Cummins, Labuschagne pin injury-riddled India to the mat

Brief Scores: Australia 338 (Marnus Labuschagne 91, Steve Smith 131; Jasprit Bumrah 2-66, Navdeep Saini 2-65, Ravindra Jadeja 4-62) and 103/2 (Marnus Labuschagne 47*, Steve Smith 23*; Mohammed Siraj 20-1, Ravichandran Ashwin 28-1) lead India 244 (Shubman Gill 58, Cheteshwar Pujara 50, Rishabh Pant 36, Ravindra Jadeja 28*; Pat Cummins 4-29, Josh Hazlewood 2-43) by 197 runs

The third day well and truly justified its tag of the 'moving day' as Australia made a good fist of things to stake their claim on the third Test. Spearhead Pat Cummins led the charge with a four-wicket haul as India capitulated for 244 to concede a lead of 94 despite Cheteshwar Pujara's laborious 50 and Ravindra Jadeja's unbeaten 28. Marnus Labuschagne (47*) and Steve Smith (23*) then added insult to India's injury as Australia finished at 103/2, their lead having swelled to a formidable 197.

For the long list of players on the treatment table, injury concerns seem to bring India no respite with Rishabh Pant copping a nasty blow on his left elbow and Ravindra Jadeja on his thumb, both while batting. They couldn't take the field and were taken for scans to determine the nature of the injury as Wriddhiman Saha donned the gloves in Pant's absence. 

Australia seized the advantage early in the morning session with Ajinkya Rahane falling prey to the bouncer barrage. Australia resorted to short balls aimed at the ribcage given that there was hardly any swing or lateral movement on offer. Matthew Wade did gift Rahane a lease of life at forward short leg but Cummins soon jagged one back from an awkward length to have the Indian skipper chopping on for 22.  

Runs were hard to come by with Australia bowling to their fields as Pujara and Hanuma Vihari trod water. India scored at barely two runs per over as Pujara consumed over a hundred balls to collect his first boundary, but did up the ante thereafter and peeled off a few in short order. He fell back on his tried-and-tested modus operandi of stepping down the track to Nathan Lyon to whip him expertly through the mid-wicket region and then utilizing the depth of the crease to open up the off-side as the spinner was forced to course-correct his lengths. 

Vihari's needless run-out brought about by a scorching direct hit from Josh Hazlewood at mid-off threw a spanner in India's works, but Pant's enterprising approach kept the visitors in the hunt. The strike rotation saw a surge after his arrival at the crease as his fifty stand with Pujara breathed some life into the contest. The senior pro stonewalled his way to a 174-ball half-century, his slowest in Test cricket. It slowed down the tempo of the game but was pivotal in sucking the fuel out of Australia's pace battery.

However, Australia read the riot act with a triple whammy post Lunch thanks to the second new ball. Pant squandered another rosy start by flashing a big, booming cover drive to Hazlewood only to offer David Warner catching practice at first slip for 36. Cummins intimidated Pujara onto his toes with a string of well-directed bumpers before getting one to kick and shape away just a fraction to tickle his glove through to the wicketkeeper. The world number one speedster has had Pujara on toast as he dismissed him for the fourth time in this series. 

R Ashwin seemed to have slided in his element with two delectable drives but was caught napping by a rocket throw from Cummins at mid-off as Jadeja pushed him for a sneaky single. In a matter of five overs, India had lost three crucial wickets and submitted themselves to the hosts' mercy. While Navdeep Saini was bounced out without much hassle, Australia rubbed salt into India's run-out wounds as Labuschagne nailed the bull's eye at the non-striker's end to catch Jasprit Bumrah yards short of his ground as Jadeja called for a brace to retain strike. 

Stranded with the last man, Jadeja was left with no choice but to go for the kill. He trekked back and cut Lyon through point before scything Mitchell Starc for three consecutive boundaries. His flier of a knock receded India's deficit to less than 100 but Siraj succumbing to Cummins spoilt the fun and left them in dire straits. 

Variable bounce was a key factor now with some deliveries shooting quite low and wickets with the new ball were of paramount importance if India stood any chance of clawing their way back into the game. Mohammed Siraj drew first blood to remove Will Pucovski with a brute of an away-seamer before Ashwin trapped David Warner plumb to deliver the opening India so desperately needed.

Although the master and his disciple, Smith and Labushchagne proved a tough nut to crack. The batting nerds picked up from where they left in the first innings to collaborate for a plain sailing 68 as the match drifted farther and farther away from India's grasp. Rueing the services of Jadeja, they didn't do themselves any favours either with Navdeep Saini bowling all over the place and Ashwin failing to impart sustained pressure. With Australia still having eight wickets in hand and sufficient time left in the contest, it would require a herculean effort on the morrow if India are to tilt the scales on their side. 

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