Sydney: India finished the day on 96 for 2 with Shubman Gill scoring an attractive half-century after Steve Smith’s 27th Test ton lifted Australia to 338 in second day of third Test in Sydney.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on nine and five respectively as India finished Day 2 on 96/2, trailing Australia’s first-innings total of 338 by 242 runs. Australia kept Rahane and Pujara awfully quiet ever since the two batsmen came together.
Shubman Gill scored a fine half-century but had to depart the next ball as he edged Pat Cummins to gully. He and Rohit Sharma added 70 runs for the first wicket before Josh Hazlewood broke the partnership.
Earlier, Australia were all out for 338 in their first innings.
After Will Pucovski (62) and Marnus Labuschagne (91) gave the hosts their strongest start of the series, Steve Smith struck a gritty 131-run knock to ensure that the team had a fighting score on the board.
For India, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the top wicket-taker with four scalps, conceding 62 runs in his 18 overs.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and debutant Navdeep Saini chipped in with two wickets each to keep the visiting side firmly in the match after the hosts claimed the day one honours.
The series is currently locked 1-1 after India”s remarkable eight-wicket comeback win in the Melbourne Test, off-setting a humiliating loss in the opener in Adelaide.
But Friday belonged to Smith, whose century marked his first Test ton in Australia since the ball-tampering scandal and his first anywhere in 16 months. The former captain celebrated his 27th hundred in passionate style, twice thrusting his bat in the air in a mix of relief and jubilation.
Smith made a point of playing more positively after being dismissed cheaply in the first two Tests, driving gloriously down the ground throughout his knock.
The 31-year-old then took that to extremes late, with his last 27 runs coming from 14 balls before a superb Ravindra Jadeja direct hit ran him out and ended Australia’s innings.