Australia v India: Hosts take control of third Test after fine bowling and fielding display

Third Test, Sydney Cricket Ground (day three)
Australia 338 & 103-2: Labuschagne 47*
India 244: Gill 50, Pujara 50; Cummins 4-29
Australia lead by 197 runs
Scorecard

Australia appear on course to win the third Test against India after a sublime bowling and fielding display on day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

World number one bowler Pat Cummins claimed four wickets and the home side pulled off three superb run outs to punish sloppy running by the tourists.

Australia closed on 103-2, a lead of 197 runs.

Marnus Labuschange remains unbeaten on 47, while Steve Smith is 29 not out.

If Australia’s two best batsmen continue to build on their fine partnership so far on day four, India face having to chase a highly improbable target or bat out more than a full day to avoid defeat.

The four-match series is level at 1-1, with the final Test in Brisbane starting on 15 January.

Run out of the series?

This is the first time in 12 years India have had three batsmen run out in the same Test innings and, given the day started finely poised, it could well have cost them the chance of back-to-back series wins in Australia, after their first ever series victory there in 2018-19.

The first run out was the most spectacular as Hanuma Vihari pushed a delivery to the right of Josh Hazlewood at mid-on and immediately set off but the tall fast bowler got down brilliantly and released the ball in one motion to knock out middle stump.

Cummins said that Hazlewood had “done a Jonty Rhodes” on BT Sport after play and the former South Africa international, widely regarded as one of the best fielders of all time, would indeed have been proud of such a display.

Hazlewood himself played it down, telling ABC Grandstand on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra that is was “good luck” he was in the middle of a bowling spell at the time so had not stiffened up.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who has four Test centuries, was caught short of his ground for just 10 as Cummins swiftly picked up Ravindra Jadeja’s drive to mid-on and connected, with Labuschagne backing up the stumps.

Then Labuschagne capped off Australia’s exquisite day in the field, hustling back from short leg to turn and thrown down the stumps at the non-striker’s end to dismiss Jasprit Bumrah for a duck.

More to follow.