The Indian team has put on a valiant show on the final day of the Sydney Test, even as the side is facing from a number of injuries. Rishabh Pant, who didn't take the field for the entirety of Australia's second innings due to elbow injury, scored 97 as he was promoted to no.5.
While Cheteshwar Pujara scored a gritty 77, Hanuma Vihari is also battling a hamstring injury to stay on the pitch during the final session of the game.
As the cameras panned to the Indian dressing room, the Indian team displayed another example of teamwork. Ravindra Jadeja, who is facing a thumb-fracture, had padded up to take the crease if need be. Navdeep Saini, who was seated alongside him, peeled the banana for him during this time.
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Ravindra Jadeja was hit on the thumb off Mitchell Starc's delivery during the first innings of the Sydney Test, and didn't bowl for the entirety of Australia's second innings. There were doubts over his participation in the Test, but Jadeja won the hearts of many after he was seen padded up in the dressing room.
Earlier, resuming the play after Lunch session, Pant and Pujara batted just like they did in the first two hours of the day, collecting runs at a brisk pace. Pant took chances and scored boundaries and gave a huge scare to the Australian team before he got out just three short of what would have been a well-deserved century.
Trying to hit a maximum against off-spinner Nathan Lyon and get to his third century, the wicketkeeper-batsman was caught by Pat Cummins at 97, thus giving Australia an opening.
Pujara, who has been criticised for his ultra-slow batting in the first innings, didn't seem to get affected and in fact scored three consecutive boundaries against Cummins. During the course of his knock, he became the 11th Indian batsman to score 6,000 Test runs.
However, at his individual score of 77, he got out bowled to a peach of a delivery by Josh Hazlewood and put Australia again on top.
