities with the gaps out there. The same again as Lyon drops short, and Pujara cuts him for four! Not too short, but Pujara uses his weight transfer to rock back and nail it between the two catches on the off side. Next ball, Pujara comes down the wicket again, and Lyon drifts it wider of off stump, so Pujara ends up flicking across the line hockey style, through midwicket for three more runs. He insists on the third and Vihari has to motor. 11 from the over!

Pujara had 16 from 100 balls, then scored 11 from four balls.

Updated

61st over: India 121-3 (Pujara 16, Vihari 1) Hazlewood to Vihari now, who has been facing spin. Vihari leaves on length and the ball sails over the off stump. Hazlewood thinks that he might be getting some reverse swing, you can see on the pictures that he’s hiding the ball as he runs in to bowl so that no one can see which side is facing which way. Vihari gets one away off his pads but Pucovski dives at midwicket to prevent a run. This is suffocating from the Australians, another maiden, India going at less than two runs per over right now.

Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara listens to some chin music. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

60th over: India 121-3 (Pujara 16, Vihari 1) Slip, leg slip, short leg for Lyon, as well as a midwicket and a backward square leg to cut off the scoring. Vihari has ‘TON’ on his bat. He made one here against Australia A a couple of weeks ago. And he gets off the mark here with a push into a vacant cover region. For Pujara, the Aussies bring in the bat-pad on the off side as well, four catchers. Pujara advances, therefore, and kicks the ball away with the knee roll of his pad, bat tucked safely away.

59th over: India 120-3 (Pujara 16, Vihari 0) Hazlewood bowls on the leg stump, and I’m not sure if that was a tactic but there’s a cry of excitment as Pujara glances it away in the air, the way he’s got out before. Australia have a leg gully in place but that shot goes much squarer, safely for two. There’s protection back on the rope to save it. He’s also got a short straight mid-on standing near the non-striker, just to mess with Pujara’s footwork and eyeline.

58th over: India 118-3 (Pujara 14, Vihari 0) Lyon has a shot at Vihari now. Bowls a full over to him, the standard off-break over the wicket, lots of flight and shape. Vihari is consistently stepping across outside off stump, accounting for the turn and playing with it to the leg side, but he has the catcher waiting there and the field set to stop him scoring. Lyon will be feeling very confident that if this keeps going, eventually he can spin one more to take the inside edge, or a straighter one to the outside edge.

57th over: India 118-3 (Pujara 14, Vihari 0) Josh Hazlewood on now to replace Cummins, curious after the latter just took a wicket. Pujara is very watchful here, as you’d imagine, sizing up the new opponent. Only gets to leave a couple, plays the rest, until he gets a bouncer last ball and goes underneath it. A typical JH maiden to begin.

56th over: India 118-3 (Pujara 14, Vihari 0) Nathan ‘Nathan’ Lyon continues, and they go upstairs for a DRS when a bat-pad appeal against Pujara is given not out. Tim Paine is really getting stroppy about that being given not out, because there’s general background movement on the audio graph as the ball passes the bat, but there’s movement on the graph the whole time. Someone really needs to train the umpires and players in how sound signatures actually work. Paine is probably cross because he was given out in similar circumstances, but that time there was a more distinct movement on the graph. It still definitely wasn’t ball hitting bat, because that sound signature is much sharper, but umpires are not audio engineers. The experts running the tech would have known it wasn’t out, but they don’t get to advise on the decision. Pujara glides away a single from the final ball and keeps strike.

55th over: India 117-3 (Pujara 13, Vihari 0) The big news of that over was going to be that Pujara had scored a run from Cummins, but then Rahane got out. Pujara did want to come back for a second and got turned down, then the wicket fell next ball. Hanuma Vihari next to the middle.

WICKET! Rahane b Cummins 22, India 117-3

Cummins gets him! He’s bowled so well, last night and this morning, and gets reward with his second wicket. He bowls back of a length, Rahane wants to play a little late dab without a cordon of slip catchers waiting for him, but he doesn’t account for the seam movement that Cummins can generate. This ball jags back in sharply, taking the bottom edge of the diagonal bat, very close to Rahane’s body, and down onto the stumps. He left himself nowhere to go playing that shot. The captain is gone, with India still 221 behind.

Pat Cummins and Ajinkya Rahane
Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Updated

54th over: India 116-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 22) Lyon comes back for Starc, the changes keep rolling. Not a bad idea from Paine to give Starc a quick burst and see if he could do something, with Lyon always available to return to. Rahane tries to turn over the strike, flicking firmly towards midwicket but the ball is saved. Then he’s missed at short leg! The shortness being too short in this instance. Lyon gets the classic off-spinner’s zip into the pads, takes an inside edge on the way and loops over Wade’s lid. The fielder leaps up and back, and gets the slightest phantom of a fingertip to it as he cranes back with his arm well behind his body, but he was no chance of keeping it. Rahane decides to assert authority back over the contest, and two balls later comes down to hit down the ground for six. A neat lift of the ball over long-on, contained and controlled. That’s probably the right idea, can’t just keep defending or there’ll be more catching chances.

53rd over: India 110-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 16) More good stuff from Rahane: flicks a couple of runs off his pads, then hooks another single. Cummins has fine leg and deep backward square on the rope now, the classic bouncer field. Pujara sees out the rest, including a really fierce bouncer that has the crowd getting vocal as Pujara sways away, calm as a monk.

52nd over: India 107-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 13) Starc in to bowl, back over the wicket, and there’s the first boundary of the day! Lovely from Rahane, he sees the overpitched length angling across him, just outside his off stump, and he’s ready to make use of it. Just leans minimally onto the front foot and eases a cover drive through it, short backlift and short follow-through, but timed and using Starc’s pace to zoom to the boundary. Starc sends a couple of short ones in at Rahane’s armpit in response. But when one gets a touch shorter than those, up to shoulder height, Rahane hooks a single along the ground to long leg. This is excellent batting.

51st over: India 102-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 8) Cummins in at the pads, and Rahane slants away a single behind square leg. He’s been clever at this so far, Rahane, finding a run here and there to make sure it’s not entirely a defensive exercise. Considering how hard it might become to face Lyon later, it won’t be a big help to block out the quicks without scoring. Pujara sees out the next five balls.

50th over: India 101-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 7) Now Starc comes around the wicket to angle in at the right-handers. He’s also using the bouncer approach, with a couple of fuller balls thrown in for variety. Pujara though does what Pujara does: waits, watches, endures.

49th over: India 101-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 7) Cummins now sends down a full over back of a length, in at the body of Rahane. The one proper bouncer that he bowls goes astray, down leg side and easily ducked, but the last ball of the over is nasty at the gloves, and you can see Rahane relax his back-foot defensive push at the last instant to try to make sure that the ball falls softly to ground rather than skewing into the air. It does, after smashing his top hand against the handle, but luckily it hits him flush on the padded part at the front of the fingers and doesn’t seem to have done him any damage. No run.

Ajinkya Rahane
Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane removes his pink baggy cap ready to be auctioned in aid of the Jane McGrath Foundation. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

48th over: India 101-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 7) Now it’s Mitchell Starc to bowl, left-arm fast. Interesting, in that things already looked tasty for Lyon in the one over he bowled. Starc is similarly bowling with a leg-side field, left-arm over the wicket, with his natural swing into the pads of the right-handers. Rahane takes four balls to size it up and then works him square for a single.

India’s deficit is currently 237 runs with eight wickets in hand.

47th over: India 100-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 6) Pat Cummins to bowl from the other end, and already Australia have gone with a very leg-side field. One slip in, but there’s a short midwicket and a leg gully and a short leg. Cummins bowls full at the stumps, some threatening deliveries with a bit of shape through the air. Seeing if he can get Pujara to play off the pads in the air, but Pujara bats out a maiden. Pujara did make 193 last time he was here, batting for about two days. It looks like harder work this time around.

46th over: India 100-2 (Pujara 12, Rahane 6) Nathan Lyon will start proceedings for the day, Australia’s off-spinner who Ric was writing about in the previous post. He has plenty of company around the bat: short leg, slip, and a roadblock as Jim Maxwell calls it, at bat-pad on the off side of the pitch. Rahane knocks away a single and then it looks like Pujara has decided that he doesn’t want to be a duck in a shooting gallery today with those catchers waiting: twice he moves away from the line and forces through the off side, first for a brace and then for a single. Raises India’s hundred, and that was much more positive already than the defensive play – the necessary defensive play – of last night.

I mean, the stat is great but the best part is seeing ABC statistician Ric Finlay adopt the usage of “shout-out”.

It was especially interesting yesterday to welcome back Steve Smith to the runs list. It wasn’t like his last year and a bit was terrible – he still made three fifties in eight Tests and averaged 30. For a lot of players that would constitute a career. But by Smith’s standards it was a long stretch. Since his first Test century, the longest gap without one was four matches. Yesterday he made 131, equalling Allan Border with 27 Test hundreds. Border played 156 Tests, Smith is in his 76th.

If you’d care to get into a bit more detail interspersed with a bit less seriousness about the second day, Adam Collins and I went on a giant ferris wheel to talk about it. Why? I don’t have an answer to that.

For the main points of yesterday’s day of play, here’s our wires report.

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Preamble

The Sydney Test, day three, match three, and it’s still all to play for. The Australians got themselves out on day two for a moderate kind of score of 338, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work if the Indians are to match it. They scored 96 runs in 45 overs, barely 2 per over, against some extremely good bowling. Nathan Lyon looked dangerous throughout, Pat Cummins did too, and the pitch looks pretty difficult to score on. A few bits of misbehaviour, with some balls leaping or creeping, but mostly just slow and hard to time shots. So, 338 for India is a long way away.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane make up the pair to resume, the two most reliable and senior players for India. They’ll need to do a lot of the spadework.

Australia will be feeling very cheered up by Steve Smith’s return to the runs after his century on day two. India will be cheerful after another influential performance from Ravindra Jadeja, who was sensational with four wickets and the final thrill of a ridiculous run out to end Smith’s day and Australia’s innings.

The deficit is 242, eight wickets in hand, and the forecast chance of rain has dropped to 20%. Here’s hoping. Shall we?

SCG
The third Test is finally poised at the start of day three at the SCG. Photograph: Dean Lewins/EPA

Updated

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