STUMPS DAY 3 | End of day's play. What a session this was for Australia. Five wickets for the hosts, but India continue to be ahead. The visitors lead by 346 runs with Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on 28 and six respectively. Pat Cummins scalped four wickets in six overs to give his side some sort of hope. Full Scorecard.
Do join us tomorrow for day four's action.
OUT! Josh Hazlewood strikes. Rohit Sharma is caught at the first slip and India lose half the side. Australia enjoying the time out with the ball. Rohit c Shaun Marsh b Hazlewood 5(18)
OUT! Pat Cummins picks one more wicket. Something to cheer for Australian fans. This time Ajinkya Rahane is caught behind. Cummins darts one down the leg, Rahane looking to pull it ends up gloving it to the wicketkeeper who takes a good low catch. A Rahane c Paine b Pat Cummins 1(2)
OUT! Another wicket for Pat Cummins. He has three now in quick time. This time he gets rid of Virat Kohli. The Indian captain is out for a rare duck! He was looking to flick one down the fine leg, hits it towards short square-leg instead. V Kohli c Marcus Harris b Pat Cummins 0(4)
OUT! Pat cummins strikes again as Cheteshwar Pujara is dismissed for a duck. Looking to flick the ball, Pujara finds leg-gully. Two wickets in quick succession for Australia. C Pujara c Marcus Harris b Pat Cummins 0(2)
OUT! Pat Cummins strikes. Hanuma Vihari cannot handle the short ball from Cummins. Vihari is hit on the shoulder of the bat while looking to keep the ball down. The ball goes towards gully region and is caught by Usman Khawaja. H Vihari c Khawaja b Pat Cummins 13(45)
The body language of the Australian team seems to be down at the moment as India's lead goes past 300-run mark. Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal playing with lot of freedom, thanks to the cushion of the massive lead.
And the news coming in is that, India have decided against enforcing the follow-on. So, India secure a lead of 292 runs and that will help them to set a daunting target for Australia.
OUT! That's it! Australia have been bundled out for just 151 runs. Jasprit Bumrah picks the sixth wicket as he bowls Josh Hazlewood. Inside edge and Hazlewood is bowled. Hazlewood b Bumrah 0(3)
OUT! Make that five for Jasprit Bumrah. He traps Nathan Lyon in front of the wickets as Australia lose ninth wicket. The home side staring at follow-on now. N Lyon lbw b Bumrah 0(5)
OUT! There you go! It is that man, Bumrah again. Second over after the tea break and Bumrah strikes. Australian captain Tim Paine edges one to the wicketkeeper. Fourth wicket for Bumrah. Paine c Pant b Bumrah 22(85)
TEA BREAK | So, India go into the tea break on day three in a strong position. Three wickets in this session for the visitors as Australia continue to flounder. Meanwhile, the home side needs 99 more runs to avoid the follow-on situation. Join us back after the break.
OUT! Pat Cummins departs! It is Mohammed Shami who strikes for India. That one came back in and went through Cummins' defence. Australia seven down now. Pat Cummins b Shami 17(48)
The partnership between Tim Paine and Pat Cummins is now worth 27 off 75 balls. Australia now trail by 314 runs. India looking to pick few more wickets before the tea break.
OUT! Ravindra Jadeja strikes! India in total control now. Jadeja bowls on Mitchell Marsh's pads, who was looking to push it on the on-side. Marsh gets an inside edge and hits the pad before going towards Ajinkya Rahane at slip. Mitchell Marsh c Rahane b Jadeja 9(36)
OUT! A wicket on both side of the lunch for India and Jasprit Bumrah. This time he breaches Travis Head's defence. Australia in all sorts of trouble now, having lost half the side. Head b Bumrah 20(48)
LUNCH BREAK | India go into the lunch break having picked four wickets in the first session on day three. And the fourth of those wickets came on last ball before the lunch break. Jasprit Bumrah from nowhere dished out a slower yorker that caught Shaun Marsh off-guard and he was trapped in front of the wickets.
The partnership between Shaun Marsh and Travis Head has started to brew, Australia need one badly here. Otherwise things are going to be difficult for them.
OUT! BIG wicket this. Ravindra Jadeja has struck for India. He gets rid of Usman Khawaja who was looking in good touch. The ball pitched in the rough and spun. Khawaja looking to play a defensive shot ends up hitting it straight in the hands of Mayank Agarwal at forward short-leg. Khawaja c Agarwal b Jadeja 21(32)
India declared their first innings on 443 runs for the loss of seven on the second day of the third Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Top-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli strengthened the third-wicket partnership stand to power India to 277/2 at lunch. The morning session was highly successful for the visitors as India amassed 62 runs for no loss. Australian pacers comprising Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon failed to strike in the first session.
Kohli, who was stranded at 47 runs on the first day, completed his 20th Test fifty in 110 balls, while Pujara brought up his 17th Test hundred in 280 balls. It looked like another long session, as the Kohli-Pujara duo took the partnership to 160 runs. The hosts Australia got their much-needed breakthrough as Starc's short delivery sent Kohli back to the pavilion after making 82 runs off 204 balls, ending his partnership with Pujara at 172 runs. As Kohli hit what seemed to be a tired shot to guide a short delivery over the third man boundary, Aaron Finch caught a simple catch. Live Cricket Streaming of India vs Australia 2018-19 Series on SonyLIV: Check Live Cricket Score, Watch Free Telecast of IND vs AUS 3rd Test, Match Day 3, on TV & Online
Adding a new feather to his already illustrious cap, Kohli with 1138 runs to his name surpassed Rahul Dravid's 1137 runs (in 2002) to become highest-scoring Indian Test batsman on overseas soil in a calendar year. Soon after Kohli's departure, Pat Cummins clipped Pujara's off stump and ended his magnificent innings that spanned nearly four sessions. The Indian batsman walked on 106 runs off 319 balls.
To retain the momentum, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma brought the 300-mark for the visitors comfortably. India added 69 runs in the session and reached 346 runs for the loss of four at tea. The final session of the second day saw an exquisite late cut from Rahane, who brought up 350 for India. Sharma was given a lifeline by sub fielder Peter Siddle at short fine leg as he completely botched up a pull sweep shot and Siddle had put down a sitter. However, to get another relief, Lyon dismissed the vice-captain for 34. As Rahane looked to flick the ball away with the turn, it beat the inside edge and pinned him in front of middle and off.
Following Rahane's departure, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant came out to share the crease with the Hitman. Pant got lifeline off Lyon as Cummins was the guilty party at long-on. India crossed the 400-mark for the loss of five. This was the first time they had achieved this score in 2018. Meanwhile, the Hitman too brought up his tenth Test fifty.
Starc struck to get his second wicket and this time it was Pant, who managed to score an exciting 39 before giving a catch to Usman Khawaja. Soon after the departure of Pant, as Ravindra Jadeja came on the crease, the all-rounder (4) was caught behind by wicket-keeper Tim Paine on Josh Hazlewood's delivery. The dismissal of Jadeja prompted Kohli to declare on 443 runs for the loss of seven, while Rohit remained unbeaten on 63 off 114 balls.
Cummins scalped three wickets and Starc picked two wickets on the second day. While Hazlewood and Lyon got a piece each.
In response of India's 443, Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris came out to crease to take guard for the hosts. After six overs stumps were drawn and Australia ended the day on eight runs for no loss. Finch and Harris remained unbeaten on five and three respectively. Australia trail by 435 runs. (ANI).
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2018 05:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).