Twitter Reacts As Australia Takes Complete Control Of Proceedings Against India In The Sydney Test

By Yash Mittal

Updated - 09 Jan 2021, 01:50 PM

Ravi Ashwin
Ravi Ashwin. (Photo: Twitter)

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Australia have taken complete control of the proceedings of the third Test in Sydney after they knocked over India for 244 before consolidating their lead to 197 with eight wickets still in hand on day 03.

Starting the day at 2/96, India needed their experienced duo of skipper Ajinkya Rajabe and Cheteshwar Pujara to see off the opening hour and hopefully build a big partnership. However, both the batsmen were tested to the hilt by the short pitch ploy by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

Rahane and Pujara started the day with the same cautious intent but just as it looked like the former was finally started to break his shackles after he danced down the track to hit Nathan Lyon for a six, Pat Cummins short pitch ploy broke the stand as Rahane chopped a well-directed bumper on his stumps.

India, Australia, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood celebrates the run-out. (Photo: Twitter)

Cheteshwar Pujara, after having stonewalled his way to a 100-ball 16, finally showed the first sign of intent- after having taken 33 balls to score his 1at run of the day- as he used his feet brilliantly against Nathan Lyon to smash three boundaries within a space of the next 16 deliveries.

Hanuma Vihari, however, once again failed to deliver as he got himself run-out for a 38-ball 4 thanks to a brilliant direct-hit by Josh Hazlewood at mid-off.

India desperately needed an impetus to their innings and that is exactly what Rishabh Pant provided them as he played a few enterprising strokes and along with Pujara took India to the score of 4/180 at Lunch.

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant (Credits: Twitter)

However, tragedy struck the Men in Blue as they not only suffered a horrendous collapse- which started with the dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored his slowest Test 50- but in the process, they also lost two of their main cricketers due to injury.

While Rishabh Pant was struck on his elbow by Josh Hazlewood, Ravindra Jadeja, whose unbeaten 28 helped the visitors reach 244 after they had lost 5/21, copped a blow on his thumb courtesy a Mitchell Starc bumper.

The duo did not take the field in Australia’s second innings as they were rushed to the hospital for scans. The home side lost both their openers for the score of 35 but an unbeaten 68-run-stand between Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith ensured that the Aussies took complete control of the proceedings as they stretched their lead to 197 at stumps.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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