Australia v India: third men’s cricket Test, day four – live
NEWS | 17 December 2024
now 20.00 EST Australia are saying that Hazlewood has not been removed from the action due to a recurrence of the side strain that kept him out of the second Test. But the pacer remains off the field for the time being. Share 1m ago 19.58 EST 30th over: India 103-5 (Rahul 66, Jadeja 6) Lyon continues around the wicket and Rahul pulls through square leg for a single. Jadeja sweeps to the same area for another run, as Rahul leans back to cut for one more at cover. The India opener is looking especially comfortable now. Share 4m ago 19.56 EST 29th over: India 100-5 (Rahul 64, Jadeja 5) Double change for Australia as Mitch Marsh replaces Hazlewood after the pacer left the field at the drinks break. Rahul eases a cut shot to backward point for a single while Jadeja again turns the strike over with a quick single at gully. Marsh has overstepped on that one, as he tends to do a bit too often. Rahul finds another single at cover to bring up the 100 for India. Share 9m ago 19.51 EST 28th over: India 96-5 (Rahul 62, Jadeja 4) Lyon bowls his second over of the match on a green day four deck. Jadeja cuts the first ball for a single, Rahul nudges to the leg-side to add another as Lyon then ties down his fellow spinner. Share 11m ago 19.49 EST Some early concern for Australia as Hazlewood, their onfield leaders Cummins and Smith, and the team physio are deep in talks during the drinks break. The pace bowler leaves the field alongside the physio and Nathan Lyon steps out his mark. Share 13m ago 19.47 EST Australia have found enough in the pitch to beat the bat and create chances and might be rueing only taking one India wicket from the opening hour. ‪tullyeh asks, “is it possible this pitch is actually greener as the Test goes on with the continuous sprinklings of rain!” It is hard to remember a greener day four deck and without resorting to side-by-side photos from today and the day one, I’m going to say it does have a heavier hue of green. Share 17m ago 19.42 EST 27th over: India 94-5 (Rahul 61, Jadeja 3) Hazlewood comes into the attack for Starc and Rahul immediately dispatches a wide one through point to the boundary. Calling that a “loosener” would almost be too kind to the Australia quick. Hazlewood quickly returns to his familiar line and length just outside off as Rahul punches a single to point. That will be drinks after an entertaining first hour. Share 21m ago 19.39 EST 26th over: India 88-5 (Rahul 56, Jadeja 3) Cummins shows there is plenty of life left in this day four pitch with a short ball that rears up at Rahul who can only get a top edge from the pull shot. The ball falls safely for a single. Jadeja is quickly off strike with a push on the offside, as Cummins resorts to bowling back of a length to Rahul. The opener misses everything with another attempted pull shot then ends the over with a glance off the pads for three. Share 28m ago 19.32 EST 25th over: India 83-5 (Rahul 52, Jadeja 2) Rahul brings up his second fifty of the series and one that already looms as his most critical. A hard swipe outside off takes a thick edge to fly over slips to the boundary, then a drive through cover picks up three more to take Rahul to his milestone. Steve Smith has time to ponder what might have been after gifting the India opener a life when dropping a simple catch off the first ball of the day. Share 32m ago 19.27 EST 24th over: India 74-5 (Rahul 45, Jadeja 0) Cummins has beaten the bat several times this morning and finally gets the breakthrough as Rohit edges behind to Carey. First ball to Jadeja sets the tone of what may be to come for the India all-rounder as Cummins digs in a bouncer. Jadeja ducks under that one then keeps out a yorker. Share 37m ago 19.23 EST WICKET! Rohit c Carey b Cummins 10 (India 74-5) Cummins gets the wicket he has deserved this morning and unusually turns it up in the celebration. Rohit dabs with an angled bat as Cummins again targets the fifth stump as an edge flies through to Carey for a simple catch. Share 39m ago 19.20 EST 23rd over: India 74-4 (Rahul 45, Rohit 10) Cummins causing all kinds of problems again, this time beating Rohit with a leg-cutter much as he had troubled Rahul with earlier. Rohit responds with a punishing square drive to the boundary at deep point. Share Updated at 19.23 EST 44m ago 19.16 EST 22nd over: India 66-4 (Rahul 42, Rohit 5) Cummins causing all kinds of problems again, this time beating Rohit with a leg-cutter much as he had troubled Rahul with earlier. Rohit responds with a punishing square drive to the boundary at deep point. Share 46m ago 19.14 EST 21st over: India 61-4 (Rahul 41, Rohit 1) Another chance! Rahul ends the over with a mis-timed drive to mid-on and there is a delayed call for a single. Rohit is slow off the mark as Hazlewood pounces on the ball and throws to the striker’s end as the India skipper dives across the crease. He looked home but that was another scare for India. One delivery earlier and Rahul plays the shot of the morning so far with a square drive through point to the boundary. Share 54m ago 19.05 EST 20th over: India 52-4 (Rahul 36, Rohit 1) Cummins with another fast start to the over as the Australia skipper beats Rahul’s bat outside off. That one moved a touch too far away from Rahul off the seam. Cummins gets another to jag back into the India opener and he takes a heavy blow around the hip. Rahul happy to leave a couple more outside off for a maiden over. Share 1h ago 19.02 EST 19th over: India 52-4 (Rahul 36, Rohit 1) Starc starts to Rahul with a pair of good length deliveries that angle across the right-hander. Rahul fends away a shorter ball for a single. That one reared up at the batter which will only excite the Australia pacers. Rohit gets off the mark with a gentle drive. Share 1h ago 18.57 EST 18th over: India 52-4 (Rahul 34, Rohit 0) DROPPED! Almost the perfect start for Australia as Pat Cummins finds plenty of bounce out of the deck and takes KL Rahul’s edge on the way through for a regulation chance to Steve Smith at second slip. It arrives at waist height and Smith seems unsure whether to go fingers up or down. The ball bobs straight out of his hands and it is hard to believe that has been grassed. Smith looks devastated. Share Updated at 19.00 EST 1h ago 18.53 EST Pat Cummins has the cherry in hand with KL Rahul resuming on 33 and India skipper Rohit Shama at the non-strikers’ end while yet to score after coming to the crease shortly before the last rain delay on day three. Share Updated at 18.54 EST 1h ago 18.40 EST Virat Kohli was one of the key wickets to fall on day three as the India great continues his battle against Father Time as much as Australia’s pace attack. Geoff Lemon has written superbly about the gradual decline of the four outstanding batters of recent times and whether Kohli can consistently rediscover something resembling his former glories. Familiar problem surfaces with Virat Kohli closest of fading Fab Four to the end | Geoff Lemon Read more Share 1h ago 18.35 EST Weather update: Promising signs for Australia with sunny skies overhead as we near the early start of play at 9.50am local time in Brisbane / 10.50am AEDT. But rain is very much forecast throughout the day as well as a high of 29 degrees. Share 1h ago 18.33 EST Australia were able to build momentum across a rain-interrupted day three at the Gabba with India already four wickets down. The tourists’ first target today will be reaching 245 to avoid giving Australia the option to enforce the follow-on. But here is how day three played out: Rain delays slow rampant Australia after India lose four early wickets in third Test Read more Share
Author: Angus Fontaine. Martin Pegan.
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