Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, 3rd Test: Australia extends lead closer to 200 at stumps on Day 3

India and Australia are engaged in a gruelling four-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as India defends the same. The series is currently locked 1-1, as both the sides look to take the lead by winning the ongoing Sydney Test, while the host seems to be on driver's seat.

Australia finished on top on Day 3 of the third Test against India, for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday. At stumps, Australia is 103/2, as it has extended the lead near to 200 runs, while India has a task at hand on Sunday.

Earlier, Australian skipper, Tim Paine had won the toss and elected to bat first, as Australia could manage 338, with Steve Smith scoring 131 and Marnus Labuschagne scoring 91. India was 96/2 at stumps on Day 2, opener Shubman Gill having been dismissed on 50.

Resuming at the overnight score, it was at the score of 117 when skipper Ajinkya Rahane fell for 22 to Cummins, who knocked him over using a short-pitched delivery. All-rounder, Hanuma Vihari joined Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle.

Both were going good, only for Vihari to be brilliantly run out by Josh Hazlewood for mere four, at the score of 142. Nonetheless, it was then the pair of Pujara (42*) and incoming wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant (29*), who batted out for the rest of the session, to keep India in check at lunch.

Resuming its innings post lunch at 180/4, it was 15 runs later when Pant was dismissed for 36 by Josh Hazlewood after being caught by David Warner in the slips. At the same score, Pujara too fell after scoring his 26th Test half-century, for 50, as Cummins made him caught behind by Paine off a gem of a delivery.

It was 11 runs later, when all-rounder, Ravichandran Ashwin was run out for mere 10, followed by Navdeep Saini, who handed a catch to Matthew Wade at mid-off, while seamer, Mitchell Starc had his number for just three runs, at the score of 210. Six runs later, Jasprit Bumrah was run out for an unfortunate duck.

The final pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj contributed 28 runs, while the former survived an injury scare on his finger. Nonetheless, the latter fell for mere six after edging it behind to Paine off Cummins, while the former stayed unbeaten on 28, as the tea break was called for.

As for the Australians, Cummins was the most successful one among the six bowlers, having claimed a four-for. Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon was unfortunate not to have claimed a single, despite troubling the batsmen a lot.

As Australia came out to bat post tea, it was off to a shaky start, with pacer Mohammed Siraj providing the first breakthrough early, in the form of Will Pucovski, who fell for mere 10, after edging it behind to Wriddhiman Saha, at the score of 16. As Marnus Labuschagne came in, Australia was conspicuous of a rattling start.

Just 19 runs later, Ashwin trapped David Warner leg-before for plainly 13, as the latter has not made a resounding start to the Test series. The pair of Labuschagne and Steve Smith batted out until the end to pile pressure on the Indians, with an unbeaten stand of 68 for the third wicket, as the lead extends to 197.

Meanwhile, India has a couple of injury concerns, as Pant and Jadeja injured their elbow and thumb, respectively, and have been taken for scans. They did not take the field in the post-tea session, while Saha is handling the wicketkeeping duties.

Among the Indian bowlers, Siraj and Ashwin are the only ones to have tasted success, while four bowlers have been utilised so far. Notably, India is a bowler short, with Jadeja being out.
Brief scores: Australia 338 and 103/2 (Labuschagne 47; Siraj 1/20) leads India 244 (Gill 50, Pujara 50; Cummins 4/29) by 197 runs.