India Vs Australia Live Score, Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, Day 3: Smith falls for another low score as Bumrah strikes

10:27 (IST)

After 34 overs, Australia 78/3 (Matthew Wade 34 , Travis Head 3)

Ashwin continues and he does a tidy job, giving away just a double off his 13th over. The bowlers continue to build pressure on Head and Wade.  

10:23 (IST)

After 33 overs, Australia 76/3 (Matthew Wade 31 , Travis Head 3)

Bumrah continues. Smith gets out, clean bowled, the ball clipping the leg stump. Head, the new man in, is welcomed with a dangerous bouncer off the third. Australia are on the backfoot now, it’s evident with their body language. Five runs and a wicket in that over.

10:18 (IST)

OUT! BOWLED! Smith’s woeful run continues. Big wicket this. Bumrah gets the breakthrough. Smith b Bumrah 8(30)

10:16 (IST)

After 32 overs,Australia 67/2 ( Matthew Wade 31 , Steven Smith 8)

Ashwin into his 12th over. Bowls five consecutive dots before conceding a boundary, courtesy a misfield by Mayank at mid-on.

10:15 (IST)

FOUR! Misfield by Mayank at mid-on and it fetches Wade a boundary. That will release a bit of pressure.

10:13 (IST)

After 31 overs,Australia 67/2 ( Matthew Wade 27 , Steven Smith 8)

Two slips, leg gully and a square leg in place as Bumrah bowls a maiden over. The Aussies seem to be extra cautious against him and Ashwin.

10:09 (IST)

After 30 overs,Australia 67/2 ( Matthew Wade 27 , Steven Smith 8)

Ashwin continues. Smith plays the first ball with the spin, tucking it to mid wicket. The second delivery takes off the rough and bamboozles Wade, who follows it up with four consecutive dots. One run off the over.

10:06 (IST)

After 29 overs,Australia 66/2 ( Matthew Wade 27 , Steven Smith 7)

We’re back after the tea break and Jasprit Bumrah has the ball. Smith defends a full delivery and sneaks a single off the first while Wade sees off the remainder of the over.

09:43 (IST)

After 28 overs,Australia 65/2 ( Matthew Wade 27 , Steven Smith 6)

Ashwin concedes one off the final over of the session, managing to deceiving Wade off the second delivery that kicks up slightly after pitching on good length after off. Short leg’s in play two balls later, but the ball appears to have deflected off Wade’s pad.

And Australia head to tea at 65/2, trailing the Indians by another 66 runs with eight wickets in hand. Australia will hope Smith breaks his woeful run with the bat with a big score today, with Wade already well on his way towards a fifty. India, meanwhile, will need an early wicket if they are to keep the target as low as possible.

09:39 (IST)

After 27 overs,Australia 64/2 ( Matthew Wade 27 , Steven Smith 5)

Lovely straight drive produced by Wade off an overpitched delivery from Bumrah, a sign of the kind of touch he’s in at the moment. Four off the over. Looks like one more over to go for tea after this.

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Highlights

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10:18 (IST)

OUT! BOWLED! Smith’s woeful run continues. Big wicket this. Bumrah gets the breakthrough. Smith b Bumrah 8(30)
09:03 (IST)

OUT! Ashwin gets the crucial wicket of Labuschagne — who was starting to look real dangerous for the visitors! This one slides through after pitching between off and middle, getting the batsman's outside edge with Rahane plucking an easy catch at slip. AUS 42/2

Labuschagne c Rahane b Ashwin 28(49)
07:51 (IST)

OUT! Umesh gets rid of Burns with a ripper as India get the early wicket they were looking for! Just about manages to kiss the outer edge of the bat after pitching along good length, jagging away in the last second. Burns goes for the review in the very last second, and gets a mark on the HotSpot for the hosts to lose one for the innings. AUS 4/1

Burns c Pant b Yadav 4(10)
07:02 (IST)

Lunch, Day 3 - IND 326 (115.1) 

The first session belonged to Australia, who wrapped up India’s tail in a jiffy. Rahane was unlucky as he got run out while Jadeja didn’t look comfortable facing the short stuff from the Aussie pacers after completing his fifty. And as expected, the tail didn’t last long. But the visitors won’t be unhappy for they have taken a 131-run lead, a healthy one given how the pitch is playing. .
06:16 (IST)

OUT! The short stuff has worked. Jadeja timed that one really well but holed out to Cummins at deep mid-wicket. Jadeja c Cummins b Starc 57(159
05:45 (IST)

50! Jadeja finally completes his fifty and the sword celebration is on display. He has only stuck two boundaries so far, highlighting how maturely he's held one end. 
05:39 (IST)

OUT! Seemed like Jadeja would complete his fifty but Rahane failed to get to the other end as Paine dislodged the stumps in a jiffy. Big wicket this. Just what Australia would have wanted here, Rahane was looking rock solid. Rahane run out (Labuschagne) 112(223)

India vs Australia 2020 Live score and latest update of 2nd Test at Melbourne: Ashwin continues and he does a tidy job, giving away just a double off his 13th over. The bowlers continue to build pressure on Head and Wade.

Day 2 report: Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane rode his luck to hit a gritty unbeaten century as India built an ominous 82-run lead over Australia on day two to take a stranglehold on the second Test in Melbourne on Sunday.

It was a determined and crucial knock against a world-class attack by the mild-mannered 32-year-old, who assumed the captaincy from Virat Kohli after he returned home for the birth of his first child.

While Ajinkya Rahane was the hero, it was a gutsy Indian team performance, with three 50-plus wicket partnerships to help silence their critics after being skittled for their all-time low of 36 last week. AFP

While Ajinkya Rahane was the hero, it was a gutsy Indian team performance, with three 50-plus wicket partnerships to help silence their critics after being skittled for their all-time low of 36 last week. AFP

Batting at four, he faced 200 balls for his 104 to steer India to 277 for five before rain ended play 15 minutes early. Ravindra Jadeja was not out 40.

The hosts took just four wickets during a frustrating day in the field as the match began to slip away with India zeroing in on levelling the series after losing the first Test by eight wickets in Adelaide.

"Not our best day, but not our worst," said Australia's Mitchell Starc, who has two wickets but also saw catches put down off his bowling.

"Jinx (Rahane) batted really well through the day there and they had some pretty good partnerships.

"I thought there was some really good stuff from us as well, we just didn't capitalise on some of the chances we created to finish in a better position.

"We're just going to have to back up tomorrow and take five wickets as quick as we can."

While Rahane was the hero, it was a gutsy Indian team performance, with three 50-plus wicket partnerships to help silence their critics after being skittled for their all-time low of 36 last week.

Debutant Shubman Gill chipped in with an impressive 45 and paid tribute to Rahane.

"His knock was all about patience. Sometimes against such a high-quality bowling attack you go into your shell and then you're not able to score runs," he said.

"The way Ajinkya played, it was such a magnificent knock to watch, the way he saw off the tough periods and the loose balls he was making sure he put them all away."

Problems

On a steamy day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India resumed on 36 for one in reply to Australia's first innings 195, having weathered 11 overs on Saturday when they lost Mayank Agarwal for a duck to Starc.

In an action-packed morning, the Australian attack consistently hit its line and length with Pat Cummins bagging Gill then the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara for 17.

That brought Rahane to the crease and—first with Hanuma Vihari, then Rishabh Pant and finally Jadeja— he built half-century stands to put India in a strong position.

He brought up his 12th Test ton in his 67th game, and his second in Melbourne, with a four off Cummins, but he enjoyed some good fortune.

Australia removed first slip during Starc's first spell in the final session and lived to regret it with Rahane getting an edge on 57 that would almost certainly have been caught if the fielder was there.

He had a huge let-off on 73 when he was dropped at second slip by Steve Smith and again on 104 when the ball popped out of Travis Head's hands as he landed after taking the catch.

Jadeja, back in the team after missing the first Test injured, ably supported Rahane after Vihari fell for 21 attempting to sweep Nathan Lyon, with Smith taking the catch.

That brought the exuberant Pant to the crease. Preferred to Wriddhiman Saha as wicketkeeper, he scored a breezy 29 before becoming Starc's 250th Test victim, caught by Tim Paine for his 150th dismissal.

India were reduced to 64 for three before lunch after Cummins caused all sorts of problems.

He signalled his intent with the first ball of the day, which zipped past Pujara's bat. Paine called for a review, believing it took a nick, but replays showed it was not out.

Cummins finally got the wicket he deserved when Gill, who added 17 to his overnight score, got a nick and Paine took the catch. He then removed Pujara, again enticing an edge with Paine holding a brilliant diving catch.

With inputs from AFP

Updated Date: December 28, 2020 10:28:28 IST

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