India vs Australia HIGHLIGHTS, 4th Test Day 3: IND 358/9 vs AUS, trails by 116 runs; Nitish hundred keeps India in contest

The wait is over, folks! The play has been suspended for the day. We will start half an hour early on Sunday.

We will be back with more action on Day 4.

The latest images from the ground show the pitch under covers. The crowd too has dispersed now.

The match has been stopped due to bad light. It is not Stumps yet. But we doubt the players will be back given the stoppage comes this late in the day.

Nitish facing Lyon, four riders at the boundary on the on side. He gets a single on the third delivery. Siraj gets an edge past slip and runs two.

Boland to Nitish. Defends the first delivery on the off stump line. The second nips in and hits him on the back foot. FOUR! Nitish picks this over mid on and that’s his hundred. The MCG is up on its feet. What a moment for the 21-year-old. He has his father watching in the stands. 

He gets a single on the fifth and Siraj plays the final delivery out.

Cummins back into the attack. Jasprit Bumrah on strike. Starts with a bouncer, Bumrah ducks. WICKET! Bumrah is caught at first slip.

Jasprit Bumrah c Khawaja b Cummins 0(3)

Mohammed Siraj is the final man. He has three deliveries to survive with Nitish on 99. He does it, gets through the final three deliveries.

Boland to Nitish. Drives the first delivery to mid on, denies a single. Looks like he has decided to farm the strike now. He goes for a heave on the final delivery, lands safe of the fielder at mid on and gets him two runs.

Lyon to Nitish, punches to long on for a single. WICKET! The partnership is broken. Washington is caught at slip.

Washington Sundar c Smith b Lyon 50(164)

Lyon. Nitish tries to paddle sweep but is beaten. Takes a single off the next ball. 95 now for him. 

Washington Sundar reaches his fifty in 146 balls. Terrific knock. Has looked solid. Nitish also enters 90s with a four towards backward square leg. A brilliant fightback by these two. 

Lyon. Sundar takes a quick single. Just that quick single from the over. 

Scott Boland into the attack. Spongy bounce on that nip-backer! Reddy somehow manages to keep the ball away from stumps. A maiden over. 

Nathan Lyon is back. Sundar wanted to tap and run but was sent back by Nitish. Good call. Sundar punches towards cover and gets three. Lovely shot. Nitish pushes the ball towards square leg, Khawaja tries to dive and stop but falls bad on his right knee. He’s okay though. Six runs from that over. 

Marsh. Sundar pushes the ball towards midwicket and the batters run an easy double. Sundar leaving length balls and anything outside off. He ends the over with a quick single. 

Starc. Beats Nitish! Quick, seamed away from off stump. Nitish was lucky not to edge that. Maiden over. 

Marsh. Nitish goes for flashy drive, the ball goes behind point for a single. Risky. One more run added to the total this over. 

Starc from the other end. Nitish pushes the ball towards point and takes a single. Just one run from that over. 

Nitish and Sundar are back in the middle. India 326/7, trails Australia by 148 runs. 

Mitch Marsh to begin proceedings. Sundar lets the first two balls go. Sundar has come prepared to leave anything outside off. 

Match to resume at 10:30 AM IST if there’s no more rain. 

Covers are coming off. Still a bit overcast, umpires are still having a look. Rain has completely stopped. 

Live pictures suggest the umpires are taking a look at the conditions. Although they are not in their full gears. The weather seems to have improved. 

The delay continues. Still gloomy in Melbourne. Looks like we are in for more delay here. 

So, it has started to drizzle and the players are walking off. Umpires might take an early tea here. Yes, bad light has forced an early tea. 

Mitch Marsh into the attack. Down the leg, Nitish sweeps the ball towards fine leg, Starc dives but the ball falls just before him and goes for four. Off the next ball, Nitish goes towards square and gets another boundary. 

Starc is back. Sundar punches him towards cover for four off the first ball. Starc gets his line right in the next five balls. 

Indians keeping the scoreboard running with singles, quick singles, and doubles here and there. Australia waiting for a mistake now. Overpitched by Lyon, Nitish smacks the ball towards cover for four. 

Lyon. Misfield by Cummins, Nitish takes a single to get India to 300-run mark. Three runs added to the total in this over. 

Boland. Ball is deviating off the pitch a bit. Good angles by Boland to keep the outside edge in play. 

Lyon is back. Sundar defends, not much turn out there. Maiden. 

Boland. Keeper is standing up. Nitish tries to reverse ramp, misses and Australia appeals for LBW. Umpire says not out, not much discussions further. Keeper has gone back to its regular mark. NKR drives straight for four. Lovely shot to end the over. 

Cummins. Sundar and Nitish continue to get easy singles on offer. Sundar plays with soft hands, the ball goes past gully and they add another two runs. 

Scott Boland replaces Starc. Nitish drives the first delivery through covers, three runs. Beaten! Boland’s delivery leaves Washington’s drive. A single on the next as Head misfields at mid off. Two runs for Nitish through mid on, wants to play this through covers but gets an inside edge. 

Cummins to Nitish. A single on the second delivery through point. Cummins tries a bouncer to Washington but the batter is able to duck under it with ease.

Starc again. He squares up Washington, angles this towards the leg stump and the swing takes it away. Washington wants to flick but gets an edge towards point. Washington square drives the next past point for three. Nitish blocks this back of a length ball right under his eyes and takes a single. Washington flicks the last delivery through mid wicket, the ball does not run to the fence but the pair runs four nonetheless. 

Cummins to Washington, punches through covers for three runs. That’s the 50 partnership between Washington and Nitish. Nitish punches the next delivery through point for one run. Washington glances the fifth to fine leg for one run .India has now avoided the follow on. An appeal for lbw on the final delivery but Cummins admits this is going a little down the leg.

Starc to Nitish. FOUR! Wide and angling away, Nitish goes for it and picks the fence. MAIDEN FIFTY FOR NITISH! He drives the next through covers for two runs. 

Cummins from the other end with this new ball. Nitish chips this down the ground, just gets enough bat on it to clear mid off, three runs. Gets the edge from Washington, goes to Marnus at third slip on one bounce.

Australia takes the second new ball. Mitchell Starc back into the attack. DROP! Starc sends a delivery down leg but somehow Washington manages to edge it towards the slips in trying to flick it. Steve Smith at second slip is not expecting it and goes with one hand and sees it pop out of his hand. A maiden over from Starc.

Head to Nitish, drives the first delivery to long off for one run. A single for Washington through mid wicket. Nitish tries a reverse sweep but hits it towards the fielder at backward point. 

Lyon to Washington. A maiden over. Lyon sticks to the off-stump line and Washington is able to get on his front foot and defend. Not much purchase for him though.

Head to bowl now. Washington swipes through mid wicket to pick a single. Nitish rocks on his back foot, gets in line and punches to long on for another run. Washington cuts the last ball to get the third single of the over.

Lyon to continue. Washington looks to defend the fourth, gets it off the inside of the bat and runs one through the on side. Nitish opens the blade and guides the next through point for another single. Another single to end the over.

Cummins to Nitish. Beats the outside edge. In the channel, Nitish tries to defend it but the ball moves away from the angle. Back-to-back bouncers but Nitish sways away.

Lyon to Washington with two slips and a silly point. Cuts the first delivery and mix up between Konstas and Boland allows India a second run. A punch to long off to get India to 250 with a single. Nitish taps this through the off side and gets one. Edge for Washington and this time there is no second slip, two runs more.

Cummins to start the proceedings after Lunch. Washington on strike. A short leg for him and Cummins lands one short, Washington manages to fend at it and keep it away from that catcher. Washington places the fourth between mid wicket and mid on for two runs. Now punches through point for a single. Another bouncer from Cummins and it hits Nitish under his arm. He seems to be in considerable pain.

Welcome to the second session on Day 3. How long can Nitish and Washington keep India batting in the first innings? The former is on 40 while Washington on 5. The second new ball is seven overs away.

While India added 80 to its total in this session, it was Australia which helped itself and moved slightly closer to a win. The two wickets of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja knocked further sail out of India’s wind. The visitor is still 230 behind and has its last recognised pair - Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar - batting. 

Lyon to bowl the last over of the session. A single for Washington on the third delivery through mid wicket. Nitish defends the last three deliveries.

That will be it for the first session.

Travis Head to bowl now. A single for Nitish with a drive to mid off. Washington punches to long off for the second single of the over. FOUR! Nitish steps out and takes this on the full, clears mid off. 

Lyon to Nitish. Three runs, a little to wide from Lyon and Nitish cuts this. Lyon goes rounnd the wicket to Washington who pushes the third delivery through covers for a single. Another single for Nitish through covers.

Nitish drives the first delivery from Cummins through covers for one run. Edge! Cummins gets the fifth delivery to jump onto Washington, but the ball takes the glove and drops just short of the keeper.

Lyon for his eighth straight over. Washington picks a single to long on off the fifth delivery. Nitish with a soft clip through mid wicket to retain strike for the next over. Two runs from it.

Cummins to Nitish now. A bouncer on the body line, Nitish able to sway out of the way. Nitish tries to charge down the wicket, Cummins sends it down the leg. Another bouncer from round the wicket, Nitish drops his shoulders to this one too. Another maiden for Cummins.

Lyon to Nitish. SIX! Gets to the pitch using his feet and smokes this over long on. One run with a push through long on next.

Cummins back into the attack. Washington plays out all six deliveries. A maiden over.

Lyon again. Sharp turn from outside off, Nitish plays it in the air through mid wicket, one run. WICKET! This delivery is fired in, angles into Jadeja and goes straight. He is trapped in his crease as the ball thuds into his back foot. We have a DRS taken! This just about clips the bails and that is the end of Jadeja. India in trouble!

Ravindra Jadeja lbw Lyon 17(51)

Washington Sundar in next. India still 54 away from avoiding a follow on. Washington off the mark with a punch through covers for a single.

Starc to Jadeja, FOUR! On the pads, angling in and Jadeja clips it through mid wicket. The second delivery also angles into him and Jadeja glances it to deep square for one. Nitish clips through mid wicket, one run.

Lyon to Nitish, dances out on the first delivery but defends eventually. Comfortably defends the next five deliveries which are fuller and on the stumps. A second maiden for Lyon.

Starc bowling to Nitish. A fly slip and two catchers in the deep at fine leg and backward square leg. Only one bouncer in the over to test him with a pull or a ramp shot. He takes a single off the final delivery.

Lyon to continue. Nitish comes down the track, looks to play it over covers, gets an edge past slip and runs two. Nitish punches the fifth to long on for one more run.

Starc to Nitish. After three wide deliveries, Nitish gets one slightly straighter and full, drives through mid off for three runs. Jadeja with another risky single to mid on. Cummins makes a direct hit but Jadeja is safely home. A single through covers to finish the over.

Lyon to Jadeja. A square-ish silly point in place. Jadeja nudges the ball towards mid wicket for a single. Nitish punches off his back foot for another run through point.

Mitchell Starc into the attack. Coming around the wicket to the right hander and ball holds its line coming into the Nitish. Fuller length, Nitish drives, gets a thick outside edge past gully for four. 

Lyon. NKR drives straight and for four! Good shot. Seven runs came in that over with three singles.

Boland continues. Thick outside edge off Pant’s bat towards point and the batters run a double. Pant shuffles across and tries to ramp but misses and is hit on the body. OUT! Pant once again tries to ramp, gets a top edge straight to deep third. Poor dismissal. Pant falls for 26.

Nitish Kumar Reddy at the crease. Off the mark with a quick single. 

Nathan Lyon into the attack. Pant pushes the ball towards midwicket and takes a double. Takes a single in the same region off the next ball. An LBW appeal for Jadeja. Umpire says not out. Australian discuss but don’t review. Quicker one took Jadeja by surprise. 

Boland kept bowling in the channel and Jadeja was happy to leave and defend. Boland strays down the leg off the last ball and Jadeja tucks it fine for four towards fine leg. 

Australian bowlers are not letting the batters settle in on one angle. They have kept switching between over and around the wicket. Nothing from the pitch though. Pant and Jadeja have responded well so far. 

Boland. Short ball and Pant pulls it towards square leg for four. Good and well controlled shot. Pant pushes the ball towards leg and takes a quick single. 

Cummins. Shorter lengths by the Australian bowlers. Just one runs added to the total. 

Boland. Short ball, Pant late cuts between slips for single. Lucky shot. Australia has put in two close-in slips and two regular slips. Jadeja is very keen on getting off the strike and is looking to take quick singles; has been denied by Pant. 

Cummins. Pant comes down the track and launches the ball towards wide long-on for four! Australians appeal for an LBW off the next ball. Umpire says not out. Australia has reviewed straightaway. It was a short ball, looked to go close to the handle but replay suggests there was a lot of gap. Australia loses a review. Bouncer, Pant pulls and takes a single. 

Scott Boland from the other end. Targets the stumps, Jadeja happy to defend. Boland switches between around and over the wicket and bowls a maiden over. 

Pat Cummins will begin the day. Pant leaves the outside off delivery. Jaffa! Ball holds its line, making Pant come on frontfoot and defend before leaving him. Edged and four! Similar line as the previous ball, slightly fuller, Pant gets an outside edge that goes between slips..

India will resume the day at the 164/5 with Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja at crease. India was 153/2 at one point before it lost three wickets in the last 30 minutes. Both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli got out in back-to-back overs while nightwatchman Akash Deep followed soon. 

India trails Australia by 310 runs. 

Welcome to the live coverage of the third day of the fourth Test between India and Australia at Melbourne. Stay tuned for the live updates.