India will have to break some records if it is to win the third Test against Australia, chasing 407 for victory on day five.
Captain Tim Paine declared Australia’s innings on 6-312 at tea on day four, leaving India four sessions to get what would be the third-highest successful run chase in Test history and comfortably the biggest at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, India made a strong start and will head into the final day’s play at 2-98 with captain Ajinkya Rahane and Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease.
For the second time in the match, India’s new opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill frustrated Australia’s bowlers but ultimately only went one run better than their 70-run first-innings stand, with Gill caught behind off the first ball of a new Josh Hazlewood spell.
That brought to the crease Pujara, who scored 193 in the corresponding match in 2019, but his typically slow scoring rate may not be conducive to Indian victory, with 307 more runs required on the last day.
It looked like Rohit would be there with him to start day five until, about 10 minutes before stumps, he hooked a Pat Cummins short ball to Mitchell Starc in the deep, ending an impressive 52-run knock.
Rahane opted not to expose a night watchman to a fired-up Aussie bowling attack, and he made it through the awkward period in the setting sun.
Earlier in the day, Australia was powered to its formidable total by half-centuries to Marnus Labuschagne (73), Steve Smith (81) and Cameron Green (84).
A Test ton went begging for Labuschagne for the second time in the game, who scored 91 in the first innings, but he was lucky to make it as far as he did on day four, having been dropped off the second ball of the day.
Regardless, he moved from 47 to 73 in the morning session before gloving debutant Navdeep Saini down the leg side, where substitute wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha took a sharp chance.
Matthew Wade (5) barely troubled the scorers before also nicking off to Saini, brining Green to the crease.
Smith and Green were not in a hurry early, but that changed after lunch when both upped the pace, until Smith was trapped LBW by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Green passed 50 alongside his skipper and then, with a tea-time declaration looming Green gave a glimpse at the power he possesses, belting four massive sixes to race to 84.
His dismissal just before tea brought about the break and the declaration, putting the pressure on India’s batting line-up, which is carrying injuries to Rishabh Pant (elbow) and Ravindra Jadeja (thumb).
Shortly before the end of the innings, play stopped suddenly when India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj got the attention of Rahane and square-leg umpire Paul Reiffel, alleging he had been abused from the stands.
Coming a day after he and Jasprit Bumrah filed complaints of racial abuse, a group of spectators were ejected from the SCG by police and investigations are ongoing.
Look back at how day four unfolded in our live blog.
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Australia v India: Third Test at the SCG
By Dean Bilton
THAT’S STUMPS! India 2-98 (Pujara 9, Rahane 4) needs 309 runs to win
Another good day for Australia! They’ll come back tomorrow needing eight – maybe only seven, depending on if Ravindra Jadeja can bat or not – wickets to seal the victory and take a 2-1 series lead. India needs an unlikely, record-breaking 309 more runs to win the Test, or to survive a full day at the crease on a pitch that is playing the odd trick.
Today belonged to Steve Smith for a while, Cameron Green for a period and Rohit Sharma for an even briefer stint. There were runs in the offing for batsmen able to get set, but good, patient bowling kept things difficult. The late wicket of Rohit – caught on the fine leg boundary – is a rough one for India to take, given how well he had started his innings.
Then there was the off field incident, the recriminations of which are yet to come. I’m not going to get too much further into it now – we’ll wait for it all to play out and hope, and in the meantime hope Mohammed Siraj and the rest of the Indians are okay. Regardless of how it all shakes out, the scenes were certainly distressing.
Righto, that’ll do for the day. Hey, we’ve got a day five to look forward to! Hasn’t happened for a while, so make sure you join Jon Healy and me bright and early tomorrow so you don’t miss a minute. Until then, have a good night.
By Dean Bilton
34th over – Nathan Lyon to bowl the last over of the day
Rahane takes guard, the fielders come swarming in around him like flies.
First ball spins back sharply as Rahane leaves. Not miles from the top of off.
The second is full and defended comfortably by Rahane. Silly point, short leg, first slip and now a leg slip.
Rahane defends well again. Good stride in.
Lyon comes around the wicket now, a bit shorter. Rahane blocks off the back foot. Two to bowl.
Oooh, it kept a bit low! Nearly found a way through. Last ball…
Short, straight, defended. And that is stumps!
By Dean Bilton
How many fielders are allowed to wear helmets at the same time? I just counted 3.
-Alistair
As many as they like, as far as I’m aware!
By Dean Bilton
33rd over – Cummins to Rahane
Edge onto the pad! Every ball is a threat right now. Probably 11 balls left today.
Make it 12, because that has been called a no ball.
Risky flick of the hands by Rahane, but it splits the gap at point. Two runs.
Cracking pull shot now from Rahane, no concern at all with that one. Just a single though.
BEATEN! Cummins beats Pujara’s edge again. He has not looked at all comfortable, Pujara. He might only have to survive one more ball though.
He defends it well. We’ll have time for one more.
By Dean Bilton
32nd over – Lyon to Pujara
Big strides in from Pujara. Then Lyon pushes him back, and he’s stuck on the crease.
A charge, a leave, an LBW appeal… a maiden. Pujara isn’t coping particularly well with the GOAT this evening.
By Dean Bilton
31st over – Cummins to Rohit
Rohit Sharma almost seems to be farming the strike now. Lyon especially would like a proper look at Pujara.
ROHIT IS OUT! CAUGHT ON THE FINE LEG BOUNDARY FOR 52!
He’s always got one of those in him, Rohit. Had hardly put a foot wrong all innings, but got a bit too excited when confronted by a Cummins short ball. He hooked hard but uppishly, and Starc took a good catch on the rope sliding to his knees. That’s a stinger for India, on the cusp of stumps.
Ajinkya Rahane to the crease now, the captain not interested in a nightwatchman.
A gloved single down to fine leg gets Rahane off the strike.
CATCH IT! How has that evaded the catching fielders?!? Popped straight of Pujara’s gloves, and even though the region is packed with fielders, somehow the gap is split.
Pujara living dangerously.
By Dean Bilton
What’s the difference between a ‘peach’ and a ‘jaffa’?
-Rebekah
A jaffa is a very specific sort of good ball, one that tails starts on an off stump line and seams and swings away to take or beat and outside edge, whereas a peach is just a general good delivery – be it a yorker or a bouncer or the like.
Of course, I just made all that up and they are both the same thing.
By Dean Bilton
30th over – Lyon to Rohit now
FOUR! AND 50 FOR ROHIT! Charges at Lyon, whips him over midwicket to bring up the milestone. This has been a mighty impressive innings from Rohit, and he has got SO MUCH time to turn it into something massive.
Lyon got one ball at Pujara, and couldn’t do anything with it. Five from the over.
By Dean Bilton
29th over – Pat Cummins for a final burst on day four
You absolutely would not put it past him to make something happen here. In fact, it would almost be a surprise if he didn’t.
He’s bang on the money right from the first ball, with a hint of swing too.
Rohit will still look to drive though, it’s the only way he knows. Brings the edge into play, though it remains unsighted as yet.
Quick single to end the over, Rohit will keep the strike.
By Dean Bilton
No disrespect taken, I’m happy to disagree . Let’s hope I’m wrong and we cruise to victory 🙂
-LW
And who said civil discourse on the internet was impossible?!
By Dean Bilton
28th over – Lyon again, Pujara on strike
Garry’s on here. Pujara really battling.
Bah, until he dragged one short and let Pujara take him away for three through midwicket. A waste of pressure.
One more to Rohit to end the over – but a brief mix up between the batsme get the Aussie fielders excited.
By Dean Bilton
27th over – Hazlewood to have another crack
Too straight from Hazlewood, taken off the pads by Rohit for a couple more.
NEARLY! Rohit completely mistimed that attempted pull shot, popping it up close on the leg side – too close for midwicket to get to.
Rohit looking great here, that mishit aside.
By Dean Bilton
By Dean Bilton
26th over – Lyon to continue
Staying quite wide of the off stump to Rohit, but the batsman is pushing and defending well.
And this time driving nicely too. Little flick of the wrist nearly took it to the rope, but he’ll settle for three.
WELL THEN! Pujara’s first ball against Lyon is smacked to the cover fence! Pujara advanced and played a very assertive shot. Is this the new Cheteshwar Pujara?
Oof, the very next ball squirts up off the glove, JUST wide of silly point. A single.
Lyon’s field to Rohit is very spread. A little too negative for my tastes.
Pujara doesn’t look amazing against Lyon. Still, nine off it.
By Dean Bilton
Lyon is not looking like a big threat. Is he blistering his fingers unnecessarily? Or is he being used to tie down one end while Paine rotates Hazlewood and Cummins and Starc from the other?
-Alistair
Possibly, but I think he’s bowling okay. He’s going to bowl a lot of overs, it’s just going to be a patience thing for him.
By Dean Bilton
25th over – Can Hazlewood back up his cracking first over?
Pujara has laid down the marker already. Time to defend, time to leave.
The maidens piling up, Australian pressure making a timely return.
By Dean Bilton
9 times out of 10 Australia still probably win regardless, but that doesn’t mean the tactics weren’t wrong
-LW
With respect, I don’t follow the logic here. Even in the 1% chance that India pulls off the most remarkable, unlikely run chase in the history of Test cricket, Paine’s declaration would still be perfectly reasonable. When they complete a win some time after lunch tomorrow, it’ll still be perfectly reasonable.
Especially when you consider that Australia HAS to win this series, a draw sees India retain the trophy. They need to be on the front foot – but in this case, it really is just a gentle push onto that front foot anyway.
By Dean Bilton
24th over – Lyon to bowl to Rohit now
Nothing to report. Six balls safely defended for a maiden.
By Dean Bilton
23rd over – Josh Hazlewood into the attack
AND HE’S NICKED GILL OFF FIRST BALL! But we have a quick review! Paine and Hazlewood were in no doubt, but I thought there was a bit of pad on bat in it?
Wait, nah. That will be out.
BIG NICK! HAZLEWOOD BREAKS THROUGH! GILL DEPARTS FOR 31!
I think Gill did hit his pad with his bat, as well as nicking the ball, hence his confusion. But replays showed a massive nick, and a big white hot spot. It took Josh Hazlewood one ball – ONE BALL – to make the difference. Big wicket, and timely.
So here’s Cheteshwar Pujara, probably the biggest obstacle between Australia and a 2-1 series lead.
IN THE AIR! Short of square leg! Pujara got a big nick onto the thigh, short leg would have gobbled it up.
PUJARA HAS BEEN GIVEN OUT LBW! He’s reviewed immediately. Looked high…
This would be huge. Hit his back leg, but quite high. I reckon this might be going over…
NOT OUT! GOING OVER! Not by a whole lot though! That’s the second one India has successfully turned over this innings. Got to be honest, I was surprise that was given out.
Absolutely sensational bowling from Hazlewood. What an over.
