India vs Australia Live Score, 3rd Test Day 5 Live: Pujara, Pant rebuild after Rahane falls early

Hello and welcome to Sportstar's Live Coverage of Day five of the third Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

India vs Australia Third Test Day 5 Scorecard

India 130/3 after 49 overs: Pant is having a go at Lyon as he first whacks the spinner over mid-on and then skips down the track to smoke high over long-on for a maximum. Pant and Pujara are building a stand and this will be the key one for India as Jadeja might not be able to bat. Pant is playing positive cricket and Pujara is bringing all his experience into play. 

India 115/3 after 45 overs: Hazlewood bowls a maiden and this is good bowling as he is sticking to the middle and off line but Pujara is up for the task, defending in solid fashion.

India 110/3 after 41 overs: Pujara has shown a lot of positive intent as he has dances down the track and smothered Lyon's spin, occasionally padding up deliveries that pose no harm for LBW. He is taking the odd single as Pant is off the mark and the wicketkeeper-batsman is looking in no discomfort.

India 102/3 after 36 overs: Gone! It took Nathan Lyon just three balls to remove the India skipper as Rahane departs to leave India in trouble. Lyon gets one to spin, Rahane tried to defend it but gets an inside edge and Matthew Wade takes a sharp catch at short leg. Australia needs another seven wickets.

India 99/2 after 35 overs: Cheteshwar Pujara is away with a single as he tucks Cummins to the leg side for a single before coping up a blow on his forearm. Rahane has faced just a single delivery, which he defends to the off side.

Australia needs eight wickets and India a massive 309 to win. Hello and welcome to Day 5 and it is all set up for a cracker of a day with Tim Paine clearly dictating terms.

STUMPS India 244 & 98/2 after 34 overs | Needs 309 runs to win

India top-order fights it out but Australia in command

Cheteshwar Pujara was left to summon his trademark doggedness with skipper Ajinkya Rahane after India lost its openers in pursuit of an improbable 407 on the fourth day of the third Test against Australia in Sydney. It sets the stage for an intriguing final day in which the visiting team will primarily try to bat out three sessions.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

Having drawn flak for his 50 off 176 balls in the first innings, none would mind such an effort from India’s Test specialist after the visiting team finished the fourth day on 98 for 2, thanks largely to a 71-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma (52) and Shubman Gill (31).

India set to play fourth Test in Brisbane

The fourth Test between India and Australia, scheduled to be held in Brisbane from January 15 to 19, is set to go ahead as planned. After almost a week of confusion, an agreement was reached between BCCI and CA on Sunday.

"We are all good to go. It is a win for cricket," said a CA insider, confirming the development. While media reports suggest BCCI has asked CA to ensure that the Indian contingent is out of the city as soon as the match ends (scheduled to conclude by January 19), Sportstar understands there has been no formal communication from the Indian cricket board yet.

Toss: Australia has won the toss and opted to bat first

Playing XI:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini

Australia: David Warner, Will Pucovski, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (C/WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood