Pat Cummins stars in unlikely Australian comeback on day three against India at the M

HITS
Patrick Cummins, you superstar
If Australia salvages anything from this match, Cummins should be knighted. The cards were stacked against him; he’d sent down 34 overs since Wednesday, has a history of back problems and walked on the MCG knowing his team was 292 runs in arrears. But the lion-hearted quick wasn’t perturbed by the prospect of defeat. Instead, he resolved to remove Indian superstars Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in the same over, both for nought. No bowler in Test history has managed the same. Rahane, arguably India’s third-best player, fell a ball later before Rohit Sharma came perilously close to completing Cummins’ hat-trick. Earlier, Hanuma Vihari was squared up by a vicious bouncer, which spat sharply off the docile MCG surface. His six over spell yielded 4-10 and provided Tim Paine’s team the boost they desperately craved. Sits nicely alongside the 3-72 he jagged in the first innings.

Brilliant Bumrah brutalises Aussies
Prior to day three of the third Test, Jasprit Bumrah had bowled spectacularly well without much reward. That all changed on Friday, when the awkward right-armer claimed 6-33 in a fast-bowling masterclass. While Marcus Harris and Tim Paine were the architects of their own downfalls, the other four – Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood – fell by the wayside of good bowling. Marsh’s dismissal left on-lookers gobsmacked; a slower-ball yorker executed perfectly, and at a time when the nervous left-hander was looking only to survive. Head’s flailing drive might’ve been horrific, but Bumrah lured the stroke by spearing a centimetre-perfect full ball straight at off stump. Lyon never looked likely to defend the 146km/h rocket that wrapped him on the toes. Nor did Hazlewood, who was bowled off his pads by a half-volley after ducking under two bouncers.

Paine’s banter game, again: ‘Fancy that, Pantsy?’
I guess this is something we should expect from now on – Paine’s incessant niggling from behind the pegs. Rishabh Pant was the victim in focus on Friday, when stump mics – now turned up by default – picked up on Paine’s recruiting pledge: “Tell you what, with big MS (Dhoni) back in the One Day squad, we might get him down the (Hobart) Hurricanes, this bloke. We need a batter,” he started. “Fancy that, Pantsy, surely? Extend your little Aussie holiday? Beautiful town Hobart, too. We’ll get you a nice apartment on the waterfront…” Lyon lobbed down another off-break before the pitch recommenced. “You babysit? I’ll take my wife to the movies one night and you’ll look after the kids.” The distraction almost worked – Pant miscued an attempted straight drive, which fell just short of the man stationed at long-on. Never change, Tim. Watch it all unfold below.

Australia’s specialist batsmen
A penny for the thoughts of Justin Langer and batting coach Graham Hick, who watched their pupils disintegrate for 151, chasing a monstrous Indian total of 443. There are no excuses for Australia’s first-innings capitulation; not the wicket, nor bad umpiring. Variable bounce, swing and seam movement were no more extreme than on days one and two. The hosts’ batsmen were either found out technically (Head, Mitch Marsh, Paine), undone by good bowling (Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja) or failed to adapt to India’s plans (Harris, Aaron Finch). Another indictment was their inability to convert starts – an issue that seems to surface in most innings. Harris and Paine top scored with 22 while six players made more than 17. Not good.

India’s specialist batsmen
A harsh assessment, given the work they did in the first innings and considering the fact they had nothing to lose. But to be 5-54 at stumps never looks good, particularly against a fatigued Australian attack with very little to gain. Pujara, Kohli and Rahane will be furious with their departures, as will Rohit Sharma – a player desperate to prove his worth at Test level. Agarwal looks secure, but those around him are not. If the final target dips below 400, Australia will feel it’s in the contest, regardless of the odds. After all, records are made to be broken.