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| Third Test, Sydney Cricket Ground (Day Five) |
| Australia 338 (Smith 131, Labuschagne 91) Y 312-6 Dec (Green 84, Smith 81) |
| India 244 (Cummins 4-29) AND 334-5 (Pants 97, Pujara 77) |
| Drawn match; serial level at 1-1 |
| Scorekeeper |
India showed incredible challenge to end the final day in a memorable draw with Australia in Test 3 and turn an exciting series into a decisive one.
The Tourists resumed at 98-2, chasing an unlikely 407 to win, and lost captain Ajinkya Rahane early on.
Rishabh Pant responded with a sublime 97 and Cheteshwar Pujara scored 77 during an absorbing second session in which it looked like India could even achieve the third highest chase in the fourth inning in Test history.
But after both fell before tea to leave Australia needing five wickets in the final session, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin battled superbly to survive 256 balls to bring India to 334-5 at the end.
Vihari’s undefeated 23rd on 161 balls was even more impressive given that he hit most of his innings with a hamstring injury, while Ashwin made 39 of 128 deliveries.
Australia captain Tim Paine dropped three catches behind stumps while his acclaimed fast throwers and clumsy Nathan Lyon worked hard.
The series remains tied at 1-1 heading into the fourth and final event in Brisbane from January 15.
India only needs a draw to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, while Australia will seek to secure victory on ground where it has not lost a test since 1988.
Pant brings hope for the improbable
Given that Rahane fell to Lyon in the second round of the day, that India looked set to execute one of the biggest chases of all time during the second session underscored the special blow that Pant played.
He hadn’t held a wicket since Pat Cummins hit him on the elbow on the third day, but he was promoted to number five and played his natural attack game with poise to put pressure on Australia again.
Paine missed a catch to knock Pant off by just three and punished the mistake mercilessly, carrying Lyon for three huge sixes as he reached his third Test fifty with just 64 balls.
Paine knocked him down again at 56, also against Lyon, and he continued to attack, taking the brink of an impressive century and India to 250-3 with plenty of time to score the required additional 157.
But in the last finish before the new ball, he leapt across the field towards Lyon and cut Cummins into the ravine.
Pujara proved to be an excellent contrast to a characteristically attentive style, as he racked up 77 of 205 balls before being released by a sublime delivery from Josh Hazlewood.
More to follow.
