As it happened: Australia vs India, 3rd Test, Sydney, 4th day
Updates, analysis and colour from the fourth day of the Sydney Test
Vishal Dikshit10-Jan-2021*Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local.
6.05pm local time/12.35pm IST: Stumps: India lose openers, Australia strengthen grip
A lot of reviews later, Australia finally got rid of Rohit Sharma as he pulled a straight ball to fine leg for 52. On another day, one of those pulls could have gone over the same fielder, but on this occasion it went straight to him. India end the day on 98 for 2; they need another 309 runs to win, or need to survive 97 overs tomorrow to draw this. With that, it’s the end of another full day of Test cricket which has put Australia well on top. Remember, Jadeja may not be able to bat with his fractured thumb so the hosts are only three wickets away from opening India’s tail. Given the kind of quality Australia’s attack possesses with no weak links, India have a massive task ahead of him and no rain in sight to save them. I leave you all with this analysis from Ricky Ponting of Rohit’s dismissal:
5.20pm local time/11.50am IST: Two reviews in four balls now
Both by India this time, and they lose one as the opening partnership is broken. Shubman Gill gets a thick edge to the keeper, he looks behind as well if the catch is taken, but reviews it for some reason. How often do you see a batsman review a caught behind after a thick edge? This is one of those. The replays pretty clearly show the edge and deviation, including on HotSpot, and India are a review down.Three balls later, Pujara is given out lbw by Paul Wilson. But as soon as Pujara sees the finger up, he reviews it and points to his pad, referring to the height, while looking at Rohit Sharma. Good review from Pujara, because ball-tracking shows that was going over the stumps, having hit him on the thigh pad. Dramatic over from Hazlewood who’s jagging the ball into the batsmen. India 71 for 1.
4.40pm local time/11.10am IST: India close in on fifty opening stand
And here’s Sid Monga:
Only 11 times in the history of India’s Test cricket have India managed two 50-run opening stands in the same Test outside India. This one is just eight short of it, which is an encouraging sign, but Australia have been very close to getting a wicket. India’s control rate so far has been 77%, they have been not in control of 21 deliveries, and usually in Test cricket, this much brings two wickets. Don’t be surprised if a wicket falls soon
4.10pm local time/10.40am IST: Two reviews in three balls
And both go in India’s favour; one used by Rohit Sharma and the other by Tim Paine. Both occurred in the eighth over, bowled by Josh Hazlewood, who first beat Rohit by jagging a ball sharply into him and struck him in front of the stumps. Umpire Paul Reiffel gave it out, but Rohit went for a review after a chat with Shubman Gill, and since Rohit was hit around the knee roll, ball-tracking showed the ball would have gone over the stumps.Only two balls later, after Rohit nearly chopped on in between and took a single, Paine reviewed when Australia thought they had Gill caught behind. Another one came in sharply from Hazlewood, went past the pad, hit the pads and into Paine’s gloves. Gill had a smile on his face as Australia appealed and then reviewed against Reiffel’s decision, only to see there was no edge on Hotspot or Snicko and ball-tracking also showed the ball going over again.After nine overs, India 26 for 0.
3.05pm local time/9.35am IST: More crowd trouble
Mohammed Siraj and Ajinkya Rahane talk to umpire Paul Reiffel after spectators in the stands at SCG heckled Siraj•Getty Images
Unfortunately, we had some crowd trouble at the end of the third day’s play and there’s more of it now. Siraj brought something to the umpires’ notice and was pointing to the stands on the leg side, and he was joined by his captain Ajinkya Rahane, along with Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal. The ground security and police made their way into the stands, spoke to a set of spectators and then escorted them out. It’s really unfortunate that abuse makes its way into the ground. Here’s Gnasher with more details.Play resumed soon, thankfully, and after clobbering Siraj for two consecutive sixes, Green took on Bumrah as well before he got a faint edge to Saha while attempting another big swing. A promising and impressive knock of 84 comes to an end and Australia are 312 for 6 at tea, with a lead of 406. Update: While sipping some tea, Australia decide they have enough and have declared to set India 407.
2.55pm local time/9.25am IST: Go Green!
Australia are accelerating, lead is approaching 400, is there a declaration around the corner? Gnasher has had his eyes on Cameron Green:
It’s been a good match for the future of Australia’s batting. Cameron Green has followed Will Pucovski with a maiden Test fifty – and then marked the moment by launching Mohammed Siraj miles back over deep midwicket. He has not had many chances in his early Tests to open his shoulders. It has been an excellent response from Green to his first-innings duck where he was worked over by Jasprit Bumrah. He has been troubled by Bumrah again, and his fifty came up with a thick edge that flew wide of gully, but otherwise has been largely assured. It will be another satisfying tick in the box for Tim Paine and Justin Langer in a match where a few parts of the jigsaw puzzle have slotted into place with the batting, although Matthew Wade’s disappointing Test may now come into the spotlight.
2.35pm local time/9.05am IST: The second new ball
Australia have been scoring at five an over this session despite the fall of Steven Smith, and aided by the dropped catch of Paine, when he was on 7. Interestingly, India take the second new ball after 82 overs instead of 80 probably because Siraj and Saini were getting some reverse swing. Bumrah with the new ball now, Cameron Green is approaching his fifty, Paine batting with a strike rate of nearly 80, Australia 270 for 5 and a growing lead of 364.
Meanwhile, India’s poor fielding show continues. Another catch has been dropped off Bumrah’s bowling today, after Vihari dropped Labuschagne on the second ball of the day. This time Rohit Sharma at first slip has put down Tim Paine. A length ball got decent bounce, Paine pushed at it with hard hands and got a thick edge, the ball went to Rohit’s left and he put in a dive with both hands getting to the ball but couldn’t hold on. Paine dropped on 7 and now he has started accelerating. Why Rohit at first slip, you ask? That’s because Chetehswar Pujara, India’s regular first slip, was off the field, probably to nurse his injured finger.
1.35pm local time/8.05am IST: Change of tempo, change of decision
Steven Smith clearly came with a different approach after the lunch break. His first two balls in the session he smacked for a six and four off Siraj on the leg side and faced only two dot balls in his 12-ball stay in the session before Ashwin flighted one outside off and got it to turn a long way to trap Smith lbw in front of the stumps. The on-field decision was not out after a big appeal but it’s been overturned because ball-tracking says it’s “hitting” leg stump. Smith is visibly unhappy with something; it could be the shot he played or the projection ball-tracking showed. Irrespective, Australia’s lead over 300 now as Tim Paine joins Cameron Green.Gnasher takes stock just as play resumes in the second session:
It was a sedate scoring rate from Australia in the first session, but they can pretty much play this at the pace they want. Suspect we’ll see some acceleration this afternoon. They probably already have enough runs, so maybe 100 more and then look to have a bowl after tea? The pitch is tricky to score quickly on and signs that uneven bounce will be play more of a role as the game goes on, but it’s still possible to survive for lengthy periods so Australia will want a good number of overs available in the fourth innings. However, it would appear likely that India will be a batsman down unless Ravindra Jadeja is able to hold a bat after his dislocated thumb.
12.35pm local time/7.05am IST: Lead of 276 at lunch
Steven Smith brings up yet another half-century•Getty Images
It’s Steven Smith once again. After a century in the first innings, his unbeaten 58 has stretched Australia’s lead to a comfortable 276 after the first session. He has been slower today compared to the third day but Australia don’t have to worry about time here, still five sessions to go in this match. What’s important is that he has ensured Australia didn’t go down the slippery slope of another collapse after Wade’s dismissal. No. 6 Cameron Green is keeping him company on 20.For the India bowlers, there was a time when Bumrah and Saini were bowling in tandem and were getting to reverse the ball. Saini’s spell in particular was outstanding; both he and Bumrah threatened Green’s outside edge for some time and got the ball into him too. There were a couple of near-chances too: a glance from Smith fell just short of Shubman Gill at backward square leg and a thick outside edge from Green went wide of Pujara at first slip. But since then, Siraj and Ashwin have replaced Saini and Bumrah and have gone back to bowling closer to the stumps with the packed leg-side field.
11.30am local time/6am IST: Saini’s double blow
He goes wide of the crease, gets some extra bounce with his high release, is possibly aided by this uneven pitch, and Saini has Labuschagne caught down the leg side for 73, his second fifty in the game. According to TV graphics, it was the widest delivery Labuschagne faced down the leg side this morning. A really good catch with a full-length dive from Saha.Next in is Matthew Wade at No. 5. A lot of eyes on him after his first-innings wicket that was similar to his dismissal at the MCG; on both occasions he threw his wicket away against the spinners. But this time he gets a really good delivery from Saini. He goes around the wicket and gets the ball to straighten just a little bit outside off from a back of length to induce Wade’s outside edge for an easy catch to Saha. Australia 148 for 4, and Ajinkya Rahane brings Bumrah back into the attack.What’s Steven Smith up to meanwhile? Cracking cover drives for fours, not too far away from another fifty.
10.10am local time/4.40am IST: Jadeja out of the series
Big blow for India: Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the series with a dislocation and a fracture. He will be out for two to three weeks according to the TV commentators. “Ravindra Jadeja has a dislocation in his left thumb. Rishabh Pant still has some pain in his elbow. He is currently being treated,” says the update from the BCCI. It means India are left with four bowlers this game of which one is a debutant and another made his debut in the last game. And Ashwin and Bumrah have already bowled over 100 overs in the series.Getty Images
To add to that, Hanuma Vihari, stationed at square leg has dropped Marnus Labuschagne on the second ball of the day. Labuschagne flicked the ball from Bumrah straight to square leg, where all Vihari had to do was put his hands together between his legs. Regulation catch dropped early in the day.
9.50am local time/4.20am IST: What target will Australia set India?
Marnus Labuschagne was unbeaten on 47 overnight•Getty Images
A lead of 197 runs and eight wickets in hand. And who’s on strike? Steven Smith (29*) and Marnus Labuschagne (47*). Australia well on top here in conditions good for batting, India with an inexperienced attack that is now without Ravindra Jadeja because of the injury he sustained yesterday on his left thumb while batting. The pitch is a little up and down because of some footmarks, which is the only thing India will hope will work for them. Otherwise Australis are all set to further extend their lead against the ball 29 overs old here.Gnasher adds from the ground:
Morning from the SCG. Another glorious day here. Unless India strike early, feels like it will be a case of seeing what sort of target Australia want to set. Bat until around tea? There could be a few other things happening today as well. We await injury updates on Pant and Jadeja, further news of the crowd abuse that emerged last night and the latest on the Gabba Test.