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Australia v India, Third Test Day 2 live coverage from SCG: Steve Smith ends century drought

Steve Smith scored his first Test century in 16 months, then hit out at his critics amid an evenly poised Test | WATCH

Peter Lalor, Tom Crystal and AFP
9 min read
7:08PMJanuary 08, 2021
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Steve Smith celebrates after reaching a century at the SCG. Picture: AFP
Steve Smith celebrates after reaching a century at the SCG. Picture: AFP

Australia v India, day 2 of the Third Test at the SCG. India reached stumps on 2-96 in their first innings, trailing Australia by 242 runs.

Brilliant Smith silences the doubters

Australia snapped up two wickets in the final session on day two to leave India with work to do in the third Test as they chase the hosts’ 338 following Steve Smith’s first century in more than a year, AFP reports.

Pace spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins got the breakthroughs, dismissing openers Rohit Sharma (26) and Shubman Gill (50) as India reached stumps at 2-96, leaving them 242 adrift.

The dogged Cheteshwar Pujara was not out nine and captain Ajinkya Rahane, who scored a century in the last Test at Melbourne, on five.

Australia resumed their first innings at the SCG on 2-66, but only managed another 172 in the face of India’s spirited fightback led by spinner Ravindra Jadeja who took 4-62.

Smith, though, was the star attraction, smacking 131 — his 27th century, and his first since the 2019 Ashes in England — before being the last man to fall.

Marnus Labuschagne made 91 and Will Pucovski 62 on debut.

India’s openers negotiated a tricky nine overs before tea to be 0-26, and they put on another 44 before Hazlewood struck, removing Sharma for 26.

The veteran right-hander hadn’t played since straining a hamstring in October and only joined the team last week after spending a fortnight in quarantine.

But he quickly shook off the rust, hitting a big six off Nathan Lyon before surviving a scare on 24, when he was given out before the decision was reversed on review.

His reprieve proved short-lived, however, making just two more before being caught and bowled.

At the other end Gill, who made his debut in Melbourne, scoring 45 and 35 not out, again showed his composure and skill, reinforcing his status as a potential long-term opener.

Just 21, he brought up a maiden Test half-century before nicking an edge to Cameron Green off Cummins.

It left Pujara and Rahane to dig in and see India safely to stumps as the runs dried up.

— AFP

Live blog — how day two unfolded:

Tom Crystal 6.30pm: India survive to stumps

Cheteshwar Pujara (9 off 53 balls) and Ajinkya Rahane (5 off 40 balls) manage to keep out some probing bowling from Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon in growing shadows at the SCG, leaving the third Test evenly positioned.

Tom Crystal 5.40pm: WICKET!

A great diving catch from Cameron Green in the gully removes opener Shubman Gill, who had just reached his maiden Test 50. The batsman pushes at a Pat Cummins delivery and a thick edge flies sharply to the gully, where Green pounces.

Tom Crystal 5.20pm: WICKET!

Australia finally get a much-needed breakthrough, ending a superb opening stand at 70. Rohit Sharma (26) pushes a return catch to Josh Hazlewood, who takes a relatively easy catch. Sharma can’t believe his bad lack there, a nothing shot really.

Tom Crystal 4.25pm: India make solid start

Openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have made a solid start to India’s run chase, looking largely untroubled as they take the score to 0-42 after 16 overs. A scheduled 29 overs remain to be bowled, so wemay be looking at overtime at the SCG.

Peter Lalor 3.10pm: Only one flaw in Smith masterpiece

Beautiful to have Steve Smith back, even better to watch him getting all funky when batting with the tail.

His only mistake? You do not take on Ravi Jadeja in the field. Man that was a hot run out. The Indian fielder had one stump to aim at from 40 odd metres away and he hit it.

Smith was out for 131 and his country can rest assured that his brilliance was, like his hands often are, only temporarily misplaced.

Losing 7-106 on day two is not a good thing. This looks like a 400 wicket and the Australians have only 338.

It’s a lot more runs than they have given their attack to bowl at in the previous games, but still shy of expectation.

Tom Crystal 2.50pm: Smith’s luck runs out

The right-hander has been running out of batting partners, so he starts hitting out in an effort to lift Australia to a competitive total. Smith chances his arm once too often, as his push to keep the strike ends with a brilliant run out via Jadeja in the outfield. Smith finishes with 131, off 226 balls and featuring 16 boundaries. Australia have mustered 338.

Tom Crystal 2.35pm: Smith: Maybe that'll keep a few people quiet

Steve Smith talks to the Fox Cricket crew during the drinks break and opens up about his magnificent innings.

“It’s nice to get a hundred on my home ground, I love batting here,” Smith says. “Got a lot of fond memories here, so it’s good to get three figures and (I’ll) try and get the team into a good position now.”

Tom Crystal 2.10pm: Century to Smith!

Steve Smith has a few great Test tons to his name but this is right up there. It’s his first Test century since September 2019, against England. His 27th century comes off 201 balls with 13 boundaries as batting partners come and go around him.

Peter Lalor 2.05pm: Aussies wade into troubled waters

I’m blaming Matthew Wade for this.

Sure you bat with intent and knock the spinners off their line, but the result of a shot that was as ambitious as it was poor is this.

It was the 77th over when Wade holed out, in doing so he exposed the lower middle order to Jasprit Bumrah and the new ball.

Cameron Green survived for 30 minutes before the break but was trapped five overs into the change of Kookaburras.

Tim Paine was completely outwitted by a Bumrah inswinger.

And now Pat Cummins has been bowled by Jadeja.

Australia have plummeted from 3-232 to be 7-278. Do the math. It’s not pretty. Sorry Matthew Wade but you needed to be around for that second new ball.

Tom Crystal 1.30pm: WICKET!

We’re underway in the second session and, unfortunately for the home team, India’s bowlers are making great use of the second new ball. Jasprit Bumrah rips one through Australian skipper Tim Paine (1), putting more pressure on Steve Smith (81) as he closes in on a well-deserved century.

Tom Crystal 12.29pm: WICKET!

Cameron Green falls lbw to Jasprit Bumrah for a duck, as the bowler gets one to nip back and hit the right-hander in front. The umpires take an early lunch, ending a good session for India, who have removed Labuschagne, Wade and Green. Australia added 83 runs on a pitch that doesn’t look dangerous but rewarded India’s patience.

Jasprit Bumrah traps Cameron Green lbw for a duck. Picture: Getty Images
Jasprit Bumrah traps Cameron Green lbw for a duck. Picture: Getty Images

Tom Crystal 12.08pm: India take second new ball

Jasprit Bumrah gets his hands on the second new rock, with Steve Smith (73) and Cameron Green (0) facing a testing 20-minute spell before lunch.

Tom Crystal 11.57am: WICKET!

Poor shot from Matthew Wade, who is advancing down the pitch to Ravi Jadeja but is beaten in flight. He goes through with a leg-side swipe but manages only to sky it to mid-on, where Jasprit Bumrah takes a good catch. Fox Cricket commentator Mark Waugh calls is a poor shot: “He’ll be disappointed with that, Wade has gifted India a wicket there.”

Robert Craddock 11.30am: New fears for Gabba Test

Queensland Cricket is holding its breath, hoping Brisbane’s three-day lockdown does not provide further reason for India to boycott the Gabba Test. Read more here

Tom Crystal 11.15am: 50 for Steve Smith

Smith slaps Ravi Ashwin back down the ground for four, bringing up his first half-century of the series and the 30th of his Test career.

Steve Smith reaches a half-century at the SCG. Picture: Getty Images
Steve Smith reaches a half-century at the SCG. Picture: Getty Images

Tom Crystal 11.10am: WICKET!

A big breakthrough for India. Ravi Jadeja has Marnus Labuschagne playing off the back foot but a little bit of extra bounce produces a sharp chance to Rahane, who takes a good low catch at first slip. A disappointed Labuschagne is out for 91, off 196 balls with 11 boundaries. It ends an even 100-run partnership with Smith (47).

Tom Crystal 11am: And we’re on again

The break hasn’t affected Marnus Labuschagne, who rocks back and cuts Ravi Jadeja’s first ball to the boundary. We’ll have spin from both ends as Ravi Ashwin is brought into the attack. The new ball is due in 11 overs.

Tom Crystal 10.45am: The players are off

A few sprinkles of rain and the grounds crew are sprinting onto the SCG to cover the wicket. It’s very light, so hopefully this will be a short break.

Indian paceman Jasprit Bumrah on day two. Picture: AFP
Indian paceman Jasprit Bumrah on day two. Picture: AFP

Tom Crystal 10.35am: India gamble on Smith lbw

Mohammed Siraj hits Smith on the pads with a ball that ducks back in but looks to be hitting a touch high. A big lbw shout is turned down and Rahane decides to review. The replay shows it’s missing, a review lost. The second new ball is 15 overs away; India look content to dry up the runs with a packed leg-side field.

Tom Crystal 10.05am: Smith gets going early

Mohammed Siraj starts us off and tests Steve Smith with a good short ball, then one that rises sharply and catches the glove. It falls safely but a leg slip might have had the batsman in trouble. The first ball of Jasprit Bumrah’s opening over is a half-volley outside off stump that has Smith driving superbly for four.

Steve Smith misses a hook shot in the first over on day two. Picture: AFP
Steve Smith misses a hook shot in the first over on day two. Picture: AFP

Tom Crystal 9.30am: Brighter forecast for day two

We’re looking at a start 30 minutes early on day two, and for the next couple of days, in an effort to make up the time lost on day one. There has been some rain overnight and the covers were on the wicket early this morning, but it’s clear and cool with a forecast top temperature of 23C.

Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane, right, leads a team talk before play on day two. Picture: AFP
Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane, right, leads a team talk before play on day two. Picture: AFP

Daniel Sankey 8.30am: Write off Steve Smith at your peril

With just 10 runs in four Test innings at an average of 3.33, Steve Smith had been a shadow of his world-beating self this summer. Until yesterday at the SCG, that is.

His trademark twitches and nervous tics were back in their full glory as he powered along to 31no, sharing in a 50-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne that had Australia in a strong position at 2-166 at stumps.

Here’s what The Australian’s Will Swanton had to say at stumps.

“The difference from his laborious outings at Adelaide and Melbourne? The intent. The palpable desire to get on with it. At heart and at his best, he’s no poker and prodder,” Swanton wrote.

“When he charged his nemesis, Ravi Ashwin, and belted him straight for a thunderous four, Australia’s biggest gun had, well, all his own guns blazing. He was a thrill a minute again. A valuable contributor again.

“When would you ever write him off? Not now!”

Read the full story here.

Gideon Haigh 8.15am: Pucovski proves the wait was worth it

Yesterday, Will Pucovski made his Test debut, two years after he was first selected, thanks to unique vagaries of form, fitness and fortune.

For most of those arriving in the morning, the 22-year-old Victorian held the day’s chief interest. They studied him like a prime piece of horseflesh or an ­expensive new car — Australian cricket property, with the watermark of the high-performance system, now the embossment of the baggy green.

The initial reviews were good. The relaxed stance. The full face of the bat in defence, even if the eyes sometimes got outside the line as his trigger movement took ­Pucovski across the stumps. ­Occasionally, with the ball in ­transit, his mouth could be seen to gape, a la Betty Cuthbert, which makes a change from David Warner’s expression of wolfish glee and Marnus Labuschagne’s bubblegum. Otherwise, in an ­idiosyncratic XI, he looked ­perilously close to orthodox.

Read the full story here.

Jess Malcolm 8am: Lucky few take their seats at the SCG

As the final stragglers wandered through the turnstiles of the Sydney Cricket Ground ahead of the first ball of Australia‘s third Test match against India, the drizzle started.

With blue skies quickly turning grey, umbrellas popped open and ponchos were dragged out, with some unlucky cricket-goers set to sit in the rain as per the new COVID-19 restrictions.

A cricket fan adds a full body protective suit to his face mask as he enters the SCG yesterday. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts
A cricket fan adds a full body protective suit to his face mask as he enters the SCG yesterday. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Yet even the rain couldn’t elicit many complaints, because these were the lucky few who were able to secure tickets after event ­organisers dramatically reduced the crowd numbers to just 25 per cent.

Mask-less faces were few and far between, with COVID-19 safe marshals asking people to mask up from as far off as the Moore Park light rail tram stop opposite the stadium, along with police patrolling the grounds.

For all but a disgruntled few who thought the masks were “over the top”, most were willing and happy to comply, acknowledging it was a “necessary ­precaution” for the event to go ahead.

Read the full story here.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-v-india-third-test-day-2-live-coverage-from-the-scg/news-story/ca9ee4535ad11965362e39c43bd7dea5