India vs Australia Highlights, 3rd Test at SCG, Day 5, Full Cricket Score: Ashwin, Vihari's resilience helps visitors draw game

FirstCricket Staff January 11, 2021, 13:21:08 IST

After five days of intense Test cricket, the two teams cannot be separated as India pull off something similar to a heist, if the term can be applied in the context of a draw. Five days of facing Smith and Labuschagne’s brilliance with the bat, the pace trio and Lyon bowling as sharply as ever and some hostilities from the crowd, in addition to the spate of injuries and the absence of their talismanic regular captain. If the Gill-Rohit opening stand gave the early impetus, it was the surreal counter-attack by Pant and Pujara that truly turned things around today, with Vihari and Ashwin’s stonewalling efforts in the end while battling physical discomfort the cherry on the cake.India will look to carry the momentum over to the Gabba, a venue that is considered Australia’s fortress, with the series still level 1-1. Given the way Rahane and Co have fought back after the 36 all out debacle, they’ll certainly hope to end the tour on a high. For now, it’s time for me to sign off on behalf of my colleague Shubham!

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January 11, 2021, 13:09:46 (IST)

After five days of intense Test cricket, the two teams cannot be separated as India pull off something similar to a heist, if the term can be applied in the context of a draw. Five days of facing Smith and Labuschagne’s brilliance with the bat, the pace trio and Lyon bowling as sharply as ever and some hostilities from the crowd, in addition to the spate of injuries and the absence of their talismanic regular captain. If the Gill-Rohit opening stand gave the early impetus, it was the surreal counter-attack by Pant and Pujara that truly turned things around today, with Vihari and Ashwin’s stonewalling efforts in the end while battling physical discomfort the cherry on the cake.

India will look to carry the momentum over to the Gabba, a venue that is considered Australia’s fortress, with the series still level 1-1. Given the way Rahane and Co have fought back after the 36 all out debacle, they’ll certainly hope to end the tour on a high. For now, it’s time for me to sign off on behalf of my colleague Shubham!

January 11, 2021, 13:00:17 (IST)

Tim Paine, Australia captain

“Pretty confident when we came today. We created chances but it is tough to swallow. Lyon tried everything, quicks were awesome. We did not hold catches, me in particular. I think there were some positive signs. Today was a whole-hearted effort from the boys. I think it is good to have some young guys come in and start playing international cricket.

January 11, 2021, 12:58:27 (IST)
Ajinkya Rahane, India captain: I think the talk this morning was all about showing character, fighting till the end. Very happy with the fight we showed. Few areas we can improve on. Special mention to Ashwin, Vihari for their resilience. Credit to (Pant) him. We made that strategy (walking out at No 5), but it was all about the player. Left-right combination worked in the end. Rishabh is all right. Injury is something we cannot control. For Jadeja, physio will take the call, and will have to see how Vihari is doing.
January 11, 2021, 12:56:22 (IST)

Steve Smith is Player of the Match

Smith: India fought very hard. Our bowlers kept coming and coming and did their hardest today. There was not much of uneven bounce today. They fought very hard. Means a lot when you score a hundred for your country. We move on now to Brisbane and look forward to play in few days’ time. Maybe a little but aggressive in my innings at times. Just watched the ball hard, concenterated and nice to spend some time at the crease.

January 11, 2021, 12:43:09 (IST)

After 131 overs,India 334/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 23 , Ravichandran Ashwin 39)

Four runs off the over, with Vihari clipping a full delivery down towards fine leg off the first ball, and the players are shaking hands at the end of it! Its a draw, and the series is still locked at 1-1!

Ashwin (39 off 128) and Vihari (23 off 161) guide India to safety from a position where the possibility of a draw looked very difficult if not impossible, all the more so with Vihari’s hamstring issues and Ashwin copping a few painful blows to a barrage of short deliveries! What a match!

January 11, 2021, 12:37:05 (IST)
FOUR! Full and going down leg, Vihari simply redirects it wide of the keeper and away to the fine leg fence. IND 334/5
January 11, 2021, 12:36:24 (IST)

After 130 overs,India 330/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 19 , Ravichandran Ashwin 39)

Some runs collected in this over, with Ashwin pulling the ball behind square for a boundary off the first, and running back for a second run after punching the ball through mid off, Vihari agreeing to the call despite his condition. Hazlewood pulls out of his delivery stride in the fourth delivery. Dot off each of the last two balls. Two overs left now!

January 11, 2021, 12:32:21 (IST)
FOUR! Pulled away behind square by Ashwin off a back-of-length ball from Hazlewood! IND 328/5
January 11, 2021, 12:31:42 (IST)

After 129 overs,India 324/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 19 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Starc to Vihari, the pacer still giving his absolute best even as the day’s play is coming to a close. Vihari pokes at a short, wide delivery of the last ball, guiding it towards the backward point fence for a boundary to bring up the fifty stand with Ashwin! Three overs left now, with the one-hour mark up!

January 11, 2021, 12:30:39 (IST)
FOUR! Just because Vihari can’t run, doesn’t mean he can’t keep the scoreboard moving. Short and outside off, Vihari guides this over point for a boundary, bringing up the fifty partnership with Ashwin (52 off 246)
January 11, 2021, 12:26:11 (IST)

After 128 overs,India 320/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Pace from both ends it seems, with Hazlewood replacing Lyon from the Randwick End. Starts with a length ball down the leg side to Ashwin. Shout for lbw off the second, but Ashwin got a thick inside edge on to his pad. Ashwin drives the ball through wide mid on off each of the last two balls, but refuses to run on either occasion. Four overs to go!

January 11, 2021, 12:20:09 (IST)

After 127 overs,India 320/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Starc fires one down leg to Vihari off the third delivery, the batsman clipping it in the direction of the backward square leg fielder. No ball off the fifth ball after Starc oversteps. The seamer follows it up with a beauty — quite a few of which have been bowled in this spell — outside off off the fifth. Another maiden, with five overs left for India to survive!

January 11, 2021, 12:14:17 (IST)

After 126 overs,India 319/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

The fielders surrounding Ashwin keep encouraging Lyon with the “C’mon Goat!” shouts, but Ashwin’s focus has hardly wavered as he blocks away another set of six deliveries. Six overs left for India to survive.

January 11, 2021, 12:11:24 (IST)

After 125 overs,India 319/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Starc continues to bowl testing lines to Vihari, especially in the fifth delivery in which he fires a yorker measuring almost 144 clicks with late swing away from the batter. Sixth maiden for Starc. Seven overs to go!

January 11, 2021, 12:07:34 (IST)

After 124 overs,India 319/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Lyon continues from the other end as Australia’s hunt for the breakthrough continues! Ash remains resolute in defence, seeing off the six deliveries in this over for a maiden. Eight overs left!

January 11, 2021, 12:04:18 (IST)

After 123 overs,India 319/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Starc returns to the attack in place of Cummins. The left-arm seamer starts off with a couple of short balls, the first one being fended just out of short leg’s reach. DROPPED! Paine drops yet another chance behind the stumps after a thick edge off Vihari’s bat off the penultimate delivery! There haven’t been too many chances created in the innings, and it’s almost criminal to fumble at such a time. Nine overs left.

January 11, 2021, 11:59:23 (IST)

After 122 overs,India 319/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

Ashwin pulls out of his stance thrice in the over, apparently not happy with Paine’s constant chirping behind the stumps. Another big appeal for lbw by Lyon off the fourth delivery. The ball kicks up higher than usual in the last ball, with the Aussies appealing unsuccessfully for a catch. 10 more overs to go! Expect a lot more chirping from the Aussies, who are desperate for a wicket now.

January 11, 2021, 11:55:01 (IST)

After 121 overs,India 319/5 ( Hanuma Vihari 15 , Ravichandran Ashwin 33)

After not collecting a single boundary in 124 deliveries since arriving at the crease, Vihari collects a couple of them in a space of four deliveries in Cummins’ 26th over, both directed towards third man. Shout for lbw off the last ball, but looked high to the naked eye. Eight off the over.

January 11, 2021, 11:52:43 (IST)
FOUR! Couple of boundaries for Vihari in a space of four Cummins deliveries now, this one travelling between slip and gully! IND 319/5
January 11, 2021, 11:50:58 (IST)
FOUR! First boundary of the innings for Vihari as he finally moves to double figures after facing 125 balls! Uppercuts a short ball from Cummins over the slip cordon. IND 315/5

India vs Australia 2020 Live score and latest update of 3rd Test at Sydney: After five days of intense Test cricket, the two teams cannot be separated as India pull off something similar to a heist, if the term can be applied in the context of a draw. Five days of facing Smith and Labuschagne’s brilliance with the bat, the pace trio and Lyon bowling as sharply as ever and some hostilities from the crowd, in addition to the spate of injuries and the absence of their talismanic regular captain. If the Gill-Rohit opening stand gave the early impetus, it was the surreal counter-attack by Pant and Pujara that truly turned things around today, with Vihari and Ashwin’s stonewalling efforts in the end while battling physical discomfort the cherry on the cake.India will look to carry the momentum over to the Gabba, a venue that is considered Australia’s fortress, with the series still level 1-1. Given the way Rahane and Co have fought back after the 36 all out debacle, they’ll certainly hope to end the tour on a high. For now, it’s time for me to sign off on behalf of my colleague Shubham! Day 4 report: India were battling to avoid defeat against Australia after losing two wickets before the close of play Sunday in a third Test marred by allegations of racist abuse from the Sydney crowd. The hosts declared their second innings at tea on day four at 312 for six, leaving India needing a mammoth 407 to win and they reached 98-2 at stumps, still needing a further 309 runs with the four-match series locked at 1-1. No team has ever bettered 288 to clinch victory in the fourth innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with Australia achieving that mark against South Africa in 2006. India’s record run chase started steadily before losing openers Shubman Gill for 31 and Rohit Sharma for 52, leaving their hopes resting on Cheteshwar Pujara, who was nine not out, and captain Ajinkya Rahane, unbeaten on four. Sharma and Gill lived dangerously against some early torrid bowling by Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. But they settled in during a 71-run stand to begin playing their shots, with the graceful Sharma bringing up an 11th Test 50 before being caught at fine leg hooking a Cummins short ball. Gill, who has cemented his place in the side after making a debut this series, again looked at home until he nicked a Hazlewood delivery to Tim Paine behind the stumps on 31. “The batsmen will walk in tomorrow believing they can do it,” said veteran Ravichandran Ashwin. “That belief is very important when you step onto the pitch. “As a team, we are very hopeful we can put together a good performance,” he added. Australia’s declaration came after Cameron Green fell on the stroke of tea for an entertaining 84, his maiden Test half-century, with captain Tim Paine unbeaten on 39. Steve Smith made 81 and Marnus Labuschagne 73, with Ashwin and Navdeep Saini grabbing two wickets each. Just before the break there was a near 10-minute interruption to play that saw six fans removed after Mohammed Siraj, fielding on the boundary, complained to the umpire. It was not clear what was said, but the incident followed India lodging a complaint on Saturday after allegations of racist abuse towards the team by sections of the crowd. The International Cricket Council launched an investigation with Cricket Australia apologising to India and vowing anyone at fault faced “lengthy bans, further sanctions and referral to NSW Police”. “We’ve seen it happen in different parts of the world and I’m really sad to see it happen in Australia,” said Australia coach Justin Langer. “I think our series so far has been played in such great spirits … it’s shame to see it getting marred by incidents like we’re hearing about today and last night.” Green sixes Australia had resumed the day on 103 for two after India were bowled out for 244 in the first innings in reply to Australia’s 338, with Smith on 29 and Labuschagne 47. Labuschagne survived an appalling dropped catch by Hanuma Vihari on the day’s second ball that left bowler Jasprit Bumrah clutching his face in disbelief. It was a setback for a side without the spin of allrounder Ravindra Jadeja after he was hit on the left thumb batting on Saturday. He didn’t take the field with Indian media saying it was dislocated and he would only bat again “if required”, with the injury likely to rule him out of the fourth Test next week. Rishabh Pant also took a blow to his elbow while batting and was another no-show with Wriddhiman Saha keeping wicket. However, Pant was expected to bat in the run chase. Labuschagne brought up back-to-back 50s and looked comfortable until Saini snapped his 103-run partnership with Smith. Matthew Wade quickly went for four, and it proved slow going for Smith. But following his first innings 131, he kept his focus to notch another half-century, ably accompanied by Green, until trapped lbw by his nemesis Ashwin. Green, 21, again showed composure to help solidify his place in the team, bringing up his 50 with a boundary then smacking three huge sixes before being caught off Bumrah as he swung the bat again. With inputs from AFP

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