India hold firm as third Test hangs in the balance

Steve Smith's return to runs – he disputes suggestions he had become bereft of form – saved Australia from another batting calamity as India clawed their way back into the third Vodafone Test through clever bowling and calm batting.

After the hosts appeared poised for a big first-innings score upon reaching 2-166 on a rain-affected first day, a brace of key wickets in today's morning session triggered a slide in which Australia surrendered 8-132 in 35 overs.

That collapse would have proved disastrous if not for Smith's flawless 131, a stunning if not unexpected spike in his series form line given his average of 3.33 coming into this match.

Having restricted their rivals to an acceptable 338, India reached 2-96 at the close of day two at the SCG with batting mainstays Cheteshwar Pujara (9no) and Ajinkya Rahane (5no) to resume on what is expected to be a third consecutive morning of cloudy and occasionally drizzly conditions.

Smith's hundred – his first in Tests since his epic double-ton at Old Trafford in September 2019 that ensured Australia retained the Ashes, and his first on home turf since the 2017 Boxing Day Test also against England – came in dramatic fashion.

Fittingly, given the leg-side plans India's bowlers have so effectively employed against him this summer, it arrived from a neat tuck behind the two square leg that brought three runs and a visceral celebration from the 31-year-old who prides himself on remaining focused inside his 'batting bubble'.

On completing the third run, Smith tore off his batting helmet and thrashed his bat in the direction of his teammates on the sidelines and fixed them with a steely glare before he roared "come on" and followed up with another demonstrative bat wave.

"I'm reading lots of things people say about form, but I think there's a difference between out of form and out of runs," Smith told Fox Sports during a break in play shortly after when asked about his overt reaction.

"So it was just nice to score a few and maybe keep a few people quiet."

The former captain's 27th Test ton lifts him alongside another former skipper Allan Border, with only Michael Clarke (28), Don Bradman (29), Matthew Hayden (30), Steve Waugh (32) and Ricky Ponting (41) ahead of him on the Australia century honour board.

He was the final wicket to fall, in the only manner that seemed likely during his 303-minute occupation that yielded barely a false stroke.

 

Smith effectively became the fifth wicket for India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja who executed a breathtaking run out, having sprinted from the mid-wicket boundary to gather a ground ball on his non-preferred (right) side before throwing down the stumps from side on with Smith short of his ground.

After Australia's batters had invested so much time after their heavy loss in Melbourne to better coping with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (0-74 from 24 overs), they succumbed instead to the left-arm spin that Jadeja disarmingly delivers from a two-step approach.

His 4-62 included the key scalp of Marnus Labuschagne (91) and helped India regain a foothold in the match after Australia's day one return of 2-166 had placed them in a strong position.

That shift in fortunes became more definite this evening as India's third opening pair in as many Tests – Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill – posted their team's first half-century first-wicket stand of the series and carried their partnership to 70 before Australia made two crucial strikes.

On his 30th birthday, Josh Hazlewood made the first when a clever reduction in pace lured the ever-aggressive Rohit into a false drive that was drilled low at the bowler who clutched the chance alongside his left knee.

 

Soon after Pat Cummins, overlooked for the new-ball but brought into the attack as soon as Rohit fell to resume his battle with Cheteshwar Pujara, removed Gill just four balls after the 21-year-old celebrated the first half-century of a Test career that began in Melbourne last week.

Gill had looked assured in stroking eight boundaries against the world's foremost pace attack in his 101-ball stay, but pushed hard at a ball from Cummins that seamed slightly away and was smartly intercepted by Cameron Green leaning low to his left at gully.

 

Australia felt they had in-form India skipper Ajinkya Rahane in the day's final overs when he was struck on the pad by Nathan Lyon pushing forward with bat tucked behind his leg.

But the last-gasp call for a review confirmed umpire Paul Wilson's not-out call even though the ball was shown to be shaving off-stump ensuring India resume tomorrow with their two most experienced batters at the crease.

The morning sunshine that accompanied the half-hour earlier start instituted to claw back some of the time lost to yesterday's soaking rain proved as illusory as Australia's hopes to bat most of day two.

It took just 45 minutes for the first burst of showers to descend, and a further 30 minutes after that for a second and more persistent downpour to force a suspension in play.

But a couple of key events occurred during the six overs bowled between breaks to provide a portent for the day's remainder.

Smith – recently supplanted atop the world's Test batter rankings by New Zealand's Kane Williamson – posted his first half-century in the five-day format since the corresponding SCG match against the Black Caps a year ago.

That milestone arrived in the over after Labuschagne forewent his opportunity to become Australia's first century maker of the Test summer when he was outfoxed by Jadeja.

Twice in the six deliveries leading up to the crucial breakthrough, Jadeja tempted Labuschagne with looping left-arm orthodox deliveries that pitched marginally short and sat up obligingly to be cut behind point.

Then he fired in a faster, flatter ball that speared in with the bowler's arm and tricked Australia's number three into a third cross-bat shot that flew low to the right of first slip where Rahane plucked a neat catch.

For the second time in as many wickets, Australia had found a pair capable of forging a 100-run partnership – their only two century stands in the Vodafone Series to date – but both unions were broken without an extra run being added.

At 3-206, and with Smith entrenched and fully engaged, Australia ambition to bat beyond 450 seemed on track despite Labuschagne's dismissal for 91.

But that's when the brilliance of India's bowlers swung the game's momentum.

Having undone Labuschagne in his fifth over of the day, Jadeja turned his focus to Matthew Wade who had arrived at the crease bristling with intent as India's bat-pad fielder Hanuma Vihari quickly learned to his stinging discomfort.

Wade has shown his predilection for the sweep shot across the series to date, and he aimed a volley of them against Jadeja, most of which smashed into various parts – protected and otherwise – of Vihari's person.

The left-hander's inability to convert his full-blooded strokes into runs saw him change tactics and he advanced down the pitch towards Jadeja marginally before India's spinner released the ball, which gave the bowler time to respond by firing it in faster and shorter.

Trapped in no-man's land having been done in flight, Wade attempted to hit his way out of trouble by lifting the ball over midwicket but could only scoop a limp fly ball to mid-on where Jasprit Bumrah completed a well-judged catch running back towards the boundary.

It was a costly mistake and it drew the ire of ex-Test captain Ponting in commentary for Channel Seven who chided his fellow Tasmanian's lapse in "match awareness" which meant rookie allrounder Green was thrust into the middle with Australia suddenly 4-232.

And with the second new-ball barely three overs away.

That also brought Bumrah back into the attack, and India's senior seamer weaved his spell to remove Green (0) and Australia skipper Tim Paine (1) using a remarkably similar template, either side of the lunch break.

Green, who had top-scored in Australia's sub-par second innings at the MCG 10 days earlier, was pushed back on his stumps by a series of deliveries pitched marginally back of a length before Bumrah pitched fractionally fuller in successfully targeting the rookie's front pad.

Paine's removal was even more clinical, the same set up culminating in a ball that dragged the skipper forward and fizzed between probing bat and faltering back leg to smash into off-stump.

Smith – at that stage on 81 – suddenly had just four specialist bowlers for support to get him to his milestone and lift Australia's flagging total beyond 300.

Cummins and Nathan Lyon both succumbed for ducks in identical fashion, bamboozled by floating full deliveries from Jadeja they failed to keep out as they drifted in towards their toes.

But some belligerence from Mitchell Starc, who clubbed 24 from 30 balls including two fours and a sweet six over square leg, ensured Smith got to his century and Australia passed 300 for the first time in the Vodafone Series.

And in a campaign where ball has continually dominated bat and just one other batter – India's stand-in skipper Rahane – has posted a triple-figure score, Smith's class shone like a beacon in the gloom that has rarely lifted from the SCG across the first two days.

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Thangarasu Natarajan

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: India won by eight wickets

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT