King Kohli puts woeful Australia to the sword as India reign supreme on day three of first Test | Australia cricket team

Australia has suffered an extraordinary day of punishment with bat and ball in Perth are now on the brink of a heavy and humiliating defeat.

Despite being without several of their key stars, India have been superb, recovering from their early skittling for 150 in the first innings on day one to dominate every session of the Test thereafter. Australia briefly revived after lunch to pinch four wickets but that was as good as it got for them.

India’s dominant display was led by a magnificent 161 by Yashasvi Jaiswal and a return to form for Virat Kohli who was unbeaten on 100. Wonderful support innings from KL Rahul (77), Devdutt Padikkal (25), Washington Sundar (25) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (38) took them to 487 for 6 – a record total against Australia in Australia.

India then finished it in dramatic style with three wickets in four overs, Jasprit Bumrah turning Nathan McSweeney’s first Test into a nightmare (10 & 0) and then shooting-out Marnus Labsuchagbne (3) with the final ball of the day. In between, Mohammed Siraj found Pat Cummins’ (2) edge after the skipper bravely came out as nightwatchman.

Australia has finished the day in disarray at 12 for 3 needing 522 runs to win.

They face further humiliation tomorrow as a record home defeat looms. Hard questions will be asked about their casual preparations for this important series, their flat body language in the field, and their disappointing play in all facets of the second dig – negative batting, rusty bowling, sloppy fielding and dodgy leadership from the senior men.

It’s been painful to watch if you’re an Australian fan, glorious if you’re cheering Team India. But we go again tomorrow. Perhaps this strange Test has some twists left in it? For now we must call time and retreat with a stiff drink and much to think on. Thanks for your company today and stay tuned for Geoff Lemon’s match analysis coming soon.

Over and OUT!

WICKET! Labuschagne LBW Bumrah 3 (Australia 12-3)

5th over: Australia 12-2 (Khawaja 3, Labuschagne 3) Final over. But it’s from Jasprit Bumrah so anything could happen. First ball is angled in but Labuschagne fends it to cover. No run. Second ball is faster, straighter, lower and Labuschagne misses… this looks plum LBW. An awful non-shot by Labuschagne and it looks dead straight on middle but Marnus reviews it. Yep, it’s hitting top of middle.

4th over: Australia 12-2 (Khawaja 3, Labuschagne 3) Here comes Marnus, whose skipper surely indulges him too much. First he gets six bowling overs for India to gorge on, then he gets to sit in the stands while Captain Pat walks into the furnace. Anyway, he’s out there now. And after watching a couple and exchanging a few words with Siraj he thunks a three which pulls up short of the boundary.

WICKET! Cummins c Kohli b Siraj 2 (Australia 9-2)

3rd over: Australia 9-1 (Khawaja 3, Cummins 2) India have had their feet up for the best part of two days while Australia toiled in the sun. Unlike the Australians, their body language looks superb, lots of chatter, pats on the back and hand gesticulating. Cummins biffs one down the ground to get a single. Bumrah puts a rare bad ball down leg side and it runs for four

2nd over: Australia 4-1 (Khawaja 3, Cummins 1) Khawaja finally faces up but his over is from Mohammed Siraj. Sure enough he strokes three runs through covers. Now Cummins, showing the leadership his men so sorely need, faces up… almost gets an edge! Swing for Siraj. India have their tail up and the crowd are abuzz. The skipper taps a single to retain sgtrike to Bumrah. Captain v captain coming up.

1st over: Australia 0-1 (Khawaja 0, Cummins 0) Brave leadership from Cummins. No one wants to come out so he dons the pads and faces the music as nightwatchman. I;’m dirty on Khawaja, a 74-Test veteran, for letting McSweeney face that first over from the Indian captain, a bowler in the form of his life. Lamb to the slaughter.

WICKET! McSweeney 0 LBW b Bumrah (Australia 1-0)

1st over: Australia 0-0 (McSweeney 0, Khawaja 0) Bumrah goes wide on the first one. McSweeney watches it pass. Second one hits the channel but no need to play. TRhree card trick coming up. Watch out, Nathan…

Players are out and Nathan McSweeney is going to face up to Jasprit Bumrah. Brave lad but dubious senior leadership from Khawaja for mine. Here we go…

India declare at 487-6. Australia need 534 to win

CENTURY TO VIRAT KOHLI! (India 487-6 (Kohli 100, Nitish 38)

134th over: India 480-6 (Kohli 95, Nitish 37) Nitish takes a single from Lyon’s first to get Kohli on strike. The decibel levels rise at Perth Stadium. Cummins and Lyons confer and the crowd jeer. Lyon delivers a scooting delivery that shaves Kohli’s laces. Smiles all round as this Perth pitch continues to bamboozle everyone. The King takes a single. Next man in Jasprit Bumrah is removing his pads, a sure sign India will wait for Kohli’s to and then declare to give themselves a hot half hour at the Aussies.

133rd over: India 478-6 (Kohli 94, Nitish 36) Labuschagne returns, this time bowling spin. He has 0-20 from five overs. Kohli takes a single to get himself is one stroke from a century. There’s a replay for a stumping but Nitish has his foot firmly grounded. And now he grounds it even more firmly, stepping down and thundering it down the ground for SIX. He goes again on the fifth but doesn’t middle it. Marnus is barking orders to his fielders trying to bleed time but it’s only prolonging the agony. Eleven from the over.

132nd over: India 467-6 (Kohli 93, Nitish 27) Kohli has averaged just 22 from his last six Tests. But Australia’s bowlers have played him back into form today and a famous century is now in the offing. Nitish takes a single from Lyon to get Kohli on strike. Fifty partnership is up for these two. Make that 54 as Kohli reverse sweeps fine for another FOUR. Kohli is in the 90s but he looks anything but nervous. He cuts for a single. Nitish gets him back on strike with ease and Kohli swats down the ground for another run. Big over coming up.

131st over: India 459-6 (Kohli 87, Nitish 25) Things are about to get worse for Australia. Marnus Labuschagne is back on to bowl. As if Australia could humiliate themselves even more. Sure enough his first ball is short and wide and results in a bye. His second is an absolute buffet ball and Kohli swipes it to the boundary for FOUR. And now Kohli goes again, stepping down and carting Marnus to the mid-on boundary for FOUR. The crowd are roaring the King on as the lead rattles past 500. Labuschagne gives him width on the final ball and Kohli takes two. Eleven runs from an abysmal over.

130th over: India 447-6 (Kohli 77, Nitish 25) After four, four, four in the last over, this one from Lyon starts with SIX! Beautifully dispatched down the ground by Kohli with one knee on the deck. There’s a lot of waving going on in the Indian dugout. Are thery about to declare or are they cheering on Kohli to a century?

129th over: India 440-6 (Kohli 76, Ntish 24) A tired Bison rumbles in for a 12th over and after giving up two leg byes and a single he manages to convince his captain to challenge an LBW decision. Computer says no. It’s on a seventh stump line Terrible review, Australia. BANG! goes Nitish for a magnificent FOUR in front of square. CRASH goes Nitish to the next one, this time through covers. WALLOP goes Nitish to the last, this time it’s a pull shot that rattles into the rope. That’s 15 from the over and India lead by 486.

128th over: India 425-6 (Kohli 70, Ntish 11) Thanks Jonathan – great call as always. Nathan Lyon has the grim task of trying to extract Virat Kohli before the great man notches his 30th Test century. ‘The King’ curreently has 70 from 121 deliveries and Australia have notched 50 extras in an innings for the first time since 2001.

127th over: India 423-6 (Kohli 68, Ntish 10)
Matthew Hayden is about to re-enter the commentary box and I think that’s my cue. As Haydos once said “the game stands on the coalface of anticipated change” and that makes about as much sense as Australia’s performance this innings. To go out with a bang, Ntish hits a whopping six as I hand back to Angus.

Wicket! Washington. 29. Bowled Lyon.

125th over: India 406-5 (Kohli 66, Washington 27) More overthrows from the Australians, which reflects the sloppiness and lethargy that’s been evident for two days now. Marsh is toiling hard but this pair is picking him off with ease. Once again, only the slow outfield denies Washington a boundary.

122^nd over: India 396-5 (Kohli 62, Washington 20) A glorious cover drive to kick things off from Kohli, straight from the textbook. Starc keeps tempting him outside off stump and the champ is more than happy to take him on.

121^st over: India 390-5 (Kohli 56, Washington 20) Washington’s dancing and chopping but Lyon’s bowling well and keeping him in check. The spinner deserves a few breaks.

121^st over: India 389-5 (Kohli 55, Washington 20) This pitch is acting very peculiarly now. Starc’s fourth delivery rolls straight along the ground. Shades of the MCG in the early 1980s. One thing’s for sure – this ain’t a pitch to be chasing 450 plus on.

120^th over: India 388-5 (Kohli 54, Washington 20) This has been Kohli’s 31^st test half century, to go with his 29 tons. He and Washington have put on 67 and steadied the ship after the Indians were starting to look a bit shaky.

119^th over: India 387-5 (Kohli 53, Washington 20) This has been a real slog for Starc, with figures of 1/104. He looks absolutely knackered.

118^th over: India 385-5 (Kohli 52, Washington 19) Lyon has the less than convincing Washington poking and dabbing but the Aussie just can’t take a trick.

50 for Kohli!

116^th over: India 377-5 (Kohli 49, Washington 14) This pitch is turning viciously at times now. Lyon v Kohli is an intriguing battle but Lyon just can’t buy any luck.

115^th over: India 375-5 (Kohli 47, Washington 14) India lead by 421 and no team has ever chased that much to win a test match. No pressure at all lads. A couple of tired bouncers from Cummins to complete the over.

114^th over: India 375-5 (Kohli 47, Washington 14) Some excellent, albeit unrewarded bowling from Lyon, who also concedes four byes after a violently turning ball bamboozles both batter and keeper.

113^th over: India 368-5 (Kohli 45, Washington 14) Four more byes, though it’s hard to apportion blame to keeper Carey. Some wild bowling from the Australian skipper, who then concedes four more courtesy of an inside edge.

111^th over: India 359-5 (Kohli 40, Washington 14) Largely uneventful over from Cummins as play resumes, shadows loom and India look to build lead.

A teatime shoutout to some of our loyal readers, including Paul Moody, who’s living it up in Kampot in Southern Cambodia and Simon Land. Both, to their credit, concur with my thoughts on the commentary of the Big ‘Dos. Also to Finbar Anslow who’s in beautiful Piedmont, where it’s currently 2 degrees. I’m sensing a bit of schadenfreude from our overseas readers at the current plight of the Aussie team.

Tea: India 359-5 (Kohli 40, Washington 14)

109th over: India 358-5 (Kohli 40, Washington 13) Hazlewood hits one of those Perth cracks that are beginning to open up. Jasprit Bumrah would be licking his lips watching that. Good tight bowling from the Aussie, who has been a standout.

108th over: India 358-5 (Kohli 40, Washington 13) India’s lead is now 402 and they’re just ticking along until the tea break. Australia has a period of optimism about an hour ago, but the visitors have consolidated. Ominously, Kohli has regained his confidence and touch.

107th over: India 355-5 (Kohli 38, Washington 12) Head is punted, Hazlewood re-enters the attack and Kohli flicks a sublime stroke through mid-wicket. Only the slow outfield denies him the boundary he deserves. One of the shots of the day from a man who has found his form and looks very comfortable right now.

106th over: India 352-5 (Kohli 35, Washington 12) A “pandemic” is how Matt Hayden describes the Indian loss to New Zealand. He’s doing to the English language what he did to a bunch of Zimbabwean famers two decades ago.

104th over: India 350-5 (Kohli 34, Washington 11) More Head and more of the same. Easy singles for both batters. Any momentum Australia had seems to have gone.