Key events
A teatime shoutout to some of our loyal readers, including Paul Moody, whoâs 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 âDos. Also to Finbar Anslow whoâs in beautiful Piedmont, where itâs currently 2 degrees. Iâm 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)
India head to tea 405 runs the better, with five wickets in hand. Australia had signs of positivity in the first part of this session, but the visitors have since reasserted control. Kohli is nearing his much needed half century at a swift rate and Sundar is rotating the strike with aplomb. They added 84 runs for the loss of four wickets in this session, but they couldnât be better placed to win this test match.
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) Indiaâs lead is now 402 and theyâre 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 âpandemicâ is how Matt Hayden describes the Indian loss to New Zealand. Heâs 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.
103rd over: India 347-5 (Kohli 33, Washington 9) Lyon to Kohli is an intriguing little subplot. Kohli rolls his wrists and slog sweeps him for four, not usually a shot thatâs in his repertoire.
103rd over: India 343-5 (Kohli 29, Washington 9) Travis Head trundles in and the Indian pair handle him with ease, including a lofted six over mid-wicket from Sundar. A bit odd that Head is bowling with a relatively new ball here.
101st over: India 334-5 (Kohli 27, Washington 2) A contemptuous slash from Kohli over point that clears the rope and imperils the security guard. Itâs a risky caper working on the boundary when Kohli has his eye in.
100th over: India 326-5 (Kohli 20, Washington 1) India lead by 372. In the history of test cricket thereâs been four successful second innings run chases over 400. South Africa did it across the road at the Waca in 2008 but it would be some sort of effort given the current form of the Australian top order.
99th over: India 325-5 (Kohli 19, Washington 1) Starc returns and elicits some half chances, including a poky nothing shot from Kohli which just falls short of Smith, as well as a couple of shambolic, semi run out chances.
98th over: India 324-5 (Kohli 17, Washington 1) Some nice turn and flight from Lyon. The Australians were dragging their feet earlier today but look energised and sharp again. Indiaâs top scorer from the first dig is yet to bat however so they have plenty of depth.
97th over: India 321-5 (Kohli 16, Washington 0) Excellent over from Cummins after a tardy start. The Australians have 4-46 in this session so kudos to them after all looked lost.
WICKET! Jurel LBW b Cummins 1 (India 321-5)
Cummings traps Jurel, who challenges the call. Itâs angling down leg but itâs just tipping leg stump and thatâs enough. Cummins had him tied in knots leading up to that.
96th over: India 321-4 (Kohli 16, Jurel 1) Nathan Lyon enters the attack and strikes immediately. Wickets on the first ball of both sessions keeping Australians off the ledge here.
WICKET! Pant St Carey b Lyon 1 (India 320-4)
Ludicrous shot from Pant and lovely bit of glovework from Carey. A rare failure from the Indian on Australian shores but this was a stinker.
95th over: India 320-3 (Kohli 16, Pant 1) As is his way, Pant charges his first ball from Marsh. Another sloppy Cummins delivery slips by Carey for four byes. Time for drinks and Iâll be doing the same. India now 366 runs the better.
WICKET! Jaiswal c Smith b Marsh 162 (India 313-3)
Jaiswal picks out Steve Smith at backward point. Itâs a rank delivery, and a poor shot but what an innings. His first century in Australia and heâs played a pivotal role in putting this test match beyond Australiaâs reach.
93rd over: India 312-2 (Jaiswal 161 Kohli 15) Another sumptuous straight drive from Kohli. Cummins, whoâs really struggling in this innings, needs to sort his length out. Jaiswal then pounds him through the covers for four. âGotta say, theyâre pretty decent batting conditions,â says Haydos, as the score reaches 2-312.
92nd over: India 301-2 (Jaiswal 155 Kohli 10) Hayden masters the art of saying the bleedinâ obvious, and then repeating it thrice hourly. India, meanwhile, lead by nearly 350 runs. Kohli is seeing them well today, and will be desperate to cash in. A wild swing and a miss from Jaiswal is one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb knock.
91st over: India 299-2 (Jaiswal 155 Kohli 9) Pat Cummins is into the attack and Big Haydos is into the commentary box, which doesnât always sit well with this columnist. Lovely cover drive from Kohli nets him three. Yaiswal slashes at a ball outside leg and that goes down as a missed chance by Carey, albeit an extremely difficult one. Such is this test match for the Aussies.
90th over: India 292-2 (Jaiswal 151 Kohli 6) Mitch Marsh returns after his injury concerns. Marsh still looks a bit proppy, and hasnât done a lot of bowling in recent times. Itâs a big ask to take on these two in such circumstances, in these conditions. Kohli flicks him off his pads for an easy single and Jaiswal follows suit.
89th over: India 288-2 (Jaiswal 150 Kohli 4) Some glorious straight drives in the previous over from Jaiswal but heâs a lot more watchful here, with Hazlewood right on target.
150 for Jaiswal! 88th over: India 288-2 (Jaiswal 150 Kohli 4)
Outstanding from Jaiswal, who reaches his fourth 150 in a test match. When he reaches 100, he invariably goes on with him. Ten runs off the over
87th over: India 278-2 (Jaiswal 143, Kohli 1) Jaiswal is so compact, so utterly unfazed by opening after his first innings duck. Hazlewood continues to nag away, and heâs been the best of Australiaâs bowlers by far today. But the baby faced Indian knows exactly what to leave, what to have a crack at and when to rotate the strike. Kohli is off the mark with a quick single and a rousing cheer.
86th over: India 276-2 (Jaiswal 142, Kohli 0) Young Jaiswal is not perturbed by losing his partner, and is fast approaching 150. Kohli persists with batting outside his crease but isnât the imperious figure of yore. A tight over from Starc who was far too loose earlier today.
85th over: India 275-2 (Jaiswal 141, Kohli 0) Excellent start for Australia but theyâre still 325 runs and eight wickets adrift mind you. A circumspect start by Kohli who needs to fill his boots here. He slashes at one outside off and is less than convincing.
84th over: India 275-2 (Jaiswal 141, Kohli 0) What a start for Australia and what a tussle we have now: Hazlewood v Kohli, The Hoff v The King. The volume has risen significantly now at Optus Stadium but Kohli is watchful to the first four. He flashes at the final ball but the fielder stops any runs. Great start to the new session.
WICKET! Padikkal c Smith b Hazlewood 25 (India 275-2)
First ball of the session! Paddikal was fat and smug and sleepy after the break and he flashed at Hazlewoodâs juicy first delivery and caught the edge where Smith scooped it up down low. Australia strike ands here comes King Kohli.
Something to contemplate over lunch courtesy of Gervase Greene in balmy Sydneyâ¦
A fabulous ton by young Jaiswal, but I couldnât help noticing when he removed his gloves to acknowledge the crowd that he was sporting a watch on his left wrist. Perhaps he is timing his centuries to the minute – he is fast getting used to making them – but is it perhaps some canny product placement by (I think) a tech-company based in California?
LUNCH: India are 275-1 (Jaiswal 141, Padikkal 25)
Another wonderful session for India. They really squeezed the life out of Australia, rattling off 103 runs to extend their lead past 300 and take the game well out of sight for the home side.
The highlight of the morning has been the magnificent century by Yashasvi Jaiswal who brought up his fourth Test hundred with a cheeky ramp shot over slips for six. Even better, he went on with it, piling on another 41 runs to go to lunch unbeaten on 141.
Fellow opener KL Rahul lent stellar support with 77 before Starc caught his edge. Even then the Australians didnât have the energy or brio to celebrate. On a sweltering 30+ day in Perth, Pat Cumminsâ men are hot and bothered and, to be honest, look a beaten side. They have nine Indian wickets to take and Virat âKingâ Kohli waiting to bat next.
Worse, allrounder Mitchell Marsh has been off the field for much of the morning with an injury that has prevented him from bowling and now threatens his ability to bat. With first-pick allrounder Cameron Green sidelined all season, that bad news could get worse if Marsh is unavailable for the second Test.
But thatâs a dilemma for another day and Australia have a VERY long day ahead. Time to wet the whistle and grab a bite to eat. Weâll be back with the second session soon.
84th over: India 275-1 (Jaiswal 141, Padikkal 25) Starcâs first ball is wide and short and Padikkal slashes it to the rope for FOUR. The big quick responds with gusto, hitting the pitch a little harder and beating the edge. Starc throws down a yorker but Padikkal brings down the bat in time. And now he steps out cover drives elegantly for three. That makes it 103 runs added for the session and India in front by a whopping 321 runs.
83rd over: India 268-1 (Jaiswal 141, Padikkal 17) Weâll get two overs before this session is done. Can Australia go to lunch with another wicket? Hazlewood thinks so. His first ball is fast and straight and it leaps at Padikkal awkwardly. Better by the Bendemeer Bullet! Next delivery has Padakkal similarly bamboozled. Heâs elected to come around the wicket and the angle is troubling young Padikkal who Hazlewood dismissed for a duck in the first dig. He gets away from strike with a single as Cummins fumbles at mid-on.
82nd over: India 267-1 (Jaiswal 141, Padikkal 18) Starc is on⦠but so is Jaiswal. On fire! Big Mitch threw down a loosener and Jaiswal stepped out and drove it downtown. Great shot young man! Thatâs deflating for Australia. They are trying to snare a second wicket to expose Virat Kohli in the precious minutes before lunch and Starc, who gushed 11 from his first over today, has gift-wrapped another boundary to a batter who doesnât require any favours today. Fourth ball is over 140kph and Jaiswal nudges it through the cordon and McSweeney dives to save the boundary. Good fielding by the debutant. Final ball is a corker yorker but Jaiswal somehow keeps it out.
81st over: India 263-1 (Jaiswal 137, Padikkal 17) Josh Hazlewood gets first use of the new ball. The Hoff is coming over the wicket trying to exploit the off stump line that got Padikkalâs wicket in the first innings. First ball is a peach but second is a rotten tomato. It flies down leg and Carey canât get a glove on it. Four byes. Oh no, another legside ball, even wider than the first, and itâs way beyond Carey. Another four byes. Thatâs very uncharacteristic by the reliably straight-shooting Hazlewood and itâll make for a cranky âkeeper over the lunch break.
80th over: India 255-1 (Jaiswal 137, Padikkal 17) Itâs the final over before the new ball is available and Travis Head is hunting his 13th Test wicket. Jaiswal taps a single and Padikkal does the same. Jaiswal eases two to deep backward point and Padikkal hands the strike back with a well-timed drop shot. Another single makes it six from the over. India are officially 301 runs in front with nine wickets in hand. Thatâs a tough sentence to read let alone type. Is it a death sentence for Australia in this first Test?
