Jasprit Bumrah took six wickets on Day 3. (Reuters)
451 runs were scored in the first two days of the Boxing Day Test for the fall of just seven wickets. On Day 3, 197 runs were scored and a jaw dropping 15 wickets fell – 10 of these were shared between Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins. India decided against enforcing a follow-on when they got Australia all out for 151. Bumrah led the way with six wickets and it meant that the visitors started their second innings with a lead of 292 runs. Openers Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal were looking good in the first 10 overs but that was before the introduction of Cummins.
The 25-year-old got Vihari off the last ball of the 13th over with a short delivery, just as he did in the first innings. First innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara replaced Vihari but Day 3 was destined to be a bowler’s day for a change. In the next Cummins over, Pujara holed out at leg gully. In the same over, Pujara’s first-innings partner in crime, Virat Kohli holed out in the same position. The pair had shared over 400 balls between them in the first two days and scored 170 runs but this time, they faced a combined six deliveries for no runs.
Cummins went on to get Ajinkya Rahane out for one run but Rohit Sharma denied him a hat-trick. He would go on to be dismissed by Josh Hazlewood six overs later. At the end of the day, Mayank was the sole survivor from the Indian top order and he had Rishabh Pant to keep him company. India are 54/5 but a lead of 346 runs keeps them in the driver’s seat.
12.6 ovs: 28/1, Vihari 13
14.2 ovs: 28/2, Pujara 0
14.6 ovs: 28/3, Kohli 0
16.1 ovs: 32/4, Rahane 1Three fiery overs from Pat Cumminshttps://t.co/xEY0p6VTkB pic.twitter.com/khsGHAF2eP
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) December 28, 2018
Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers and led the demolition of the Australian batting lineup. Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris started the day on an overnight total of 8/0. The opening pair didn’t last long, with Ishant Sharma accounting for the wicket of Finch in the 11th over thanks to a sharp catch by Agarwal at short mid-wicket.
Faced with a big total, the Australian batsmen succumbed to some very consistent bowling from the Indians. Marcus Harris became Bumrah’s first victim of the day two overs after Finch’s dismissal. Usman Khawaja fell to Ravindra Jadeja and Australia’s middle order was exposed 20 overs into the day.
Shaun Marsh and Travis Head then stemmed the flow of wickets and were looking good enough to carry Australia through to Lunch. But Bumrah trapped Marsh in front of the wickets with an absolute peach off the last ball of the first session.
Captain Tim Paine and Cummins provided some resistance but that did little to stem the rot. The pair batted 105 balls and made 36 runs before Cummins was cleaned up by Mohammed Shami. That was Shami’s 100th wicket in Tests away from home. After that, it was the Jasprit Bumrah show. He took out Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood within two overs and Australia were all out for 151.
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