Australia vs India 2018/19: It's a bit disappointing: Tim Paine

The momentum was firmly with Australia when they arrived in Melbourne to take on India in the third Test. Tim Paine had led the side to its first Test win under his captaincy as the hosts had won the second Test by 146 runs to level the series. However, nothing went their way in the third Test as India thrashed them by 137 runs to take an unassailable lead and retain the Border-Gavaskar series.

Australia had a mountain to climb when India set them an improbable target of 399. The deteriorating pitch had already made it tough for the batsmen and with the Australian batsmen showing little application, India had an easy sailing.  The hosts made a woeful start to the chase with Aaron Finch flopping again. The right-hander could score just 3 before falling to Jasprit Bumrah.

There it is, India secure a 137-run victory to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a Test to play.

Australia will now look to avoid an historic series defeat in Sydney starting January 3: https://t.co/0glOblMnaq #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/nvOJstyRZH

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2018

Fellow opener Marcus Harris followed him back to the pavilion for 13, getting an inside edge from spinner Ravindra Jadeja to Mayank Agarwal close in.  Usman Khawaja also did not last long as Australia found themselves 3 down for just 63. A 50-plus stand between Shaun Marsh and Travis Head then stopped the rot for a whole but Australia’s faint hopes soon evaporated when the Marsh brothers departed with just 135 runs on the board.

Head put up some resistance with a battling 34 before his stumps were knocked over by Ishant Sharma and when skipper Tim Paine went for 26 it appeared all but over. However Pat Cummins showed some remarkable stubbornness and scored a gritty fifty to push the game to the fifth day. It, however, did not take long India to wrap up the proceedings on the final day.

After a delayed start to the game due to rain, Bumrah drew the first blood on the day by dismissing Cummins before Ishant accounted for Nathan Lyon to bowl out the hosts for 261.

Speaking after the game, Tim Paine expressed his disappointment and said that the team is now looking forward to the next and last Test in Sydney.

“It’s a bit disappointing. With inexperience batting line-up you are bound to have an innings like we did in the first innings. The guys are working really hard and we have a huge challenge ahead of us in Sydney. The conditions will be different in Sydney. The pitch was very good. After watching the wicket for 2 days I knew pitch will crumble. Pat has been superb all series. We all know what quality he has. He has been fantastic for us. We want more guys to perform like him. It’s been an interesting year, a difficult t year. In the next few months, some World Class players will be available. We have to work really hard to win the new year Test,” Tim Paine said.