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Hello and welcome to Guerilla Cricket’s live blog of the third Test between India and Australia. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is deliciously poised at 1-1, and the battle for ascendancy kicks off at the Gabba. We’ll bring you all the important, fascinating updates as the race for the WTC final heats up.
The curtains are drawn on Day 2. An arduous day for the visitors despite a promising start. Bumrah removed both openers quickly and Nitish Reddy coerced Labuschagne into a loose shot soon thereafter to give India the ascendancy.
However, post lunch, India were subjected to a leather hunt as Travis Head got stuck into his arch-nemesis once again. He arrived at the crease when Australia were 75/3 and by the time he walked back to a standing ovation for 152, he’d taken Australia to 327/6.
He stamped his authority from the moment he came to the crease and initially, almost made life easier for Smith at the other end. Around the half-century milestone, Smith found his bearings and Australia piled on the runs. The left-right combination added 241 during which an out-of-form Smith ended his century drought.
Bumrah eventually dismissed him for 101 and yet again helped India claw their way back into the game by also managing to dismiss Marsh and Head in quick succession. Albeit, with precious little support from the other end (with the exception of Akash Deep who did a good job), India allowed the game to drift away.
Carey and Cummins stitched up a fifty stand and even as Cummins exited late in the day, Australia zoomed past 400. Bumrah has five wickets to his name but less than ideally has been a lone ranger for India. We’ll be back for Day 3 tomorrow and hope that the rain that’s forecasted doesn’t transpire.
First time in 11 Tests across three home series have Australia managed to post a total in excess of 400 against India. Last instance: 572/7 dec at the SCG in 2015.
Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc are solidifying the Australian total after the departure of Pat Cummins, who became Siraj’s maiden victim.
Quick wickets have given India some breathing space after the potentially match-defining 241-run partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith.
Smith was the first to depart with the Australian score reading a formidable 316/3. He suffered a lapse in concentration upon reaching his long-awaited 33rd ton in Tests, edging Bumrah’s half-volley to Rohit at first slip.
Facing Bumrah first up can be intimidating for a new batter, and Mitchell Marsh wasn’t up to the task as his tentative defence brought about an edge snaffled by Kohli at second slip.
Bumrah added the icing to India’s recovery by eking out the rampaging Head. Pitched up full and outside off, just a hint of away movement away, and Head gave it the full monty. His feet were glued and hence could only manage a thick outside edge that flew to Pant who made no mistake.
For the first time in 25 innings, since the 2023 Ashes at Lord’s, Steve Smith has accomplished a Test match century!
It’s the 33rd of his career, moving him into outright second for Australia after the great Ricky Ponting.
He looked scratchy in the beginning and it felt as if his umpteen trigger-movement changes may spell his doom but the genius knew what he was doing. Waded through the rough patch early on and played with authority post reaching his half-ton. He averages 56 in Tests now.
For the first time in 25 innings, since the 2023 Ashes at Lord's, Steve Smith has a Test match century!
It's the 33rd of his career, moving him into outright second for Australia 👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/4kt6rcDsYJ
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 15, 2024
Head has run amok after reaching his second successive three-figure score and his unbeaten stand of 226 with a resolute Steve Smith is giving India the chills. Runs are flowing thick and fast, and India have handed the second new ball to spearhead Bumrah in the earnest hope of a breakthrough.
Australia have bludgeoned India in the middle session – scoring 130 runs in 27 overs. Virat congratulates Head on his century before both teams head towards the dressing room for a breather. India went into Lunch as the happier side but this Aussie domination in the afternoon has turned the game on it’s head.
Smith looked ill at ease in the morning but after Lunch he worked out a gameplan to keep the scoreboard ticking. As for Head, he continues to be India’s arch-nemesis. Akash Deep toiled fruitlessly and Bumrah probed on occasions, but apart from that, an absolute hammering for India in the afternoon session.
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!
Travis Head brings up another hundred ⭐️#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/10yBuL883X
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 15, 2024
Steve Smith has brought up his 42nd Test fifty to go along with 32 Test hundreds while Travis Head is rampaging along. This is the highest first innings total of the series. India look flat as the partnership swells.
Australia were struggling at 75/3 when Head walked out to bat. However, he stuck to his ebullient ways and put India under pressure. His partnership with Smith now approaching the century mark.
Travis Head last seven innings vs India in Tests:
90(163)
163(174)
18(27)
11(13)
89(101)
140(141)
51*(72)
Oh that is class from Travis Head 👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/rqr2hzSCpd
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 15, 2024
Jadeja comes in the firing line of Head and it’s a positive match-up that the southpaw will encash on given the striking form he is in. Clears his left leg to brandish the lofted drive over mid-off and follows it up by carving the drive wide of cover. Ominous signs for India!
Steve Smith is growing in confidence. He’s got his eye in now. A rare half-volley today by an Indian bowler, served by Akash Deep, was caressed for four down the ground. Unfurls a rasping square cut too against the pacer and Australia are wrestling the advantage gradually.
Spin introduced for the first time in the Australian innings. A slip and a forward short leg in place as India’s left-arm orthodox rolls his arm over.
Cheeky shot and the enterprising Head will collect four. Banged in short by Bumrah and just outside off – Head arches back slightly, opens the bat face and parries the ball over slips, couple of bounces and over the ropes.
India take the honors in the opening session. Unlike yesterday, they bowled fuller to begin with and made the openers play more. Both Khawaja and McSweeney fell nicking to Bumrah, as a result.
Labuschagne and Smith added 37 off 89 balls even as India kept up the good work with the ball. The former was itching to get a move on and couldn’t resist going after a wide inviter from Nitish Reddy, offering an edge to the cordon.
Travis Head is looking to be positive as usual, with India unleashing the odd bouncer against the southpaw. Smith, meanwhile, is struggling at times to keep out the deliveries lasering in on his pads because of the exaggerated shuffle but he’s managed to hang around, surviving two mighty close LBW appeals in the half an hour before umpires called Lunch.
Credit to India’s fielders for backing up the fine bowling effort. Kohli has caught well and there have been several diving stops in the ring.
Pitched up just a fraction too full, Head presses forward and nails the punch-drive through extra cover. Timed sweetly and placed into the gap, that shot is the epitome of perfection.
Siraj’s nip-backer rapped Smith just above the knee-roll on the back pad as he shouldered arms. The pacer was absolutely convinced he got his man, breaking into a celebrappeal as he often does. Pleaded with his skipper to review the umpire’s decision and he did, but ball-tracker shows that it was just clipping off-stump on umpire’s call.
Then Akash Deep beat Smith’s flick. To the naked eye it looked as if he was a goner, but the umpire admirably spotted a faint inside edge and turned the appeal down. India went upstairs but technology proved the on-field verdict spot on.
Marnus Labuschagne chases a wide tempter from Nitish Reddy, only managing a thick edge that is pouched safely by Virat Kohli at second slip. The bowler-friendly conditions at the moment and India’s potent operation notwithstanding, Labuschagne did go into his shell a little bit as he ambled to 12 off 55 balls.
In recent times, lethargy at the crease has been an issue with the otherwise busy right-hander, and today was yet another episode of Labuschagne spending considerable amount of time at the crease but not scoring enough runs during his stay.
It's all happening here at the Gabba.
Siraj switches the bails, Marnus departs in the next over.
Nitish Kumar Reddy with his first wicket here at the Gabba as Marnus Labuschagne is caught at slips.
Virat Kohli with a fine catch!
Live – https://t.co/dcdiT9NAoa… #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/7y9MczcZVE
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 15, 2024
The seasoned pros are battling it out in the middle as India continue to bowl well on the second morning. Labuschagne has bided his time, batting on a dozen after 54 balls. Given the moisture factor due to the rain yesterday, the conditions are not exactly conducive to batting but Labuschagne needs to be wary of recatching his stonewalling habit that Aryan Surana pointed out in his latest feature.
7 single-digit scores in last ten inns before Adelaide⚠️
Not only was Marnus inviting the ‘strokeless’ tag but also questions on his place in the team🐌
His face-saving knock comprised of nine boundaries, scoring well on the proactivity quotient⚡
READ: https://t.co/TjsnSDdxPJ pic.twitter.com/SVrPITjXF8
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) December 13, 2024
India’s discipline has been praiseworthy on the second morning, with Nitish Reddy and Mohammed Siraj keeping the pressure on the experienced pair of Smith and Labuschagne, save for the five wides given away by the senior bowler. There have been no freebies yearning to be driven, and every now and then a ball has jagged appreciably off the surface to remind the Australian batters that India are still on top.
Bumrah has struck twice on the second morning, taking his wicket tally to 14 in the series. Balls are regularly whooshing past the outside edge or hitting the shoulder of the bat as the slip cordon adds to the drama with impassioned theatrics. Australia have two of their most dependable batters at the crease and they must see through this spell of rapacious intensity from the Indian spearhead.
Having ditched his exaggerated shuffle across the off-stump in order to keep the lbw dismissals at bay, Smith is back moving around in his typically remarkable manner. India have noticed the trigger movement and employed a leg-slip as Bumrah troubles the champion batter with zippy, thigh-high deliveries.
Edged and gone! Bumrah has sent both openers packing now – another brute of a ball, short of a good length and angling back into the right-hander, McSweeney doesn’t really cover the line on the backfoot defence, gets a thick edge which flies straight into the hands of Kohli at second slip. India have been on the mark with their line and lengths today, they’ve rectified their modus operandi and been rewarded with a couple of early wickets.
India have made a conscious effort to draw the batters forward on the second morning and the plan has worked like a charm as Khawaja nicks off. He’s playing for the natural angle as Bumrah steamed in from round the wicket, but the ball straightened wickedly, squaring him up to catch the edge on the prod, straightforward catch for the keeper.
Jasprit Bumrah looks at his devastating best!
He gets Usman Khawaja early on Day Two. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/X7sj8lyIIv
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 15, 2024
