India once again stamped their authority on the proceedings with an emphatic display of batting, declaring their innings at a commanding 487/6. At the heart of this performance was the young Yashasvi Jaiswal, whose composed and elegant 161 once again proved why he is rated so highly, while the ever-reliable Virat Kohli added to Australia’s woes with a masterful 100*. The day worsened for the hosts as they were rocked by the loss of three wickets, with just 12 runs on the board by the end of day 3. Australia need 522 runs to win, while India require just seven wickets to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.
Having already taken a substantial lead of over 200 runs, all eyes were on how India would approach Day 3. Well, the approach was more or less the same from the openers, as they didn’t try anything fancy. The pair provided a steady start, with Jaiswal reaching his fourth Test century, his first on Australian soil. The 201-run opening stand was brought to an end by Mitchell Starc, who dismissed KL Rahul for 77. Having reached his ton, Jaiswal seemed to lose a bit of composure, but he continued to ride his luck. Coming in at number three, Devdutt Padikkal offered a better account of himself in the middle during the second innings, and together with Jaiswal, he formed a 74-run stand for the second wicket.
With the lead growing, Pat Cummins opted for an in-and-out field. After reaching three figures, Jaiswal played with more freedom, finding boundaries at will while also rotating the strike well. India went into lunch having lost just one wicket. However, things changed post-lunch. The second session began with the early dismissal of Padikkal. Jaiswal, full of energy, reached 150 for the fourth time in his Test career within the first half-hour of the session.
Just before the drinks break, Jaiswal played a short and wide delivery straight to Smith at point, ending his remarkable innings, with Kohli applauding as the young batter walked off.
Nathan Lyon’s introduction saw immediate results, as he dismissed Rishabh Pant with his first delivery after the break. The next over brought another blow for India, with Cummins trapping Jurel in front, leaving India reeling at 3 wickets for just 8 runs in 3 overs. Despite the collapse, Kohli remained unfazed, standing firm at the crease. As the pitch began to misbehave, Kohli took responsibility for holding one end while allowing the younger players to take risks. True to form, he focused on rotating the strike and capitalising on any loose balls.
Cummins bowled a brilliant spell after tea, challenging Kohli with a few close calls but failing to get him out. Lyon also came close, finding a gap between bat and pad, but the ball narrowly missed the leg-stump—Kohli had his moments of fortune. While all eyes were on Kohli, Washington Sundar quietly played his role at the other end, contributing 29 in a vital 89-run partnership. Nitish Kumar Reddy came in and batted with intent to score quick runs and he did that pretty successfully as India eyed declaration. Since the message of declaration came through, Kohli shifted gears and raced to his 30th century.
Compared to yesterday, the Australian bowlers fared better today, with the pitch’s variable bounce and turn also helping their efforts. However, their fielding was poor, with both the fielders and Alex Carey making errors. There were two close calls when Australia nearly dismissed Jaiswal: first, a mix-up between him and Rahul, but Cummins failed to hit the stumps at the bowling end, despite Jaiswal giving up on the run. The second instance came in the 91st over when Jaiswal gloved one down the leg side, but Carey couldn’t hang on to the catch.