Hello and welcome to the highlights of day three of the third Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney.
India vs Australia 3rd Test LIVE Score Day 4
A lead of 197 runs and Australia surely have the Test in their grip. It will take a monumental effort from India to win the Pink Test and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Still plenty of cricket left and we will be back for Day at 4:30 AM IST on Sunday. Do join us!
STUMPS - Australia 103/2 | Leads by 197 runs. Australia takes the honours if we talk about all the three sessions today and come Sunday, they would surely be the more confident of the two sides when they walk out to bat.
Australia 103/2 after 29 overs: Siraj bowls on tight lines to Smith and Labuschagne. Labuschagne, however, scores a delightful boundary off a fuller ball from Saini in the last over. P.S. Nathan Lyon was sitting padded up in the dugout and we would have most definitely witnessed him take over as night watchman, should Australia have lost another wicket.
Australia 96/2 after 26 overs: Australia's lead is closing the 200-run mark with Labuschagne nearing his half-century. India in need of wickets, in cluster.
Australia 83/2 after 23 overs: Double trouble for India as both Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja are undergoing scans while Australia's lead is swelling with both Smith and Labuschagne occupying the crease.
Australia 73/2 after 19 overs: Here's an update and this could be a huge blow for India as Ravindra Jadeja suffered an injury to his left thumb while batting and he has been taken for scans. Meanwhile, Smith and Labuschagne continue to pile agony.
Australia 57/2 after 15 overs: India needs to find a way to dismiss Smith and Labuschagne as this partnership can eventually take the game away from Ajinkya Rahane's men. The lead has crossed the 150-run mark and it is only going to get difficult to bat in the fourth innings. Wickets in cluster is the key for India.
Australia 39/2 after 10 overs: WICKET - Ashwin strikes in his very first over, in fact in his second ball as he traps Warner and that's a huge wicket. Warner goes for the sweep but misses the ball and the umpire ruled him out but Australia took the review. Replays suggested the ball was hitting the leg-stump and the on-field decision stays. Both openers are gone.
Australia 18/1 after 6 overs: WICKET - Gem of a delivery from Siraj and he makes the breakthrough as the debutant Will Pucovski departs. Siraj gets the ball to angle into the batsman, squares him up and Pucovski nicks as Saha (substitute keeper) takes an excellent catch.
Australia 14/0 after 5 overs: Bumrah and Siraj have been bowling tight lines but Australia's lead crosses the 100-run mark with both Warner and Pucovski not rushing with the scoring rate. India needs to create some opportunities and make early inroads.
Australia 5/0 after 1 over: Pucovski and Australia up and running as he opens his account with a superb pull shot. Bumrah bangs in short and the Australian opener rides on top of the bounce and pulls it to the deep square leg boundary.
Injury concerns for India as Rishabh Pant has been taken to a hospital for scans and it will be Wriddhiman Saha who will keep wickets. David Warner and Will Pucovski are out in the middle and the body language of the openers is positive with Australia pocketing a huge 94-run lead. Rahane needs to instill the belief that they are still in the game. It will be Bumrah with the new ball.
Tea Day 3: India 244 all out - Trails by 94 runs
Australia has taken a huge lead of 94 runs and this is a massive moment in the game. Australia will effectively start from 94/0 and India needs to bowl exceptionally well to pull back the Aussies. Cheteshwar Pujara stood out with a slow, patient half-century as the rest perished around him and three run-outs only added woes. Australia kept chipping away and India lost wickets at key intervals. Jadeja's unbeaten 28 erased the deficit a bit, but Australia managed to purchase a cushion of 94 runs, which is massive. Back in 20..
India 225/9 after 97 overs: Another run-out, the third of the innings and this time it is Jasprit Bumrah who has to depart as he falls short of his crease while completing a second. But Jadeja has smoked Starc for three consecutive boundaries and these are useful runs from India's point of view.
India 210/8 after 95 overs: WICKET - Mitchell Starc strikes as he bounces out Navdeep Saini who tried to defend a short delivery but ended up giving a catch to Matthew Wade at short cover.
India 207/7 after 93 overs: WICKET - Two run-outs in one innings and India find themselves in deep trouble, trailing by a massive 131 runs. Jadeja drives Cameron Green to mid-off and calls for a quick single, Ashwin was slow to respond and was caught in two minds as Cummins quickly throws to the striker's end where Labuschagne removes the bails before Ashwin can get his bat in. Poor call. Navdeep Saini joins Jadeja.
India 195/6 after 89 overs: Big Wicket! Top stuff from Pat Cummins as he gets the well-set and dangerous Pujara who departs after making a patient 50 off 176 deliveries. Back of length deliveries, the bounce catches Pujara by surprise as he had to play the delivery, doesn't fish his bat out but the ball just brushes his glove en route to Tim Paine who collects in delight. Huge blow for India.
India 195/5 after 88 overs: WICKET - Eventful over as Pujara reaches his fifty but Pant departs. Pujara hits a brilliant, patient and timely half-century off 174 deliveries - his slowest in his Test career but an important one. However, Hazlewood gets Pant as the wicketkeeper-batsman goes for a huge drive, gets a big outside edge and Warner swallows at first slip.
India 193/4 after 87 overs: The fifty-run stand between Pujara and Pant is up and this has been superb recovery from India. Pant has coped up a serious blow on his elbow and is in serious pain. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman is continuing to bat and this is brave from Pant, considering that he is set and he walking retired-hurt means handing the momentum to Australia. Pujara too has coped up a blow on his shoulder from Cummins. Fascinating battle out in the middle.
India 188/4 after 84 overs: Pujara is five short of his half-century and Hazlewood is bowling a testing spell but the batsmen are up for the task, exhibiting solid defence. Pant having got his eye is isn't falling into the Australia's ploy of chin music as he is either swaying or ducking. Good batting from the Indians and the partnership is steadily growing.
India 181/4 after 80 overs: Nathan Lyon starts the proceedings and Pujara presents a dead bat for, defends it and then takes a single off the last delivery to retain strike.
We are back for the second session and it will be a very crucial couple of hours and India will hope Pujara and Pant keep occupying the crease and erase the deficit.
Lunch Day 3: India 180/4 Trails by 158 runs
34 overs have been bowled in the first session and India has scored just 84 runs and lost two wickets. While Rahane fell to the short ball tactics by dragging it onto the stumps, Vihari gifted his wicket away. However, the good part for India is Pujara is well-set in the middle and has got an aggressor partner in Rishabh Pant who is batting well and ensured the scoring rate improves. A partnership is building and this will be key for the Indians. Back in 40...
India 176/4 after 76 overs: Pant survives a scare and Australia lose their second review. Labuschagne dragged down the leg, Pant went for the pull and missed it and Time Paine started celebrating but the umpire said No Out. Australia went for the review and there was no bat nor glove involved. The wicketkeeper-batsman then dispatched Starc well over the backward point region to boost the run-rate.
India 158/4 after 72 overs: Pujara is showing signs that he is set to play a long innings as he rocks back and punches Lyon through the covers to move into the 40s... Pant is playing a counter-attacking innings and hasn't got into a shell. Important for the pair to see through this period and make it to Lunch.
India 142/4 after 68 overs: WICKET - Hanuma Vihari has ran himself out and India now in big trouble. Brilliant fielding from Josh Hazlewood as the tall fast bowler dives to his right after Vihari pushed Lyon to the mid-off region, picks the ball and hits the middle stump at the bowler's end. Vihari was not even in the frame! Rishabh Pant joins Pujara with India in desperate need of a partnership.
India 138/3 after 65 overs: Pujara finally gets a boundary - his first in just over 100 balls as he gets to the pitch of the ball and drives Lyon through mid-on and then goes on his backfoot to punch the spinner through the covers to get the scorecard moving. Pujara, having got his eye in, then drills Hazlewood past mid-off. Vihari, meanwhile, survives a scrae as a huge inside edge evades a leaping Matthew Wade at short leg. He is battling out in the middle.
India 121/3 after 60 overs: Pujara has played exactly 100 deliveries for his 16 and has dropped anchor but the problem for India is the run-rate which is at 2.01 rpo and they still trail by a massive 217 runs. Hanuma Vihari has to play a good knock and ensure he hangs in there with Pujara as a couple of more wickets would put Australia firmly on top.
India 117/3 after 55 overs: Timber! There's the breakthrough Australia wanted and it's Cummins who has produced it by dismissing Rahane... Slightly short delivery around the off-stump line and the ball jags back in as Rahane chops it onto the stumps. The Indian skipper showed a lot of intent but he is on his way back to the pavilion.
India 116/2 after 54 overs: Rahane Survives! Matthew Wade drops Rahane at short leg off Lyon and we need to wait and watch how crucial that let off will be. Huge inside edge as Rahane tried to defend, the ball balooned up in the air and Wade just got his finger tips. Next, Rahane steps out and smacks Lyon high over long-on for a maximum.
India 101/2 after 50 overs: Cummins and Starc are testing Rahane and Pujara with a barrage of short balls but both batsmen are up to the task either by ducking or staying away from the line of the delivery. There is a leg gully in place, particularly for Pujara with Starc operating from round the wicket and getting the ball to climb. Pujara, however, is unmoved and continues to occupy the crease with his captain in company.
India 100/2 after 46 overs: The 100 is up for India and both Rahane and Pujara are up and running as Nathan Lyon begins proceedings. This is a vital partnership for India and both the senior batsmen will aim to take it session by session and ensure India continues to have a grip on the Test match.
A crucial first session awaits India and given the nature of the surface, India will first aim to erase the deficit and then take the lead as batting last on this pitch is only going to be difficult. 98 overs in the day and Saturday should give us an idea which way the Test swings. Pink Test, Day 3 and we are all set for action to begin.
Stumps | Day 2 - India 96/2 after 45 overs | Trails by 242 runs
Steve Smith roared back into form with a brilliant century - his 27th Test century but India wrestled back with Ravindra Jadeja picking four wickets as Australia was bowled out for 338. India in reply was off to a good start with openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma getting into the groove with the former hitting his maiden half-century. However, Australia made its way back by removing the openers but skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara survived a tricky period of play to carry their bat through.
Day Two Report: AUS vs IND: Gill leads Indian fightback after Smith ton
Steve Smith scored his first century in Australia in over three years but India’s bowlers sparked another batting collapse for the home team before its batsmen made a solid start to reach 96 for 2 by the end of the second day of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Toss: Australia has won the toss and opted to bat first
Playing XI:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini
Australia: David Warner, Will Pucovski, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (C/WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
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