Australia lose three in eventful start to the chase

In an eventful start to Australia's chase of 162, Prasidh Krishna struck thrice to keep the visitors alive after he and Mohammed Siraj leaked easy runs to start off. India looked all over the place in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah, until Krishna took out Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. This action unfolded after Scott Boland completed an excellent six-wicket haul as India were bowled out in the first eight overs of the day.

Boland rightfully led Australia off the field to raucous applause from the SCG crowd after he and his captain Pat Cummins conspired to end India's innings in just 7.5 overs. Cummins took out the two left-handers - Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar - with two contrasting deliveries from round the stumps. Jadeja, who continued to be ultra-defensive and offered the vertical bat repeatedly, was undone by a ball that was angled in and seamed away a touch to take the outside edge on the way to Alex Carey. Washington got a ball that seamed in to hit the top of middle-stump.

Mohammed Siraj became Boland's fifth wicket of the innings when he tried to push at a ball outside the off-stump and nicked to Usman Khawaja at slips. Bumrah, who was fine to bat, then swung big and missed to get bowled for 0 in 3, ending India's innings at 157.

With 162 to defend without the best bowler of the series, India's start beggared belief as both Siraj and Krishna bowled leg side wides for fours and gave away 13 runs each in their respective first overs. India's listlessness without their bowling talisman came through as runs continued to come easy even as Sam Konstas departed trying to hit out against Krishna.

Krishna then used his height and the uneven bounce to snuff out both Marnus Labuschgne and Steve Smith. Labuschagne guided a back of length ball outside off straight to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully. Smith fell one short of 10,000 Test runs, undone by a rising short ball that he edged to the same region, where Jaiswal did well to complete a diving catch ahead of him.

Australia headed to Lunch needing 91 more to secure their first Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory since the 2014-15 series.

Brief scores: Australia 181 & 71/3 (Prasidh Krishna 3-27) trail India185 and 157 (Rishabh Pant 61; Scott Boland 6-45, Pat Cummins 3-44 ) by 91 runs