ustralia look set to start the Ashes as Test world champions as they made gentle of missed alternatives to maneuver right into a profitable place on day three towards India.
With every week to go till their collection opener towards rivals England, Australia pressed dwelling their benefit within the World Test Championship last as they stretched their benefit to 296 by the shut of play.
Australia might not have been at their ruthless finest on the Oval, permitting three possibilities to go down within the morning session and seeing captain Pat Cummins denied his second wicket of the match for a front-foot no-ball, however their high quality shone by way of regardless.
Even with their profligacy within the discipline they had been in a position to bowl their opponents out for 296 - a lead of 173 - earlier than making their option to 123 for 4 at stumps.
Cameron Green additionally provided a pointed riposte to any issues over their catching, leaping to seize a one-handed stunner after lunch to see off India’s top-scorer Ajinkya Rahane (89).
Australia’s first-innings centurions Steve Smith and Travis Head each fell to spinner Ravindra Jadeja however the world’s primary ranked batter, Marnus Labuschagne, spent priceless time within the center as he made 41 not out.
India started the day on 151 for 5 and had a nightmare begin when Scott Boland’s scattered Srikar Bharat’s stumps with the second ball of the day. That left India 317 behind with simply 4 wickets in hand however regardless of a relentless attacking effort from the bowlers, that proved the one breakthrough of the morning.
Boland got here inside inches of placing a second time within the opening over, snaring a thick edge from Shardul Thakur, however the leaping Usman Khawaja was unable to assemble an opportunity that squirmed free.
Thakur wanted loads of metal to stay round, requiring prolonged therapy after being hit 3 times by Cummins in a single over - carrying blows on the forearm, wrist and glove. Having softened him up, the seamer ought to have gotten his rewards when Thakur sprayed an opportunity to gully however this time Green’s handiwork let him down.
With Thakur in a state of virtually everlasting peril, Rahane gave the vocal Indian crowd one thing to cheer when he hooked Cummins over fine-leg for six to carry up his half-century. He handed 5,000 Test runs quickly after, the thirteenth Indian to take action, however he additionally required a stroke of fortune to succeed in the break.
On 72 he aimed a flowing drive at Cummins, sending a head-high catch to first slip. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey appeared to supply a minor distraction to David Warner, however he'll nonetheless be kicking himself after parrying the sting.
Australia’s annoyance solely elevated when Cummins noticed an lbw determination towards Thakur overturned by a no-ball name. It was a case of historical past repeating for Cummins, who had additionally misplaced a wicket to over-stepping on day two when Rahane was reprieved on 17.
Australia wanted a pick-me-up and Green supplied it in type in the beginning of the afternoon session, exhibiting razor-sharp reactions and athleticism to take a jaw-dropping catch that ended Rahane’s keep. Cummins was the beneficiary and he made positive to money in when he cleaned up Umesh Yadav for 5.
Thakur reached 51 earlier than being undone by Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc completed issues up by bouncing out Mohammed Shami.
The India-dominant crowd did their finest to create a hostile environment for the Australian batters, with Warner an early casualty as he nicked off to Mohammed Siraj. Labuschagne was woken from a nap on the balcony to sprint out at quantity three and he occupied the crease for the remainder of the day, absorbing 118 balls.
Khawaja missed out for the second time within the match when he swung laborious at Yadav and fed Bharat one other catch, earlier than Jadeja took benefit of some attacking strokes from Smith and Head. The former holed out on the cost, with Head feeding a return catch again to the spinner, however Australia’s lead was rising on a regular basis to depart India struggling.
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