SCG Test: Border-Gavaskar Trophy set for epic finale as Australia and India battle for victory on day three
India lead Australia by 145 runs with four wickets remaining ahead of day three of the SCG Test.
After 15 wickets fell on day two, with the visitors bowling the hosts out four runs shy of their first-innings total, Ravindra Jadeja (8*) and Washington Sundar (4*) will return to the crease at 6-141.
India need to win the fifth Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Australia holding a 2-1 lead in the series.
An injury cloud over star quick Jasprit Bumrah will make that more difficult, with the visitors yet to confirm if the stand-in captain will bat but more importantly bowl after he left the SCG to get scans on a back injury.
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Key Events
Drinks
Webster cuts two up and over point before tucking a single to mid-wicket.
Head tries an uppercut and is lucky not to edge it behind as drinks come on the field.
Australia need 15 runs to win
Siraj off the field
He’s given his all in this innings but he may have been pushed too hard as he heads for the stands.
Target under 20
It appears Reddy came on so the bowlers could swap ends as Siraj continues.
It’s a tired-looking over as Head pings a half volley on leg stump through mid-wicket for four.
BANG. Short and Webster stands tall and pills it through mid-wicket for another boundary.
Australia need 18 to win
Dropped!
Is that the moment for India?
It’s a tough chance to be fair as Webster edges one and it barely carries to KL Rahul who cops one on the end of the fingers as Beau scrambles two.
Ticking along
Webster’s height seems to be helping to ride the uneven bounce on this pitch.
Head carves four up and over cover off Nitish Reddy as India finally makes a bowling change.
Prasidh swaps end and Webster crunches a glorious cover drive with singles in between as Australia need 30 more to win.
Target under 50 runs
Beau Webster stands over the top of one and crunches a back-foot drive-through cover.
It brings the target down to 46.
Khawaja falls!
Just as the game seemed to be drifting Khawaja goes for a pull and it catches the bottom edge which goes through to Pant.
A well-made 41 but India now right back in this match.
100 up for Australia
Khawaja unfurls a lovely cover drive as Prasidh overpitches.
Plenty of singles on the legside from balls straying on the hip.
FOUR MORE. Half-volley and Head nails a cover drive of his own which races to the boundary. Australia need 58 to win.
Target down to 70
Khawaja cracks a cut shot off Siraj to get the target to 70.
Krishna and Siraj have just been a touch short so far but there’s plenty of uneven bounce.
Australia halfway there
Head and Khawaja work the singles after lunch.
Khawaja gets a thick edge off a ball that keeps very low and squirts through gully for four.
Australia 3/81 requiring 81 to win
