- Bad light brings an early end to day three with Australia 236-6
So an early end to another day of Indian dominance at the SCG. The lost overs will make it more difficult for them to force a victory but the delay will allow their attack to rest up in preparation for enforcing the follow on should Australia’s batting woes continue.
Day three actually began promisingly for the home side. Marcus Harris showed plenty of intent during the opening session and he was ably supported by Marnus Labuschagne on a pitch perfect for batting. But both fell in a sloppy afternoon session that yielded four wickets for India and reinforced the issues at the heart of this brittle Australian XI.
“As this game hurtles towards a swift conclusion (barring a Cummins century and inclement weather)” begins Abhijato Sensarma, “I am left to wonder about minuscule things which I frankly have no time for - yet, one can’t help overthinking ideas during such sessions of Test cricket.
Ever since the dawn of professional cricket, the scorecard has been said to say ‘only half the story’. The minutes batted column, the last saving grace of first-class matches, are slowly disappearing too. Can it not be that annotations are used for cricketing scorecards?
There we go. Play abandoned for the day. Action begins tomorrow at 10am local time (half an hour early).
UPDATE: Play on day three at the SCG has been abandoned with play on day four to commence at 10am AEDT #AUSvIND
Play remains suspended. At this late stage in the day you’d have to think it’s unlikely we’ll see any more action until tomorrow.
Brian Withington is still logged on. “Excellent points about the forthcoming Ashes tour, and surely messrs Smith and Warner will be welcomed back to the fold with open arms by all (the English like their chips far too much to sport them on the shoulders). The Australian bowling attack should also find more assistance from English conditions. Unless some Australian groundskeepers can be imported to prepare flatter tracks, we had best hope that England can conjure up one or two bowlers capable of exploiting lateral movement off the pitch. Rumour has it there’s an old lag from Burnley who might just fit the bill.”
Kenrick Riley knows the drill and is pleasingly filling the delay with correspondence.
“A selection dilemma for you,” he begins, teasingly.
“Bowlers meeting...
Mitchell: “Josh, one of us has to drop down so Pat can open up”.
Still off for bad light.
Australia's overall batting average in 2018 was 24.89, the lowest figure they've recorded since 1978. #AUSvINDhttps://t.co/HhP6lxTRM7
“Morning Jonathan,” afternoon Finbar Anslow. “Just had a creepy moment in my otherwise silent house: I’m lying in bed diligently scrolling through the day’s play when suddenly Frosty starts singing ‘Let it Snow’ in the front room. Weird, as he is sound activated ( normally by my sneezing). Investigating, I found Sandy with all her fur standing on end, after presumably having done a rabbit sneeze. I tried calming her down by explaining the state of play but to no avail. Also my wife doesn’t understand cricket. Yesterday I told her that India had scored more than 600 and she wowed dutifully but without that essential glint of comprehension. Any advice as to how to convert non believers?”.
If the sound of this timber rattling doesn’t make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end, there’s no hope for her. Could you manipulate Frosty so that instead of singing Christmas tunes you just hear the “clack” of a stump cartwheeling out of the ground whenever he’s prompted?
Australia’s batting coach is former England international Graeme Hick. He’s just been interviewed on the telly. It’s safe to say the reaction on social media has not been positive.
“Considering what these guys are getting paid for there pretty spineless efforts I think they should start introducing fines for throwing your wicket away,” suggests Tom Ivers. “Especially tough ones for doing so once already set. There’s bugger all pressure on these guys with no one really coming through. The question is, do they really care that much? Are Travis Head or Shaun Marsh that bothered to be back in the pavilion? They’ve got their 18-grand match fee, and now they can kick their feet up and relax for a while! Pretty dismal state of affairs.
Perhaps 18-grand is what you get paid if you have an outstanding match? Your performance could be judged on a scale of $0 to $18000. Last match Cummins would’ve got full pay but no one else. So far this match Harris is leading the way with about $12k which could go either up or down depending on his second innings. What I’m getting at is they clearly need some incentive”. I’m not sure I share your view that there could be a link between financial incentive and performance (not at these numbers anyway) but this is clearly a moment in Australian cricket history where mediocrity is being rewarded like never before.
Chatting on @abcgrandstand just now about how poor 2018 was for openers. Average first-wicket partnership for 2018 in Tests was 26.96. Between 2000 and 2017, it was 38.18. #AusvInd#realopeners
Sixteen and a half overs remaining in the day. I’ll keep you updated as to whether the light improves and we have an opportunity to see any more cricket.
83.3 over: Australia 236-6 (Handscomb 28, Cummins 25) The delay for the review prompts the umpires to reconsider the gloom and with the light fading they invite both teams to leave the field.
From around the wicket the ball hit Handscomb just about in line with leg stump and DRS revealed it was going on to miss the pegs by a mile. As expected, dreadful review.
Very optimistic LBW shout in my opinion. Handscomb given not out on field to Jadeja.
83rd over: Australia 236-6 (Handscomb 28, Cummins 25) The first runs in an age are awarded to byes, courtesy of an absolute beauty from Kuldeep that pitches wide of off stump, turns, misses Cummins’s edge by a fraction and scoots low through Pant’s legs and away to the boundary. The first runs off the bat in an age come - of course - to Pat Cummins. His latest textbook four is a classical cover drive with his body still and his front foot advanced to the pitch of the ball.
82nd over: Australia 228-6 (Handscomb 28, Cummins 21) It looks from here as though a consideration whether to take the new ball or not is the light, or lack of it. Kohli is in discussion with the umpires between overs and there’s the suspicion the conversation involved him being informed if he switches to pace the batsmen will be offered the light. The outcome of all that speculation is another Jadeja maiden, India’s third in a row.
81st over: Australia 228-6 (Handscomb 28, Cummins 21) The new Kookaburra is now available but while Kuldeep is having so much fun Kohli understandably keeps his wrist spinner operating with the old ball. Cummins negotiates an uncertain maiden.
In 2018, Australia made just four individual tons. In calendar years where Australia have played at least 10 Tests, they have never registered fewer centuries. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/d6L33kvS2s
80th over: Australia 228-6 (Handscomb 28, Cummins 21) Handscomb happy to dot out a routine Jadeja over as the dark clouds continue to gather.
79th over: Australia 228-6 (Handscomb 28, Cummins 21) Yet another four to Cummins, glancing the increasingly dangerous Kuldeep for four to fine-leg after Handscomb had navigated most of an awkward over.
Ricky Ponting on Australia's complaints that wickets have been too flat: "If they’re flat, get some runs on them." #AUSvIND
78th over: Australia 219-6 (Handscomb 25, Cummins 17) Four more to
Bradman Cummins, this time driving Jadeja straight down the ground. There was a hint of a c&b opportunity but Jadeja’s dive to his right was in vain.
“One of the shameful joys of an English winter might be supposed to be waking early to discover the latest developments in the tragi-comic saga that Australian test cricket has apparently become,” emails Brian Withington. “However, am I alone in sensing that the spectacle is beginning to pall as a source of legitimate healthy entertainment and Brexit distraction, and is instead veering towards traffic-accident level voyeurism?”. That depends how deep the chips on one or more of your shoulders go Brian.
“At this rate, Englishmen who should be abed will be wistfully pining for a return of the swaggering days of the baggy green, waking in trepidation to the latest tales of the flaying of our tiring bowlers and cowing of our callow batsmen. Please can you reassure your anxious English followers that normal service will be resumed in time for the Ashes tour?”. Well Brian, we’re expecting Steve Smith and probably David Warner to return for the Ashes. One or both could be game changers. Plus, Australia’s bowling attack hasn’t performed badly this series but on English pitches one can expect them to enjoy more lateral movement and therefore provide a greater wicket-taking threat.
77th over: Australia 215-6 (Handscomb 25, Cummins 13) Those foreboding clouds remain nearby, it must be said, and they look like they could spill over the SCG at any minute. India would not want that to happen, especially while Handscomb isn’t picking Kuldeep’s wrong’un. So close to an outside edge but the Victorian survives and settles for a maiden.
Since the start of 2018, Pat Cummins has made as many Test half-centuries as Tim Paine, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Aaron Finch, and two more than Peter Handscomb. #AUSvIND
76th over: Australia 215-6 (Handscomb 25, Cummins 13) More nimble footwork from Handscomb turns a stock Jadeja delivery into a whip off his toes for two. That forces the bowler to adjust his length, gifting the batsman a simple single.
If you’ve watched those dark clouds sail by the SCG and wondered what damage they might cause, well, this is a few miles west...
This is some storm we are seeing at Blacktown... pic.twitter.com/BBTY8AbFNa
75th over: Australia 212-6 (Handscomb 22, Cummins 13) Another boundary to Cummins, capitalising on an overpitched Kuldeep delivery and ushering it with textbook form to the extra cover boundary.
74th over: Australia 208-6 (Handscomb 22, Cummins 9) Handscomb has handled himself well against both spinners so far. He’s used his feet to good effect and shown his mettle in regularly delaying the insistent Jadeja at the top of his mark, denying the bowler the opportunity to scamper through his work at his preferred tempo.
73rd over: Australia 208-6 (Handscomb 22, Cummins 9) What’s all the fuss about, asks Cummins as he rocks back and pulls Kuldeep with the spin for a four that was about a bail’s width away from a six. He finds out soon enough, almost inside-edging behind, almost losing his off stump to a ripping turner.
“Harris and Head,” begins Grant Moss, like a malevolent headteacher. “Clearly a lot of talent but they simply do not yet have the temperament to understand the situation and to play accordingly. Harris has a weakness outside the off. He needs to put the shot away for a while, or at least to be more judicious in its use, much the same as others before him put away shots that were continually causing them problems until they rectified how they played them. At least one can hope that both players will learn a lot from this series and provide some much needed stability and success in an otherwise quite poor batting line-up. Marsh has not delivered on the faith placed in him and should be dropped.”
72nd over: Australia 203-6 (Handscomb 21, Cummins 5) Jadeja replaces Bumrah and he has a vigorous LBW appeal against Cummins turned down before Australia’s best batsman* drives squarely for a precise boundary.
The ball from Kuldeep Yadav that dismissed Tim Paine spun 9.9°. No other ball in this Test has spun as much. #AUSvIND
71st over: Australia 199-6 (Handscomb 21, Cummins 1) Cummins gets off the mark with a single that was an ODI two but almost declined by a pair unsure whether to stick or twist against Kuldeep’s variations.
“Hi Adam,” well, it’s Jonathan here now Ian Forth, but you’re forgiven. “Do you think the strange mist moving across the ground might mean you’re actually now in a science fiction film? Don’t be surprised if the ground is covered in triffids tomorrow, or aliens have taken over the Australian batting lineup (that may already have happened, to be fair).”
70th over: Australia 198-6 (Handscomb 21, Cummins 0) Replays of Paine’s dismissal do not reflect well on the batsman who ended up in all sorts by misreading the ball in flight. However, that he did get so tangled up was a consequence of some beautiful flight and dip from Kuldeep. That he then found enough turn to twist through the gate was the cherry on the cake. Maiden over from Bumrah to Handscomb.
“Fourth innings career saving century for SMarsh you say? At this rate it seems it’ll be a third innings career saving century”. Kunal Tolani emailing the truth lols.
69th over: Australia 198-6 (Handscomb 21) Kuldeep gets play back underway after Tea, bowling his left-arm wristies to Tim Paine from around the wicket. That angle amplifies any turn and forces Australia’s skipper to remain watchful during what is destined to be a maiden over but becomes a wicket maiden after Paine yorks himself on the final delivery, not even turning around to address the wreckage, the death rattle of the timbers sufficiently informative.
WICKET: Paine goes for 5.
Watch LIVE on Fox Cricket & join our match centre: https://t.co/PCdhco0cuw#AUSvIND#FoxCricketpic.twitter.com/u9rKYOR6aq
Please keep me company during this final session, either on Twitter - @JPHowcroft- or by email - jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
Oh, and don’t forget, today is pink day at the SCG.
Thanks to India’s spin-heavy attack the over-rate today has been where it should always be. That means this 32-over final session should only last two hours and not eat into the emergency half-hour now routinely accepted as standard. Unless one or more of these storms that have drifted past the SCG decide to shed their loads.
In many ways Travis Head is the case in point of Australia’s batting woes. Plenty of pedigree, plenty of promise and plenty of starts, but with an unfortunate ability to find ways to lose his wicket when big scores are there for the taking.
He can clearly play, but Head has contributed at least four of the dumbest dismissals this summer. Frustrating. He was very aware of tea and the incoming rain then, and still couldn’t help himself.
Harris’s knock today must have confirmed his seat on the Qantas, while Marnus Labuschagne showed there was method behind the madness of his selection. Conversely, the pressure on Shaun Marsh continues to build. For so long a boom or bust batsman, the peaks this series have not balanced out the troughs. 183 runs at 26 just isn’t good enough for a 38-Test veteran who will be 36 by the first Test at Edgbaston. Although there’s still time for a fourth innings career-saving century...
Katich: "They just keep making simple mistakes. I think just about all the Australian batsmen have got themselves out today. They've all looked good at the crease, but they've all perished because of simple mistakes" #AUSvIND
Anyway… on to the business in hand, that of Australia stumbling towards a 3-1 series defeat like a drunk traversing cobblestones in the rain desperately trying not to spill his kebab.
After a promising morning session led by the industrious Marcus Harris, things unravelled badly in the afternoon. Any ambitions of levelling the series surely now reside only in fantasy. We’re already into “what does this all mean for the Ashes?” territory.
2nd session (btw lunch-tea) at SCG
India 108/1 in 28 overs
India 102/1 in 29 overs
Australia 76/4 in 28 overs#AusvInd#AusvsInd
Thank you very much Mr Lemon, my favourite cricketing Geoffrey since Geoffrey Higgs, a principal character in the BBC TV series Sloggers (played by actor Sam Fairbrother). Unfortunately I can’t seem to locate any clips online of the show, which ran to two seasons in the mid-90s. If anybody can help me out, I would be eternally grateful.
If you’re unfamiliar with Sloggers, it was one of those gently distracting series the BBC was adept at creating for middle-school aged children. It was named after a fictional junior cricket team from Slogthwaite, Lancashire, and filmed in a bucolic village mise en scène at White Coppice near Chorley.
Australia had a rare session win in the first today, with one wicket for 98 added, but India win the second with four wickets for 76. That middle order slide, and again there were plenty of starts with no one able to stick around for a really big score. Ben Jones of CricViz is telling me that Australia has never had a four-Test series in which so many batsmen have faced between 30 and 100 balls. There’s a story in that, if you can Magic Eye it.
So it’s up to Paine to try once more to be the resistance, take people’s messages, mix the cordial, and otherwise do all that needs to be done. I’ll leave you with him, and the typing fingers of Jonathan Partridge Howcroft.
68th over: Australia 198-5 (Handscomb 21, Paine 5) Bumrah with the last salvo before the scones. Full toss, letting Handscomb off strike. Thanks champ, says Paine, who gets a snorter from Bumrah, leaping off a good length and cutting back in to smash his gloves. Bouncer again, and Paine sways away. Bumrah is generating heat and he’s fired up. Tries more of the same, and this time Paine hooks for four. Bottom edge, got it fine, but contact enough. Then a single off his pads as Bumrah pitches up. A bit of a wasted over from Bumrah when he might have challenged the stumps and the edge more than the costae verae.
67th over: Australia 192-5 (Handscomb 20, Paine 0) Tough time to come in, and Paine makes it look tougher. Hit on the pad, huge appeal, but he’s walked across his stumps and is struck outside the line. Then Paine spoons a ball away square of the wicket and is nearly caught, the lunge in coming up short. Phew.
Oh dear. Some dismissals are soft, that was a custard tart left on the dashboard in the sun. Caught and bowled off a full toss. Earlier in the session Head drove one of those for four. This time he was coming half forward at it, not committing to a shot. The ball dipped but reached him on the full, and was spooned right back to where it came from. Hot slop.
66th over: Australia 192-4 (Head 20, Handscomb 20) Bumrah under thick grey cloud, it’s a soupy sky up above us here in Sydney. Handscomb nearly gets a ball square but the infielding has been good today, there’s another save. The last ball of the over gets away though, even if it wasn’t entirely deliberate. Good yorker from Bumrah, but just outside off stump, and as Handscomb squeezes it out he steers it to third man for four.
65th over: Australia 188-4 (Head 20, Handscomb 16) Kuldeep has changed ends and replaced Jadeja, bowling from the Randwick End. Back onto the stumps goes Handscomb, pulling Kuldeep around the corner for a couple of runs. Flicks the next but Bumrah at backward square does well to stop it. So Handscomb drives wide of mid-off for one, taking off quickly for the run. Head skips down and drives nicely out through cover! It looked like four off the bat, but the point sweeper will cut it off and keep it for two.
64th over: Australia 183-4 (Head 18, Handscomb 13) Bumrah to replace Kuldeep after that short double-spin burst. Bumrah targeting the pads meets Head with a leg glance. Handscomb gets a run from a misfield at cover, then Head times the next shot off his pads better, finding the midwicket boundary. He’s doing a job again.
63rd over: Australia 177-4 (Head 13, Handscomb 12) Handscomb growing in confidence, given strike for the last ball of the over, and immediately driving Jadeja through the covers for another boundary.
62nd over: Australia 172-4 (Head 12, Handscomb 8) Kuldeep in the double-spin attack, though neither batsman has ditched his helmet for a cap as Harris did in the first session. A full toss to start the over, and Head drives it straight for four. That helps a batsman.
61st over: Australia 167-4 (Head 7, Handscomb 8) Jadeja bowls, only a touch short, and Handscomb is back in a flash to pull for four! In the air but controlled, and smoked. It’s funny, no matter how good the shot you can still hear Rishabh burbling away behind the stumps. He chuckled at that shot, a little throaty gurgle. He’s like a Jim Henson puppet; he should be stationed under a bridge.
60th over: Australia 163-4 (Head 7, Handscomb 4) Ah yes. Kuldeep Yadav is back, with his left-arm wrist spinners. Lopped off Khawaja earlier. Fascinating bowler. Someone who has more time than me: when was the last time that two specialist spinners in a Test were both left-armers? Let me know. His first over back is a maiden as Head blots him out.
59th over: Australia 163-4 (Head 7, Handscomb 4) Jadeja. Handscomb. Maiden. You know the drill.
Ouch.
Justin Langer has spoken in the past about wanting plenty of '30s' from his batsmen. This series, Australia have made seven scores between 30 and 39 - only once in their last 27 series have they made more. #AUSvIND
58th over: Australia 163-4 (Head 7, Handscomb 4) Wonder what the bowlers will make of this breeze? It’s blowing across Shami from his left shoulder to his right, as he bowls to the left-handed Head. A stiff wind, the flags on the Members Paviliion are taut. Shami pins Head for five balls by bowling straight at the pegs, but slips wide to close the over and Head throws a cover drive at it, not timed cleanly, for two.
57th over: Australia 161-4 (Head 5, Handscomb 4) Handscomb is solving that Jadeja fast-overs problem by making the bowler wait. There’s a shout for lbw as Handscomb is stuck on the crease, but he got a big inside edge. He comes down the wicket to the next ball, which is what he likes to do. Needs the confidence to get those feet moving, he looks hesitant. Works two runs to leg. Leaves the next ball, and the last.
56th over: Australia 159-4 (Head 5, Handscomb 2) Shami attacking the stumps, Head playing away a bit dicily to leg. There’s a strange haze cmoing across the ground, like ocean spray. But not wet. There’s a very cool sea breeze coming through now too. Head finally clips through the field for one, and Handscomb reciprocates.
“Hi Geoff, welcome back,” wrote Scott Lowe earlier. “Quick question: if Marnus gets a hundred, does that justify his selection? Do all those who criticised the selection have to eat humble pie? As an Aussie fan, I want him to succeed, but I fear if he does we are just going to get more of these bizarre picks.”
Well, aside from him having been dismissed in the interim, the question still stands. Had he made a big score, inevitably various people would have started hopping into those of us who criticised the pick. But no, it wouldn’t mean the criticism was wrong. The criticism isn’t of the player, it’s of the process used to pick the player. A selection without good reasoning to back it up might work, but it’s still a bad way of making those choices.
55th over: Australia 157-4 (Head 4, Handscomb 1) Almost gone! Twice, really. Handscomb, the good player of spin, gets two outside edges in a row against Jadeja. One along the ground, one just bouncing in front of slip. He survives, somehow, and make it to drinks.
54th over: Australia 156-4 (Head 3, Handscomb 1) Head flicks the straight ball from Shami for one. Handscomb with his UltraBackLift is back on. Defending one, accessing the ball well enough. Leaving one, with the bat wafting around it in a fancy leave. Elbow high to the last.
Kerry O’Keeffe had a mare on the telly last week, but he’s back to better form today. “That seam is straighter than Fred Nile.” Very NSW-niche, but paid. Thanks SH for the email.
53rd over: Australia 155-4 (Head 2, Handscomb 1) Jadeja leaves me no time to type, no time to dream, no time to breathe as he races through an over for the cost of one run. Head’s doubled his score.
52nd over: Australia 154-4 (Head 1, Handscomb 1) The rebuild starts again. Here’s Peter Handscomb, known as a good player of spin but facing Mohammad Shami. Off the mark immediately via the inside edge.
Tactically I like the way Kohli kept manoeuvring those leg side fielders. As a batter that’s a nightmare to constantly have to change your angles when the ball is coming in like that! Eventuated in a wicket. Well played.
Against the run of play, he falls. Australia starting to slide. Labuschagne had just middled a straight drive against Shami for four, but a couple of balls later he’s locked off on his front foot, has to come across his pad, and whips the full ball through midwicket. Sometimes that shot can work, but not when the region is so well patrolled. Rahane is one of the fieldsmen there, and he dives to his right and pulls in the very sharp catch.
51st over: Australia 148-3 (Labuschagne 34, Head 0) A Jadeja maiden as Head can’t beat the field.
It’s Mitch Marsh’s blood. Death matches are a new but wildly popular Australian selection method.
50th over: Australia 148-3 (Labuschagne 34, Head 0) Shami from the Paddington End. They’ve got two midwickets in for him, one short and one regulation. No first slip but a second. More backward point than gully. Cover, mid-off. Mid on and two leg-side sweepers behind square. Short ball an option. The option is taken up, and Marnus uppercuts it for four! Down to third man. That looked easy. Shami’s annoyed, and hurls at the stumps after a drive is played back to him.
49th over: Australia 144-3 (Labuschagne 30, Head 0) Travis Head blocks out the remaining five balls of the Jadeja over.
Oh, that’s poor. Another single-figure dismissal for Marsh. Nearly half of his Test innings end that way. A nothing ball from Jadeja, over the wicket. No turn, no huge bounce. Marsh just prods defensively down the wrong line and offers a big edge near the shoulder of the bat. Regulation. Looked good for his 8, though...
48th over: Australia 144-2 (Labuschagne 30, Marsh 8) There’s his photo opp! Labuschagne holds the dye-stained blood-rust Kookaburra blade high in its follow through after driving through cover for four. Shami dished up a full one and Marnus took full toll. Then adds another boundary down the ground. This is impressive so far.
47th over: Australia 136-2 (Labuschagne 22, Marsh 8) Jadeja races through another over. The ball races to the cover boundary from Marsh’s bat. Is he on for one today?
46th over: Australia 132-2 (Labuschagne 22, Marsh 4) Bumrah is making Marnus play in this over, but the defensive intent from the batsman remains.
John offers a follow-up on email. “The textual tone of surprise is mostly because I thought it was going to be plastered with adverts. In the past when the BBC have taken a stream from a commercial station, they covered the ads with a station ident which becomes very annoying very quickly. The last time I emailed you about cricket commentary in Australia you wrote an article that ruffled a fair few feathers. It’s only fair I offer compliments when something is good.”
Related: Just not cricket – how Channel Nine are destroying a legacy | Geoff Lemon
45th over: Australia 132-2 (Labuschagne 22, Marsh 4) Nice start for Marsh, who blocks out most of the over but drives the second-last ball away through long-off. Looks good, as he does. Tonned up here last year. Beautiful batting surface. It’s a tailor-made Marsh day.
44th over: Australia 128-2 (Labuschagne 22, Marsh 0) Was that a little boo I heard from the crowd as S Marsh came to the middle? Fancy it might have been. Only from a small portion of the crowd, but there was something. Marnus plays one loose shot early in Bumrah’s over, and is chastened enough by missing the ball that he goes back to leaving everything else. He’s striving to do the Test batting thing.
43rd over: Australia 128-2 (Labuschagne 22) What a shame for Harris. He’s played so well, so entertainingly, but has fallen in slightly familiar fashion, flashing outside the off stump. That shots has garnered him plenty of runs, it must be said. Jadeja came around the wicket last ball of the over, left-armer angling across left-hander, and Harris aims a wafty cut, but the ball’s too full for it. Bottom edge, leg stump, see ya later.
42nd over: Australia 128-1 (Harris 79, Labuschagne 22) Bumrah from the other end. Can’t wait for another commentator to note that he has an unusual run-up. Harris gets off strike immediately. Marnus leaves everything else well alone.
41st over: Australia 127-1 (Harris 78, Labuschagne 22) Here we go. Jadeja with the left-arm lobs, Harris playing a few circumspectly and then getting off strike. Labuschagne looks good first up, driving out through the covers, and after a long drawn-out roll, the ball meets the boundary cushion.
“I’ve got to say I’ve really enjoyed listening to ABC,” writes in John Goldstein with a textual tone of surprise. “The BBC have had the streams and have been putting them out live on Sports Extra in the
UK. It’s actually better than TMS in many respects.” Jim Maxwell is standing next to me as it happens, so I’ll pass that on.
Remember you can tweet or email me anytime to get involved with the OBO.
First order of business: the Pujara Pool Party from yesterday. Andrew Benton nominated a score of 192, and the eventual Pujara total was 193. Congratulations Andrew, you win: a quiet sense of satisfaction and the undying respect of your cricket/internet peers.
What ho! Remember, you can’t spell ‘Howzat’ without it. A session in which Australia was not embarrassed batting. Wonder of wonders. Harris was a lot of fun in that couple of hours, and Marnus must have a million things going through his head but he hung in there after nearly being castled first up. Australian batsmen only made four Test hundreds in 2018, three of them in the corresponding fixture here. Can Harris get 2019 off to a better start?
That’s the best Australia have batted in a session all series. Bowling was quality and Harris/Labuschange hung in there. Need another 4 sessions like it. Good quality test cricket. #AUSvIND
40th over: Australia 122-1 (Harris 77, Labuschagne 18) Shami to bowl the final over of the session, Harris off strike first ball with one to point, raising the 50 partnership between these two. They’ve been excellent. Labuschagne is then defending a series of balls tailing in at his woodwork, handling it well enough to earn himself a sandwich.
The end of a stanza where the home side advanced the score by an even 100 by my count, losing Khawaja (27) along the way when he misread an very handy Kuldeep wrong’un and was caught at midwicket. Aside from that, it has been strangely smooth sailing for the hosts. Yes, the pitch is flat but that has been no problem for India’s bowlers so far in the series. More of that, please.
39th over: Australia 121-1 (Harris 76, Labuschagne 18) Pace from both end to finish, Bumrah back for a one-over burst. And he’s so close to slipping a yorker under the blade of Labuschagne, Pant with his hands on his head. Earlier, they were living dangerously too with Labuschagne taking on Jadeja (DON’T TAKE ON JADEJA) at cover, but the throw never came. Between times, Harris deflected one to third man with soft hands.
Tom Richardson reckons we should give the emerging player award to Tim Paine. Interesting thought. Who’s going to take the ACMA away, take ACMA home tonight?
38th over: Australia 119-1 (Harris 75, Labuschagne 17) Shami is pulled by Harris for one, nicely along the ground. Labuschagne is able to leave a couple before using his bat, picking up one to cover off the front foot when he does. “He looks confident,” says Mike Hussey on the telly. “This is a really good start from him.” Lunch is due in five minutes.
“Just to let you know how appreciated your team efforts have been over Christmas,” writes John Davis, most kindly. “I’ve really enjoyed going to bed in the UK catching the start of play and waking up and catching up with it all - this series has felt much more important as a result. Very much looking forward to this summer’s escapades - I can’t say I’m delighted to see Smith and Warner back, but I’m glad Paine and the bowlers will get some support. Currently recovering from a huge early (and very surprising) birthday curry with friends - thanks to all of them and, especially, my amazing wife Paula for organising it without dropping me a hint until they all walked into the pub.”
37th over: Australia 117-1 (Harris 74, Labuschagne 16) OUCH! We have a delay in the middle of the over when Labuschagne thumps Kuldeep into the upper thigh of Vihari at short leg. I’m not being euphamistic - it was actually his thigh. Amusingly, the new man goes for the same sweep shot after the delay, but thankfully for Vihari, he missed. The shot gets him a single later in the over, Harris jumping down to drive the final ball to long-on, who has been kept busy throughout the session.
“It’s always tempting fate when peoplepass judgement on the moral number of Tests that should be awarded,” emails Ian Forth. “I recall the late Peter Roebuck suggesting that England now merited a three match series against Australia. When? After the 2005 Lords Test.” The venue stuff frustrates me. We need to grow the game everywhere, and that includes Hobart. Yes, their crowds aren’t great, but nor are the Tests they’re given.
"He's very close to being in a position to do a very good Bee Gees impersonation." - @bowlologist
#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/FPPHDJvN8d
36th over: Australia 114-1 (Harris 72, Labuschagne 15) What a session Harris has had, moving from 19 to 72 with still a quarter hour up to go. Granted, he was beaten at the start of this new Shami over, but that must be the first time today, or near enough. He’s back to his happy place later on, driving two to cover then pushing one down the ground. He must go on to a ton here. There will be excuse whatsoever for a brain fade.
35th over: Australia 111-1 (Harris 69, Labuschagne 15) Kuldeep has been swung around to the Randwick End and I like that. This is the where spinners tend to do their best work at this ground, to the best of my recollection anyway. Harris is jumping down at him immediately, in the mode of Pujara who danced so well on the opening day. But it is on the back foot where he picks up a single, cutting to point. Labuschagne smothers the spin of the rest, well forward from the crease.
Haven't seen much of Labuschagne's batting?@copes9 explains what to expect while he's at the crease #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/eFF1Co4dfH
34th over: Australia 110-1 (Harris 68, Labuschagne 15) Shami is back from the Paddington End and Labuschagne using his bat conservatively against a bowler he is facing for the first time, almost certainly in any form of cricket. A maiden it will be.
33rd over: Australia 110-1 (Harris 68, Labuschagne 15) Jadeja to Harris, who again strides confidently to drive down the ground early in the over. Defending with a touch more intent this time around Labuschagne retains the strike from the final delivery, finding one behind square leg. This is turning into a handy little stand.
We have our annual Cricket Media Association dinner/awards tonight. If you were selecting the men’s emerging player of the year, who would you select? No, I am not crowd-sourcing our work, but I am curious. Caveat: they have to be playing this week so that we can present the the gong in person and say nice things about them.
32nd over: Australia 108-1 (Harris 67, Labuschagne 14) Harris is absolutely smashing these singles to the sweepers on the off-side, picking out mid-off with easy from the first offering of Kuldeep’s new over. Labuschagne is safe at home, building his platform, before sweeping with real confidence to finish to secure his second boundary.
31st over: Australia 103-1 (Harris 66, Labuschagne 10) You look up, and the Jadeja over is complete. The only action was a single to Harris, another to the man on the point boundary in front of the O’Reilly Stand. It’s a healthier crowd today; they should get more in than the ordinary numbers of day one and two. Speaking of the SCG Trust in the previous post, remember when their chairman was insisting that this ground is deserving of two Tests a summer at the expense of other venues? No, it is not.
30th over: Australia 102-1 (Harris 65, Labuschagne 10) Up comes the 100 for Australia, via a Harris single to long-off. He’s struck the ball so well down the ground today. Labuschagne takes one off his pads then Harris finishes with another through the gap on the off-side, out to deep cover. “The curator has a lot of work to do here,” says Ed Cowan on ABC. “I’m surprised the SCG Trust didn’t appoint one Tom Parker’s understudies when he retired. They went external when he retired and it takes a long time to work out how the turf plays. The Shield games played here have been on very, very average wickets.”
29th over: Australia 99-1 (Harris 63, Labuschagne 9) Jadeja to Labuschagne, sending down a timely maiden of darts to calm things down a touch. “You would like to take this pitch around the world if you were a batsmen,” Jim Maxwell says on ABC. “It is like a solid concrete block. I reckon you could play a timeless Test for ten days.”
28th over: Australia 99-1 (Harris 63, Labuschagne 9) Bang, bang, bang! Harris, now batting in his baggy green, takes Kuldeep down with three boundaries in four balls! The first is lofted over long-on, the second pulled with fury to midwicket and the third picked up flat also to long on, getting just to the pitch of the flighted change-up. Into the 60s he goes, with a bullet!
.@MarcusHarris14 batting in the Baggy Green #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/5yGAB94uCX
27th over: Australia 87-1 (Harris 51, Labuschagne 9) Jadeja is back, zipping through a quick over at Harris, who keeps the strike with one to square leg. He was given a bit of tap during his first stint, so this is an important shift for him in the lead up to lunch.
“The SCG is essentially a football ground these days,” Ed Cowan says on ABC as I turn the dial. I’m not sure what the context is, but I feel like it is important to include. I think he’s lamenting how little Shield cricket is played here at the moment.
26th over: Australia 86-1 (Harris 50, Labuschagne 9) Labuschagne gets on a nice little run here, punching Kuldeep for two through cover off the back foot then nailing the overpitched reply to the cover rope from his front dog. For the rest, he’s sturdy in defence. What a fantastic opportunity for the young, plucky Queenslander this is.
“I’m looking forward to that bit in the re-cut poem,” Ben Jones (reading along next to me) says, “when Warner says that he doesn’t really hate Moeen, not even a little bit, not even at all.” On that topic, Bob Wilson is back in my inbox: “I thought you had talked to Naylor about being funnier than me,” he says. “It’s incredibly rude and disobliging.”
25th over: Australia 80-1 (Harris 50, Labuschagne 3) From the first ball of Bumrah’s new over, the adopted Victorian opener pushes one to point to raise his second Test half-century. He’s there in 67 balls, picking up five boundaries along the way. With the exception of one miscue off Jadeja, he’s been wonderful in this first hour today. Labuschagne is off the mark later in the over from the outside of his blade, albeit along the ground through the cordon for a couple. He adds a single to midwicket to finish the over, which will feel much better as they take their drinks.
I forgot to post the Khawaja wicket, here ‘tis.
OUT. Usman Khawaja chips it straight to mid wicket.
He goes for 27, Australia 1/72 #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/mg1aqNPNWh
24th over: Australia 76-1 (Harris 49, Labuschagne 0) Harris strikes with the middle of his bat for the umpteenth time this morning, to the sweeper at point. This is his best chance yet to make his way to a maiden Test ton, make no mistake. Labuschagne plays the remainder of the Kuldeep over carefully. “He’s a very good player of spin,” notes Ricky Ponting. He’ll need to be, Kuldeep is a star (and my fave, as you can probably tell).
Re the romcom theme @collinsadam, I think we can all agree that the series has been all the better for the absence of David Warner and his one-man show (performed from gully) "10 Things I Hate About You".
23rd over: Australia 75-1 (Harris 48, Labuschagne 0) I was about to type “this could turn into Australia’s best session of the series” or something like that when Khawaja fell. There are people getting stuck into him online, and I get that, but it was the delivery that did him. It brings Labuschagne, to the middle at number three for Australia. Imagine saying that twelve months ago. He’s on strike to Bumrah after Harris adds a couple through square leg then a single to point. The new man cops an inswinging yorker first up, just keeping it out via bat and boot! Welcome! At the end of the over he joins Harris for a laugh in the middle of the pitch, looking at the bottom of his bat that saved him from a first baller. Phew.
Even Ian Gould having a giggle at how good the Bumrah yorker was to Labuschagne first up #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/vUWJBabM4L
There aren't many phlegmatic fast bowlers, but Jasprit Bumrah is one @collinsadam. What a man!
Fantastic bowling, Khawaja done by the Kuldeep wrong’un! He was on the front foot trying to score through cover but didn’t pick the one that goes the other way, the miscue ending up with Pujara for an easy catch at cover. What classy, accurate bowling that is.
22nd over: Australia 72-1 (Harris 45)
21st over: Australia 70-0 (Harris 44, Khawaja 26) Jadeja has been taken off after just those three overs, Bumrah back from the Randwick End. Harris is forced to play throughout, getting down well to a slower ball before pushing another one to mid-on. He’s doing just as Chris Rogers says a busy opener must, turning the board over as often as possible with singles. Khawaja keeps the strike with one into midwicket to finish.
20th over: Australia 68-0 (Harris 43, Khawaja 25) Harris is again on the front foot scoring, taking one early in the Kuldeep over to mid-on. The spinner was instrumental in India’s series-winning victory at Dharamsala in 2017, on debut no less. He may be India’s third choice spinner for now, but he has a long, long career ahead of him. Mindful of this, no doubt, Khawaja watches the rest of the accurate set respectfully.
19th over: Australia 67-0 (Harris 42, Khawaja 25) Australia are going at better than four an over so far this morning, helped by Khawaja getting into his reverse sweep posture for the first time today, nailing it too for four more. When he was playing this shot a year ago it was seen as a sign of weakness, now it is one of his most dependable. For evidence, see how well he played it in Dubai during his fourth innings epic.
18th over: Australia 61-0 (Harris 41, Khawaja 20) Spin from both ends, Kuldeep replacing Shami from the Paddington End. On telly, Tim Lane describes him as a left-arm over the wrist bowler, which will doubtless inspire feral comments about him being a snowflake or some such - what a world we live in. The runs keep coming after Harris sizes him up, carving a couple out to point then getting on the front foot to pick out that same sweeper for two more to finish. Into the 40s he moves. Go you good thing.
17th over: Australia 57-0 (Harris 37, Khawaja 20) Are these two Hayden and Langer in disguise? Two more boundaries in this over, the 50 stand brought up with another cover driven boundary from Harris, later in the over Khawaja jumping down the track to hammer Jadeja over mid-off for four more! That’s entertainment!
16th over: Australia 47-0 (Harris 32, Khawaja 15) This is some excellent batting, Khawaja getting into position early to flick a boundary to fine leg with that lovely lift of the back foot when contact is made. Harris is better again, capping the over with a perfect cover drive. No need to run for that. Have a breather, I’d suggest, Mr Shami.
“Mon cher Adam.” Why, it’s Bob Wilson dropping us a line from Paris. Good evening over there, comrade. “Many thanks to the LemonCroftCollins trio for a really smooth OBO run in the last couple of games. Good areas. I love this series like a child or a puppy. It’s been a vintage squeeze. I get the current Australian sackcloth and ashes routine about this team but I think these Indians have been remarkable. The almost imperceptible increase in their grip on this has been a thing of beauty. We all love the hack and thump of dizzyingly macho mental disintegration but this lot have executed the most gradual schlonking I’ve ever seen. They have poached you like jellyfish in a jacuzzi. It’s like a romcom with a bodycount.”
I can’t add to that. Superb. A romcom with a bodycount, a new turn for Paul Rudd?
15th over: Australia 36-0 (Harris 28, Khawaja 8) Jadeja is on,and there is a dropped catch from the first ball of his spell! Well, Rahul didn’t quiteget to it at mid-on, but he should have. After talking up Harris, he’s played the false stroke, sounding ugly off his bat,, but he survives. He does well later in the over, keeping his cool after his reprieve to drive through cover from the balls of his feat, out to the rope for four.
14th over: Australia 32-0 (Harris 24, Khawaja 8) Lovely again from Harris, the second time this morning he has driven down the ground with control, albeit only for one this time. Even so, this might be the best we’ve seen him look for Australia so far. Khawaja then flicks a couple, watching the rest carefully. Not a bad start at all from the openers.
“Morning Adam.” Kim Thonger! How goes you? “I fully expect Australia to bat well on this pitch. They might even declare, on either 567 for 8 or 678 for 9, ah but no I’m English, so by their scoring method perhaps it will be 4 for 567 or 5 for 678. If they reach 6 for 789 though, I’ll eat my trilby. I’ve confused myself now, so I shall stop.”
13th over: Australia 29-0 (Harris 23, Khawaja 6) Bumrah versus is shaping up as a tasty little contest, the Indian seamer building up up his pace through the over at the Aussie opener. Some good Test cricket early in the day here.
12th over: Australia 29-0 (Harris 23, Khawaja 6) It’s Shami from the Paddington End, running away from us. Harris uses the pace well, timing a defensive push to cover to pick up one early in the over. Khawaja is using his bat in defence for the rest, getting one to mid-on to keep the strike.
11th over: Australia 27-0 (Harris 22, Khawaja 5) Shot! First ball of the day, Bumrah overpitches to Harris to leans into a lovely off-drive for three. Khawaja is immediately under pressure with a delivery slipping past his blade and into his pad but by the end of the over he is leaving confidently.
As Jasprit Bumrah gears himself up for another assault on the Australian batting line-up, here's some analysis from CricViz's @fwildecricket on what makes the Indian seamer so great: https://t.co/omPiYXpStp#AUSvIND
Out come the teams for their pink cap presentation. The Australians and Indians file past Glenn McGrath to present him with their baggy pinks, which are no in turn popped online to help with today’s huge fundraising task. To the middle they continue to begin day three. Bumrah has the ball in his hand, Australia resuming at 24-0 with Harris (19), there with Khawaja (5) PLAY!
One of the joys about writing at the SCG is the half hour or so when the sun is setting over the back of the Members and Ladies Stands. Here was my vantage point last night. I don’t like much about Sydney, but I do like this.
Oldie, goodie. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/JkXWKmDkkn
“Welcome to the hot seat, Collins!” Good morning to you, Raakesh Natraj. “Tim Paine, top bloke. Wonder how long he’ll hang on to the captaincy after the return of Smith and Warner? Would like him to go on.”
Well, in practical terms, it’ll be at least April 2020 before Smith is eligible to lead again - they banned him for two years from captaincy gigs. There’s no reason to pension off Paine any time soon, for mine. If anything, this whole episode reinforces how unfortuante it is that Paine wasn’t able to lead this side earlier. If we knew what we knew. Yes, his finger was cooked for years, but by the time Smith took over, Paine was very much back in business. Ah well.
Righto, I’m now upstairs. The ground is looking a treat and it is already hot, with a forecast top of 35 degrees in Sydney today. There will be no complaints given that during this fixture last year it reached 47. Have that.
To the enormous credit of Tim Paine, he fronted the press conference at stumps last night. Better still, he maintained a great sense of humour, especially when a colleague’s phone went off on the table. Nicely played.
Tim Paine answers a journalist's phone during his press conference. Absolute gold! #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/ERFdblGAvA
Today is Jane McGrath Day. The Pink Test has been an important part of the SCG Test over the last decade, raising money to support Breast Care nurses across Australia. If you’re so inclined, this is a good day to throw some money the McGrath Foundation’s way.
Lining up for a photocall! Ready for Jane McGrath Day at the #PinkTest with @7cricket. Donate at https://t.co/nhcJYMJPeX. Target of $2.1m will provide an additional 15 Breast Care Nurses around Australia for a year. Such a special day. #AusvIndpic.twitter.com/ogZjhjw0z5
Another smashing day in the harbour city, not a cloud to be seen. Now, there are days in the dirt and then there are days in the dirt and Australia certainly experienced one of the latter on Friday. That was quite brutal yesterday afternoon as India’s lower order got busy, Pant’s unbeaten 159 a real wonder.
Without any realistic hope of winning the Test from here, the job for the hosts is to find a way to bat for a full day; for the top order to make the most of these favourable conditions to show that some lessons were learned in Melbourne.
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