AUS vs IND: 3rd Test Review – India bat out 131 overs to clinch a heroic draw
The third Test between Australia and India in Sydney ended in a draw after the visitors heroically batted out the entire day. India were behind in the game right from when they lost the toss as Steve Smith found his form scoring 131 in the first innings. Australia amassed 338 in the first innings and then managed to bundle India out for just 244.
To make things worse for India, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja got injured in the first innings while batting and the latter didn’t bowl in the second innings. India were a bowler short in the second innings and Australia took complete advantage of that scoring 312 runs for the loss of six wickets in 87 overs. Smith, Green and Labuschagne notched up half-centuries as Australia set the improbable target of 407.
India then started off well in the second innings with Rohit Sharma scoring a half-century and Shubman Gill also looking good. But both of them got out late on the fourth day leaving Australia to pick only 8 wickets on the final day with pitch deteriorating.
It needed a heroic effort for India to save or win the Test match. The final day didn’t start well for the visitors as Ajinkya Rahane got out in the second over of the day itself. But then Rishabh Pant counter-attacked and Cheteshwar Pujara batted resiliently to add 148 runs for the fourth wicket.
At one stage, it looked as if India were going for a win. But Pant got out on 97 and then Pujara was undone by a beauty from Hazlewood which gave an opening to Australia. However, little did the hosts know that Ashwin and Vihari were going to block and block and block to draw the Test. The duo, heroically, batted for 259 deliveries together adding only 62* runs but most importantly, they saved the Test match for India and the series is still levelled at 1-1.
Turning Points
Drop catches hurt Australia
Drop Catches from Australia hurt them on the final day. Tim Paine was the culprit as he let Pant off twice when he was on 3 and 56. Paine dropped Hanuma Vihari late in the day as well when 9 overs were left and things could’ve changed if he had held on to the catch. The substitute fielder Sean Abbott was also the culprit of dropped catches as he let off Ravi Ashwin who played a crucial role in the match in the end.
Vihari edges and a chance goes down late on the final day…
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— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 11, 2021
Records/Personal Milestones
Cheteshwar Pujara completed 6000 runs in Test cricket.
This is the fifth time India batted out more than 130 overs in the fourth innings of a Test.
What Next?
Both the teams will now travel to Brisbane for the fourth and final Test of the series which is currently levelled at 1-1. The fourth Test will commence on January 15.
