ICC Test Championship 
Border -Gavaskar Trophy 
Australia VS India Test Series 3rd Match 
Played at SCG Sydney From7-11 January 2021 
Brief Scorecard at Stumps Day Four    
Australia 1st Innings: 388 in 105.4 Overs (Steve Smith 131, Marnus Labuchagne 91, William Jan Pucovski 62, Mitchell Starc 24, Ravindra Jadeja 4/64, Navdeep Saini 2/65, Jasprit Bumrah 2/66, Mohammad Siraj 1/ 67) 
Australia 2nd Innings 312/6 Declared in 87 Overs (Cameroon Green 84, Steve Smith 81, Marnus Labuchagne 73, Tim Paine 39*, Navdeep Saini 2/54, Ravichandra Ashwin 2/94)  
India 1st Innings 244 in 100.4 Overs (Shubman Gill 50, Cheteswar Pujara 50, Rishav Pant 36, Ravindra Jadeja 28*, Rohit Sharma 26, Pat Cummins 4/29, Josh Hazelwood 2/2433) 
And India 2nd Innings 98/2 in 38 Overs (Rohit Sharma 52, Shubman Gill 31, Josh Hazelwood 1/11, Pat Cummins 1/ 25) 
India trails by 309 runs with 8 2nd Innings wickets at hand.

Host Australia looks firm favorites for winning the very important Sydney test and moving 2-1 ahead in the four matches test series. 

Starting the day's proceedings at 103/2 in the 2nd Innings Australia batted brilliantly reaching 312/6 before declaring the innings closed. India was set a monumental task of 407 to win in a little over four sessions. India finished day four at 98/2 losing the openers Gill (31) and Rohit (52). Jadeja with fractured hand is ruled out for the match. Pant is also injured. On the wearing wicket it may be extremely difficult for India saving the test on day five. But strange things do happen in cricket. Two quality batsmen Ajinka Rahane and Cheteswar Pujara batting together the fifth day at SCG would appear with all tensions and excitement of test cricket.  One possibility is ruled out. India cannot win from here unless Australia bat and field too poorly. Even handicapped India would do extremely well if they can bat out day five for earning a draw. 

One of the unfortunate feature of the day was 6 spectators evicted from the ground for alleged racial abuse of Indian players. 

The absence of Jadeja in the Indian bowling unit significantly restricted India’s wicket taking option on day four. Moreover, Labuchagne and Smith batted sensibly adding another 35 runs for the third wicket before Labuchagne was caught behind off the bowling of Saini for 73. Saini also got rid of Wade quickly creating a little sensation. Cameron Green joining Smith looked a bit tentative at the start. Smith continued playing stokes took score beyond 200 before falling to Ashwin adjudged LBW at 81. Very talented youngster Green displaying excellent brand of aggressive cricket produced his first half century 84 to be exact striking 8 gorgeous boundaries and 4 over and across. Captain Pain contributed unbeaten 39 in flamboyant 104 runs 6th Wicket partnership. Paine declared Australian Innings closed at 312/6 setting India scoring 407 for an improbable win or bat over four sessions for earning a draw.

Rohit Sharma and Shuvman Gill handled the red cherry well till Hazelwood in a new spell could induced young Gill nicking behind to Pain after scoring 31. Rohit was batting brilliantly raising hope for India responding well to the challenge. However, a short ball of Cummins made his efforts undone falling to a smart catch by Starc. India was staring at defeat at stumps at 98/2 still 309 runs behind. Rahane and Pujara are the only hope for India surviving. Pant is injured and would bat if only extremely necessary for saving the match. Jadeja cannot bat. We are not sure whether Bihari has the quality and temperament for confronting quality Australian bowling on a day five wearing wicket.

We can rule out India scoring 309 and winning the test. Even batting out the day for a draw would largely depend on Pujara playing sheet anchors role and Rahane repeating his MCG heroics. Having said this Would also say strange things do happen. In any case this test and the series will witness intense contest on day five.

Whatever is the outcome of the test in Cameroon Green and Will Pucovski Australia has discovered two highly talented youngsters destined to serve Australian cricket for a long time.

BDST: 1430 HRS, JAN 10, 2021
SMS