India had a spectacular day on the cricket field, marking two consecutive days of success in Australia. They demonstrated their dominance first with bat and then with ball, putting pressure on the hosts. By the end of Day 3, it was clear that Australia faced an uphill struggle to recover.
The day started without relief for the Australian side as Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul continued to pile on runs. With little lateral movement on the pitch, Jaiswal hit his fourth Test century during the first session, showcasing his talent. After a quiet start, Australia finally made a breakthrough when Mitchell Starc took out Rahul.
Although the pitch showed no signs of deteriorating, Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal kept troubling the Australian bowlers. Once the second new ball was introduced, things didn’t begin well for Australia. However, Josh Hazlewood soon picked up a crucial wicket by dismissing Padikkal. Following Jaiswal’s wicket, which came when India was at 313 runs, Australia found a moment of hope as the visitors slipped to 321/5.
Virat Kohli remained steady at the crease, forming important partnerships with Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy. These collaborations were vital as Kohli pushed forward, eventually reaching his 30th Test century right before India declared their innings.
As day turned to dusk, things went from bad to worse for the home team. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj delivered a fierce bowling spell. Bumrah took out both Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, while Siraj dismissed night-watchman Pat Cummins. With two days remaining in the Test, Australia now finds themselves in a tough position. The pitch also began to show uneven bounce later in the day, making their task even more challenging. Nathan Lyon took full advantage of the rough patches, further complicating the situation for the Australian batting lineup.
