Courtesy: BCCI
On Sunday, November 24, the Indian cricket team edged closer to a historic win on day three of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series at the Optus Stadium in Perth after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli brought up their respective hundreds. After declaring their second innings on a massive score of 487/6, setting up an insurmountable target of 534 runs for Australia, the Indian bowling lineup picked up three quick wickets in the final half hour’s play.
With the score of 172/0 in their second innings, the Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul began play on day three, and took their partnership beyond 200 runs. Rahul was the first to lose his wicket in the morning session after scoring 77 runs in 176 balls as Mitchell Starc had him nicked off through to wicket-keeper Alex Carey, ensuring that the Australians finally got on the board in the second innings after 63 overs.
Devdutt Padikkal (25 off 71) joined Yashasvi Jaiswal in the middle, and they put together a 74-run stand for the second wicket, to ensure they didn't get any momentum with the ball in hand. Jaiswal, who had brought up his fourth Test hundred earlier, was ultimately dismissed for 161 runs in 297 balls after hitting 15 fours and three maximums before India lost Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel in quick succession.
Following that, Virat Kohli, who had found his rhythm at the crease, took control of the Indian second innings, and stitched two consecutive fifty plus stands with youngsters Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, to steer India close to 500 runs. Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah declared the team’s second innings after Virat Kohli brought up his 30th Test hundred, the seventh in Australia, and the second at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
With just over 25 minutes to stumps on day three, Jasprit Bumrah gave India the perfect start in their defence of the 533-run total, trapping Nathan McSweeney in front of the stumps for the second time in the Test match. Shortly after, Mohammed Siraj dismissed nightwatchman Pat Cummins cheaply, and in the last over of the day, Jasprit Bumrah picked up the prize scalp of Maruns Labuschagne, to reduce Australia to 12/3.
