MELBOURNE - Jasprit Bumrah, the right-arm fast bowler, breathed fire on day three of the third Test, returning 6/33 to put India in the driver’s seat against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The hosts were bowled out for 151 before Pat Cummins (4/10) fought back with the ball, reducing India to 54/5 at stumps on Friday, 28 December. However, the visitors are still in firm control of proceedings with a hefty lead of 346.

Earlier in the day, Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris held out for 24 runs before Ishant Sharma found a breakthrough in the 10th over of the innings. The pacer drew a false shot from Finch’s willow that went straight to short mid-wicket, which was a tactical placement from the India skipper.

Bumrah got into the action three overs later, banging it in short to dismiss Harris for 22. Usman Khawaja could not replicate his heroics from the second Test and was caught behind for 21 off Ravindra Jadeja. Shaun Marsh (19) and Travis Head (20) collaborated to add 36 runs for the fourth wicket, before Marsh was trapped lbw by Bumrah off the final delivery before lunch.

The pacer wasn’t done, as he knocked out the woodwork behind Head with a full delivery at the start of the afternoon session. Mitchell Marsh (9), Jadeja’s second scalp, played out 35 deliveries before edging a leg-side delivery to the slips. Tim Paine (22) and Pat Cummins (17) looked to steady the ship, but the 36-run stand was snapped by Mohammed Shami. He disturbed Cummins’ off stump with a peach of a delivery to reduce the hosts to 138/7.

Paine, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood fell after tea within four overs, capping the Australia innings at 151 to give India a 292-run lead. Bumrah will now end 2018, his Test debut year, with at least one five-wicket haul in all of South Africa, England and Australia.

The India opening duo added 18 runs before Hanuma Vihari (13) was dismissed by a bouncer from Cummins. Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane walked back in quick succession for 0, 0 and 1, as Cummins picked up four wickets in just eight deliveries. It was the first time since 1953 that the No.3, 4 and 5 of the Indian batting order contributed just one run between them, as the three batsmen fell while trying to play the ball to the leg side.

Mayank Agarwal continued to impress despite all the chaos, holding one end together with his solid batting display, remaining unbeaten on 28. Rohit Sharma (5), who was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood, was the last wicket to fall on the day.

Agarwal and Rishabh Pant, who will take guard for India on the fourth morning, will look to shore up India’s lead.

Scorecard

INDIA 1ST INNINGS: 443-7 dec
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS:
(OVERNIGHT: 8-0):
M Harris c I Sharma b Bumrah 22
A Finch c Agarwal b I Sharma 8
U Khawaja c Agarwal b Jadeja 21
S Marsh lbw b Bumrah 19
T Head b Bumrah 20
M Marsh c Rahane b Jadeja 9
T Paine c Pant b Bumrah 22
P Cummins b Shami 17
M Starc not out 7
N Lyon lbw b Bumrah 0
J Hazlewood b Bumrah 0
EXTRAS: (lb1, b4, w1) 6
TOTAL: (10 wickets, 66.5 overs) 151
FOW: 1-24, 2-36, 3-53, 4-89, 5-92, 6-102, 7-138, 8-147 9-151, 10-151
BOWLING: Sharma 13-2-41-1, Bumrah 15.5-4-33-6, Jadeja 25-8-45-2, Shami 10-2-27-1, Vihari 3-2-1-0
INDIA 2ND INNINGS:
M Agarwal not out 28
H Vihari c Khawaja b Cummins 13
C Pujara c Harris b Cummins 0
V Kohli c Harris b Cummins 0
A Rahane c Paine b Cummins 1
R Sharma c S.Marsh b Hazlewood 5
R Pant not out 6
EXTRAS: (lb1) 1
TOTAL: (5 wkts, 27 overs) 54
FOW: 1-28, 2-28, 3-28, 4-32, 5-44
BOWLING: Starc 3-1-11-0, Hazlewood 8-3-13-1, Cummins 6-2-10-4, Lyon 10-1-19-0
TOSS: India
UMPIRES: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Ian Gould (ENG)
TV UMPIRE: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
MATCH REFEREE: Paul Wilson (AUS)