The fire is still inside the Indian team, not in the batting, but in the bowling and the field. What happened on the last couple of balls to end the day has set the game up nicely for the rest of the Test match after what turned out to be a pretty sombre day at the Sydney Cricket Ground. A fired-up Jasprit Bumrah nipped out Usman Khawaja on the last delivery of the day but Australia ended the day on top having skittled India for 185 runs.
Australia were 9/1 at stumps and Khawaja will feel undone as Sam Konstas got engaged in a heated banter with Bumrah. India's best bowler took his 31st wicket of the series beautifully setting up Khawaja and celebrating in the face of Konstas. However, before that, a lot happened as India couldn't handle some brilliant bowling in helpful conditions from Australia with Scott Boland leading the way for the hosts.
The entire line-up batted tentatively and it seemed that the collapse in the second innings in Melbourne was playing on their minds. India batted for 72.2 overs and scored only 185 runs before getting bowled out. Boland was the wrecker-in-chief picking up wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Nitish Reddy. He was well supported by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins picking up three and two wickets respectively.
Pant was the top-scorer mustering 40 runs before yet again throwing his wicket away while Kohli's woes outside the off-stump continued despite resisting the temptation for 68 deliveries. He scored 17 runs before nicking one behind the stumps to Beau Webster, the debutant.
The fact that India made 185 runs was down to skipper Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance with the bat who scored 22 runs off 17 balls, including three fours off Boland and a fantastic six off Pat Cummins. The last two wickets added 37 runs for the visitors and if the conditions remain the same, these runs might just come back to haunt Australia.
