Boxing Day Test: Australia toil as Indian all-rounders put on mammoth partnership

More shambolic running between wickets and a Rishabh Pant brain fade have left India’s hopes of winning the Boxing Day Test hanging by a very thin thread.

Jackson Barrett looks at day three so far.

Really dark clouds are blanketing the MCG at the lunch break and for the first time today there are some serious bands coming across the radar.

With any luck we might get away with the rain staying to the south, but don’t be shocked if the second session is interrupted.

India are 7/244 at lunch with Nitish Reddy (40*) Washington Sundar (5*) at the crease.

The visitors still trail Australia by 230 runs with just three first-innings wickets remaining.

Scott Boland got the first breakthrough of the morning, dismissing Rishabh Pant while Nathan Lyon claimed the scalp of Ravindra Jadeja LBW.

An interesting point to note from the MCG is that Australia has drafted in the best fielder in the country today.

Melbourne Renegades and South Australia’s Mackenzie Harvey is here and has spent time on the field today.

Reserve bowler Sean Abbott has also done a bit in the field today.

Harvey took a sensational catch and executed a diving run out in the Renegades’ win over Perth Scorchers on Monday night.

A superb piece of bowling from Nathan Lyon and Ravindra Jadeja departs for 17.

He was dismissed LBW after being cramped up in his crease.

The review showed the ball clipping the stumps and it’s umpires call.

India are 7-221, trailing by 252 runs - a mountain to climb for the visitors.

For the third straight day, a really strong crowd is building here at the MCG, with the huge public interest and feverish Indian fans making this a massive Test.

We had 87, 242 on day one and 85,147 yesterday for a total of 172,389.

The crowd is building towards around 80,000 today.

That would leave us around 100,000 fans short of the all-time record for a full Test match in Australia, which has been held for almost 90 years by the 1936-37 Ashes Test here, although that was played across six days.

350,534 came to watch Don Bradman in that match and he delivered with 270 in the second innings.

All-rounder Washington Sundar says the mood in the Indian dressing room remains upbeat despite the calamitous run-out which helped Australia regain control leading into day three.

Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal remonstrated with each other on the pitch after the latter was dismissed when he joined Kohli at the nonstriker’s end in a horror mix-up with the score 2-153.

It triggered a collapse of 3-11 as a furious Kohli made his way back to the pavilion after prodding at a delivery outside the off stump from Boland, but Washington said the tourists felt they could regain a foothold in the match.

“We looked like we were in a great position … to get big runs, especially when Virat and Yash were batting, but we’ll still come back and continue to fight (on Saturday) morning,” he told reporters after play.

“Definitely the energy is very good in the dressing room – we’re all positive. There’s still three days, a lot of overs to play, so it’ll just be about us trying to fight really hard and get things done for the team.”

- AAP

The Rishabh Pant circus has arrived - and left - the MCG.

In three balls of mayhem, Pant pulled away from a Scott Boland delivery because he had something in his eye for the second time already day.

Then he tried to play his trademark ramp over the shoulder, but was struck in the tummy.

Then he tried it again, skied a ball and was caught by Nathan Lyon at third man.

It has left India hanging, too. He was going at such a nice rate for his 28 and had batted for almost an hour this morning with Ravindra Jadeja.

A silly shot to what was basically a half-volley anyway that leaves them 6-192 and on the cusp here.

Sunil Gavaskar summed it up nicely on the ABC.

“Stupid stupid stupid! That is not playing your natural game. That is a stupid shot,” he said.

Sunil Gavaskar has weighed in on the MCG crowd booing Virat Kohli.

Australians fans have villainised the India superstar following his run-in with teenage debutant Sam Konstas on day one.

After being involved in a run-out and later dismissed by Scott Boland on day two, fans gave it to Kohli as he departed the field.

“I thought that that was really uncalled for, Gavaskar told Seven.

“He has been a great player and, look, he is out now and for you to boo him, the question that I always ask is what have you done in your own life that you feel that you have the authority to boo an achiever like that?

“Have you achieved something in your own life that you can look down upon someone like Kohli? I don’t think that should be the case.

“That should never, ever have been a situation that Kohli should have been booed.

“Even when he came out to bat, I can understand a little bit of fun element, but this was completely uncalled for.”

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