After batting for almost two days, the visitors scored 443/7 before declaring their first innings in the third session of the second day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In reply, the visitors scored 8 runs by the day end with Aaron Finch (3*) and Marcus Harris (5*) at the crease; Trailing by 435 runs.
The post-tea session witnessed India losing three wickets before skipper Virat Kohli declared the innings. Nathan Lyon, the highest wicket-taker of the series, struck for the first time in a day and a half to remove Ajinkya Rahane to break the 62-run partnership between him and Rohit Sharma. Moreover, it was the 9th time in Lyon’s career that he sent back Rahane packing in Test cricket.
Despite getting one more crucial Indian wicket, the Aussies went through a grind as Rohit and Rishabh Pant stitched another 50-plus partnership. Meanwhile, the HITMAN of Indian cricket team brought up his 10th Test Fifty off 97 deliveries, which was also his first fine knock on this tour and 2nd on the Aussie soil.
The duo added 76 runs for the sixth wicket before the young Indian wicketkeeper fell again in an attempt to play an aerial shot. Pant ended up scoring 39 off 76 deliveries.
The accelerating burst before the declaration never came as skipper Kohli called the batsmen in when Ravindra Jadeja (4) was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood (1/86).
Rohit Sharma ended on 63 not out off 114 balls, inclusive of five fours, while Pat Cummins was the pick of the Australian bowlers, taking 3/72 in a back-breaking effort of 34 overs.
Post lunch, Kohli-Pujara took their third-wicket partnership to 170 runs before the game turned.
The Indian skipper took medication for some back issue and then stepped through the gears as he brought out two pulls against Mitchell Starc (1/68) in the 123rd over. He pressed on the accelerator a tad too much, and cut straight to the third man, much to the bowler's delight.
Four overs later, in the 126th, Pujara got a delivery from Cummins that kept a tad low and knocked back his stumps as India were suddenly reduced to 299-4.
In the morning session, Pujara scored his 17th hundred as India reached 277/2 at lunch. Starting from overnight 215/2, India looked ready for another hard day's grind, with Kohli reaching his 20th Test half-century, off 110 balls, in the very first over of the day.
The two batsmen scored quickly in the first hour and kept the scorecard ticking over before Australia went back to their tactic of cutting runs.
The four-match series is pegged at 1-1 after India won the first Test in Adelaide by 31 runs and Australia took the second Test in Perth by 146 runs.