India were chipping away at the Australian batting lineup when the clouds over Sydney stepped in and called for an end to the proceedings on Saturday. Never before have India ended the third day of a Test match in Australia looking so assured of clinching the series and even winning the match. The hosts, who are trailing 2-1 in the four-match Test series, have ended the rain-curtailed third day on 236/6, 386 runs away from India’s first innings total.
India were chipping away at the Australian batting lineup when the clouds over Sydney stepped in and called for an end to the proceedings on Saturday. Never before have India ended the third day of a Test match in Australia looking so assured of clinching the series and even winning the match. The hosts, who are trailing 2-1 in the four-match Test series, have ended the rain-curtailed third day on 236/6, 386 runs away from India’s first innings total.
On a day when the SCG was clad in pink to mark the Jane McGrath Day in honour of Australian pace legend Australia Glenn McGrath’s late wife, the hosts started on 24/0. Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja took the attack to the opposition and the hosts soon raced past the 50-run mark. Khawaja soon succumbed to that approach but that was pretty much the only blemish in what was a good first session for Australia. Marcus Harris showed once again that he belongs at the Test level. He reached a half-century for the second time in the series and looked prime for getting to a maiden Test century at Lunch.
The latter half of the second session and the rest of the third saw the pitch providing assistance to the spinners and sure enough, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav shared five wickets between them. Harris was the first one to go, chopping Jadeja’s delivery onto his stumps. He had made 79 runs and Jadeja followed that up with a wicket of Shaun Marsh. Marsh, who had got off the mark with a sumptuous drive through covers for four, meekly hung out his bat to a delivery that didn’t carry as much spin as he expected and gave Ajinkya Rahane catching practice at first slip.
Australia continued their counter with Marnus Labuschagne and it was only a moment of collective brilliance from India that got him. Kohli placed Rahane closer to short mid-wicket and Mohammed Shami bowled it fuller on the right-hander’s pads. Labuschagne went for the flick towards Rahane but the Indian vice-captain had to dive low to his right with almost no reaction time. He did so with aplomb and Shami got his solitary wicket.
Travis Head, who had been Australia’s highest scorer in this series before Harris overtook him on Saturday, attempted to slow the innings down with Peter Handscomb at the other end. He only ended up falling to Kuldeep, who took a good catch off his own delivery to get him.
Captain Tim Paine and Handscomb ensured that Australia do not lose another wicket before Tea but the former did not last long in the third session. A bit of extra flight and turn for Kuldeep did it as the ball spun through Paine’s attempted drive and took the top of leg stump.
It once again came down to Pat Cummins to shore up the Australian innings. While he has found Paine at the other end most of the time in the series, he had Handscomb to give him company this time. There were still 16.3 overs remaining when India unsuccessfully reviewed an LBW decision against Handscomb and the umpires then led the players back into the hut due to bad light. A Women’s Big Bash League that was being played about 8 kilometres away from the SCG had been washed out to due to a storm. The clouds soon arrived at the Test venue and Stumps were declared.​
On a day when the SCG was clad in pink to mark the Jane McGrath Day in honour of Australian pace legend Australia Glenn McGrath’s late wife, the hosts started on 24/0. Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja took the attack to the opposition and the hosts soon raced past the 50-run mark. Khawaja soon succumbed to that approach but that was pretty much the only blemish in what was a good first session for Australia. Marcus Harris showed once again that he belongs at the Test level. He reached a half-century for the second time in the series and looked prime for getting to a maiden Test century at Lunch.
The latter half of the second session and the rest of the third saw the pitch providing assistance to the spinners and sure enough, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav shared five wickets between them. Harris was the first one to go, chopping Jadeja’s delivery onto his stumps. He had made 79 runs and Jadeja followed that up with a wicket of Shaun Marsh. Marsh, who had got off the mark with a sumptuous drive through covers for four, meekly hung out his bat to a delivery that didn’t carry as much spin as he expected and gave Ajinkya Rahane catching practice at first slip.
Australia continued their counter with Marnus Labuschagne and it was only a moment of collective brilliance from India that got him. Kohli placed Rahane closer to short mid-wicket and Mohammed Shami bowled it fuller on the right-hander’s pads. Labuschagne went for the flick towards Rahane but the Indian vice-captain had to dive low to his right with almost no reaction time. He did so with aplomb and Shami got his solitary wicket.
Travis Head, who had been Australia’s highest scorer in this series before Harris overtook him on Saturday, attempted to slow the innings down with Peter Handscomb at the other end. He only ended up falling to Kuldeep, who took a good catch off his own delivery to get him.
Captain Tim Paine and Handscomb ensured that Australia do not lose another wicket before Tea but the former did not last long in the third session. A bit of extra flight and turn for Kuldeep did it as the ball spun through Paine’s attempted drive and took the top of leg stump.
It once again came down to Pat Cummins to shore up the Australian innings. While he has found Paine at the other end most of the time in the series, he had Handscomb to give him company this time. There were still 16.3 overs remaining when India unsuccessfully reviewed an LBW decision against Handscomb and the umpires then led the players back into the hut due to bad light. A Women’s Big Bash League that was being played about 8 kilometres away from the SCG had been washed out to due to a storm. The clouds soon arrived at the Test venue and Stumps were declared.​