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wisden wrote:Another hundred for Kamindu Mendis! Averages 83 now in tests, 922 runs in 8 test matches!

amazing

Half hour in and the stand is broken at last...Starc finds the edge and Rahul is gone for a composed 77....201/1. Earlier Jaiswal reached his hundred in unorthodox style with a somewhat misdirected ramp shot which went for six (confirmed by replay to have hit the boundary cushion) around fine leg... Aussies will be hoping to bag a couple more before the new ball and get some sort of progress back into the contest .: Jaiswal seems to be minded to go on the attack...

India proceeding comfortably 245/1 , Jaiswal on to 131, Padikkal a fairly restrained 13 from 44. Australia basically waiting for a new ball now with Marnus accompanying Lyon and not offering much of a threat. Now Head for the 78th...

255/1 , 80 overs done and unsurprisingly Hazlewood is immediately up with the new Kookaburra... Australia in desperate need of serious results from this next period of play.

Not the best start...two sets of four byes from deliveries wide of leg stump in the over. Very un-Hazlewood.

Lunch. 275/1 and the Aussies might be glad to get off for a break...Jaiswal 141 and still looks hungry for more. Lead up to 321 and although I am reluctant to write off this Australian side , with a number of fine players who don't give up easily , I reckon this one is gone : just a question of when.

Wow...Padikkal gone first ball after lunch...nice low catch by Smith in slip...Hazlewood with better direction than before the break... A welcome boost for the home team. : they'll be keen to pressure Kohli from the start ..

Woke up to see Paddikal fall, realized openers had done 200+ before that.
Now nearing 300 with Jaiswal at 150.
He should aim to bat the day out.
Paddikal falling for 25 score means atleast a place for Rohit open.

Half a chance then for Australia as Jaiswal glances a short ball from Cummins but Carey can only get half a glove on it...300 up , Marsh in the attack but mainly contributing no balls so far... Kohli into double figures and advising his young partner not to throw it away : turn this 155 into another double century ?

End of a great innings...Jaiswal kicking himself after slapping a loose short ball from Marsh straight to Smith at gully. Gone for 161 ...think he's done his job. 313/3 and Kohli might be getting into second gear at least...

Drinks at 320/3. Rather ominously for Australia, a ball just scuttled through very low then : India probably happy to see that. For now , Pant is in with a nice platform ; and presumably a license...

Drinkwaiter strikes ! Pant charges Lyon...misses...stumped nicely by Carey . Collapse is on

That was actually pretty poor from Pant. Straight after the break , hadn't played himself in ...and moved way too early out of his crease , couldn't reach a wide ball as Lyon saw him coming. Unnecessary. And now Jurel given lbw to Cummins...and as it is umpcall he has to go...suddenly India are 321/5. Maybe a bit of life back the contest ? But the lead is already 367...

Jaiswal falls cutting an innocuous delivery...that's the chink in his play, inability to keep square cuts down all the time.

Pant came looking in a hurry and done by Lyon...stumped. Needed to breathe and settle a bit.
One from Cummins kept low and Lyon is finding some turn now unlike day1 when there was none.
And Jurel gone to a very marginal LBw on umpires call.
He won't get opportunities as a batter easily.
3 gone for 8 as there is a mini collapse.

When a set batsman falls is when you see things happening in the pitch.

Kohli and Washington need to stitch a 30 to 40 run partnership and avoid a total collapse

Well there have definitely been a couple of examples of uneven bounce lately. Suggests we may have seen the best of the batting conditions for this match , although I don't think it will become a minefield. Certainly Kohli will want to get a partnership going now , with not a great deal of batting to come. Bit of edgy running there as a touch of nervousness appears in the aftermath of those quick wickets...

India has had a great first session, but the 2nd session the Australians are making a comeback. First it was Padikkal, falling first ball after lunch to Hazlewood. Then Jaiswal, who played a fabulous hand for his 161, hit a hit-me nothing delivery from Mitchell Marsh to Steve Smith. Pant came in, charged Lyon who saw it coming a day before and bowled it wide, for Carey for an easy stumping. Dhruv Jurel then fell LBW, bit of a marginal call but didn't go in his favor... Suddenly, India seem to be back in Bangalure, after doing all the hard work, they might end up throwing it all away.
Track still very good for batting. Really flattened out. Not much seam movement, bounce still not a big problem though a couple did misbehave. Lyon got 1 or 2 to turn a touch but nothing much for him to work with either. Cracks don't seem to be opening up, 400 should be chasable, and time won't be a problem for Australia as we are left with lots of it in the game.

That's an unusual strike for a Test Match...Kohli uppercuts a six over point and cracking an unfortunate security chap on the head ... luckily he seems to have survived : extra work for the physio with his concussion test

Not sure about the wisdom of bringing Head back into the attack at this point ? Washington not really quite settled yet ; think that's taking the pressure off a bit...that big six might help him feel more comfortable ...

alfie wrote:Not sure about the wisdom of bringing Head back into the attack at this point ? Washington not really quite settled yet ; think that's taking the pressure off a bit...that big six might help him feel more comfortable ...

Ball-s turning and that's why they tried Head I think to see if he can get an unexpected ripper.
Ball's increasingly keeping low and that's a great sight for a team 400+ and 5 wkts in hand.

Ind needs to bat atleast one more session.
Kohli has delivered bonus 40. Washington needs to get a 30 odd to keep jadeja out

Tea.359/5 , Kohli and Washington steadying the ship. With a lead of 405 India are still well in command despite that flurry of wickets. Kohli 40 now , which might be significant as the series continues.

So 359/5 at Tea. Kohli on 40 and Washington on 14 at the crease. India lead by 405. They shouldn't do anything stupid, as KPF wrote yesterday, use this also as a chance to put some early miles into the Australian legs, particularly those 3 quicks...

Kohli gets a 50 and should convert to 100 as a payback for being carried as a dead load
&
Then retire

Max number of overs bowled by Aus since 2021 Sydney in a home game

Not watching at present - but I see from texts the score is up around 400 now and it appears India will be happy to bat all day. Kohli having a welcome chance to make some relatively "easy" runs ?

Washington makes a useful 29 and a good 90 run partnership
But fell about 10 runs short of shutting a discussion on Jadeja as a batsman
459 up and need to bat until end of day
Nitish can bat and it's believed Rana can

Kohli shud aim to carry the bat

So even though Washington has gone , India appear heading for a 500 lead. And a lot of miles in the Australian bowlers' legs. Mind you , the Indian bowlers might have a bit of work to take ten wickets unless those cracks open up overnight. I doubt it is going to rain

This is highest extras Aus has conceded in last 15 years
And the highest 4th inning total by any team ever in Aus was by Pak of 452 as Indian lead is 470
Inglorious records tumbling for Aus .

Nitish unfurls a helicopter shot for a SIX

It was imminent from the time Washington swung and missed that India was aiming to declare tonight.
Reddy reaffirmed his style and role with smashing 38* and Kohli got the message too and last 30 runs at express speed.

Fairytale for Kohli.
530 runs , Aus pummeled, I would have liked them to be ground until tomm, but GG and Bumrah want a 5 over shot at them.

When India Win, there wouldn't be better opportunity for Kohli to retire

Aus facing an ignominous pummeling at a home fortress like Indians faced vs NZ recently
1 down for zero, 9 to go

2 down, 8 to go
Cummin nightwatchman 20 minutes before close wasn't a good idea
Manus comes and 2 torrid overs await him

Kinda wonder about the logic of sending in the openers then sending in a night Watchman when one falls for a duck in the first over.

As so often seems to happen, one team spends 2 days in the field on what seems a road, then becomes a minefield when tired minds have to drag themselves to the middle. The declaration looks inspired, should complete a pummeling tomorrow

3 down, 7 to go.
Aus appear mentally shot, not wanting to be out there.
Manus goes and takes a DRS with him, the only.silverlining for Aus that DRS ensured new batman doesn't have to come out

Marnus did better his first innings score at least

All but over , eh ? A good declaration , nice start with the ball ... nightwatchman ploy did nothing for Australia. Don't think anyone in the tipping competition predicted an Indian win...

Still four more matches. Australia will take heart from having a pink ball game coming as they have an impeccable record in them. But we are likely in for an interesting series.

alfie wrote:All but over , eh  ?  A good declaration , nice start with the ball ... nightwatchman ploy did nothing for Australia. Don't think anyone in the tipping competition predicted an Indian win...

Still four more matches. Australia will take heart from having a pink ball game coming as they have an impeccable record in them. But we are likely in for an interesting series.

Look again, I did

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:All but over , eh  ?  A good declaration , nice start with the ball ... nightwatchman ploy did nothing for Australia. Don't think anyone in the tipping competition predicted an Indian win...

Still four more matches. Australia will take heart from having a pink ball game coming as they have an impeccable record in them. But we are likely in for an interesting series.

Look again, I did

Great faith , KP_fan ... reckon you will take a handy lead into round two !

So the wibe continues for India, ends a 3rd consecutive day on top! Today was absolute dominence.Yesterday Australia could at least console themselves with batting out the morning session for the last 3 wickets. But nothing went for them today. The When India lost 3-8 and an out of form Kohli in the middle, a window had opened up just a touch, but Kohli played very well, got support from Washington Sundar, and then Nitish Reddy who again shown with the bat this time in a different role. A hundred for Kohli, it came after almost a year and a half... This wasn't among Kohli's greatest ton in terms of the conditions, dominence or match situation. But it was a very important one for him. This was one tour where the expectations from Kohli were the lowest in a long time. People have been expecting more from the likes of Jaiswal and Pant. But more than anyone else, its Kohli getting among the runs that is going to bother the Australians... This may or may not be his last series. But Kohli will be in a much better frame of mind for the rest of the series for sure...

I wasn't too keen on the declaration, not exactly because India didn't have runs on the board. But the pitch, the way itwas going in the morning, or even in the 2nd session, it didn't seem like offering much for the bowlers. So it was important to keep the Australians out there as much as possible. But Bumrah and Gambhir got it just right. India batted through the best batting conditions, put up a big score on the board, made the Australians struggle in the heet. Demoralized them further with some declaration hitting, their nemesis Kohli got to a hundred. Then the skipper, as if to quickly snuf out any remaining doubts about the timing of the declaration, got a wicket in his first over, and finished the day with another, sandwiching Siraj's taking down of the nighthog, a role Pat Cummins gave himself, for the first time in his career.
The bounce is a bit up and down, Lyon got a couple more to turn in the last session, and the Australians are under serious pressure. The ball's going be still new first up tomorrow, India would hope to take out at least a couple before the ball goes soft. By then, the cracks will hopefully open up, and Washington also will have more to work with.

Just a bizarre and wild test, something which is becoming common in test cricket.

India were 150ao on day one. At stumps on day three they're heading for a 400 run win. In Australia. Wild.

Will be fascinating to see Australia's response. Day-night test next, but Australia lost the last one of those to the West Indies.

After beating Eng at home in tests and Aus in Aus In ODIS .....Pak loses to Zim in an ODIs
The odds of losing to Zim must have been irresistible literally

Old fashioned test cricket in the Caribbean. Bangladesh grinding their way to 269/9 after 98 overs, with two days left and a threat of some rain, plus bad light usually curtailing things a bit early.

West Indies still have a lead of 181, so imagine they'll be looking to push that beyond 400 and declare in the evening session tomorrow. But good grit from Bangladesh and they've forced the all pace attack of the West Indies to labour hard. Perhaps regretting not picking a spinner.

Didn't take long for another break this morning...Khawaja popped a Siraj bouncer straight up for Pant to gather and it's 17/4 in the day's second over...at least Smith has handled a couple of good Bumrah deliveries to start his innings . But some varying bounce evident so batting looks anything but easy - unlike much of India's second innings Thankless task for batsmen , really : an impossible 500 runs or two days batting as a target...just have to take each ball as it comes and last as long as you can. And try to make the bowlers work with an eye to the next match...

Head survives a tight lbw on umpires call...but with a few keeping low you feel it is almost a matter of time before one arrives... Bumrah has given Rana his chance to have a crack while the ball is new - very generous of him to take a back seat for a spell

Bumrah obviously doesn't want his bowlers worn down - is rotating the pace men , and now Washington up for an early bowl... Oh now has Rana pinned Smith ? No...doing too much and India lose a review : looked closer live. They are really aiming to hit the Smith pads here , with the low bounce an extra menace. 46/4

A fighting stand ends at 62 as Smith is undone by an excellent delivery from Siraj, well caught by Pant. Modest innings , just 17 from 59 balls - it has been Head (45 from 61) who has taken the game to the bowlers. Awkward 20 minutes now for Marsh as Bumrah brings himself back into the attack...80/5

Made it to lunch 104/5. Head an excellent 63no ... at least they are making India earn their wickets now (though Khawaja won't be proud of his dismissal). Some play left then for the understandably sparse crowd.

Since I woke up Head & Marsh have been cracking from both sides and runs coming fast.
Chancing arm a bit you feel.

India needs to close in the field

Head and Marsh playing positively...makes sense , no point trying to block it out as they aren't going to last two days Not going to make another 390 either but at least this way they put a bit back on the bowlers and do something for their own confidence for later. Pitch not looking too tricky now as the ball has passed that 35 over mark. India are maybe rather waiting for an error at present , having perhaps expected a complete fold up once Smith got out...

Washington Sundar not attacking much, not much variations, a bit flat and quick limited overs stuff. He will have to do a better job with both bat and ball to keep Ashwin and Jadeja out...
Bumrah should have trusted Nitish Kumar Reddy with a few early overs. think he has overbowled Washington here. The ball's gone soft, and still not a massive deal from the track. Indians are made to work hard for their wickets. Head yet again proving to be quite some nemesis for them. He's really going for everything now, and motoring along. Marsh also getting a few quick runs...

No century for Head...nice length and a touch of movement for Bumrah and Pant has another catch for his collection...161/6....End of a spirited innings of 89 and India nearly in sight of the tail...

Small sample 2nd test, first one he allowed Eng to chase down 380....not too proactive Bumrah.

He should close the fields in and yes give Reddy a bowl and rotate bowling