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.
Follow all the action in our live blog.
Key Events
Prasidh Krishna from the other end
Khawaja pulls a single down to fine leg.
Konstas works a single off the hip.
They scamper a single off an inside-edge from Khawja.
MORE WIDES. Wild down the leg and Reddy does well to save the boundary as Australia run two.
BYES. Short again and this sails over Pant to the boundary.
Crunch. Kojnstas steps out and slaps Prasidh through mid-wicket where Jadeja does well to save the boundary. AUS 0/26 after two!
Siraj opens the bowling
Konstas takes strikes. It’s a tight leave first up as the bowl seams back in but misses the stumps.
5wides! That will help as Siraj goes down leg and it swings away from Pant for the extras.
Konstas is off the mark with a pushed single into the off-side.
Khawaja is on the attack early top edging a pull to deep square for two.
He advances and pushes a sharp single to mid-off.
BANG. Konstas advances down and crashes Siraj over extra cover for four.
13 off the first over!
Jasprit Bumrah won’t bowl
The second innings is underway and Jasprit Bumrah is not on the field suggesting he will not bowl in this innings.
That is a massive blow but we saw how the other bowlers stepped up in the first innings.
Australia require 162 for victory
A perfect morning for Australia as India lose 4/10 to be wrapped up in a hurry.
Make no mistake though this will be a hugely difficult chase whether India have Bumrah or not.
Will Australia be all out attack or will they try and survive India’s frontline bowlers and then attack the all-rounders?
We’ll find out in 10 minutes.
BOLAND HAS SIX!
Jasprit Bumrah goes for a big swing and Boland hits the top of leg stump to end India’s innings.
He finishes with 6/45 as Australia complete a perfect momring.
BOLAND HAS FIVE!
In the corridor outside off and Siraj can only send an edge through to Khawaja at slip.
It almost bobbles out of the hands but he holds on to give the cult hero a well deserved five-for.
Bumrah to the crease
He bats above Krishna and receives warm applause.
Added vital runs in the first innings and if he can’t bowl a quick 10-20 runs here could prove just as vital.
Cummins with a peach!
Angling from around the wicket and this keeps a touch low and nips back to crash into the stumps.
Cummins had pinned him back on the crease with some short stuff and bowls him with the full ball.
Siraj walks in at NO.9
He’ll be getting a nose bleed from batting up so high.
He’s off the mark with an awkward fend down to fine leg.
His batting promotion suggests Bumrah is definitely still carrying something.
CUMMINS STRIKES!
Huge breakthrough as Cummins catches Jadeja’s edge.
He just cracked him through backward point for four but he follows up with beauty with one that seams away from off-stump forcing Jadeja to play as he tickles an edge through to Carey.
Smith’s drop yesterday doesn’t prove too costly.
