Smith smacks century as India trail Australia by 242

SYDNEY: Australia snapped up two wickets in the final session Friday to leave India with work to do in the third Test as they chase the hosts’ 338 following Steve Smith’s first century in more than a year.

Pace spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins got the breakthroughs, dismissing openers Rohit Sharma (26) and Shubman Gill (50) as India reached stumps at 96 for two, 242 runs adrift.

The dogged Cheteshwar Pujara was not out nine and captain Ajinkya Rahane, who scored a century in the second Test in Melbourne, on five.

Australia resumed their first innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 166 for two, but only managed another 172 in the face of India’s spirited fightback led by spinner Ravindra Jadeja who took 4-62.

Smith, though, was the star attraction, smacking 131 — his 27th century, and his first since the 2019 Ashes in England — before being the last man to fall. Marnus Labuschagne made 91 and Will Pucovski 62 on debut.

“I think it’s a decent total (338), although it would have been nice to score a few more. You always want more,” said Smith.

“It’s a bit up and down the wicket,” he added.

“I think the boys bowled pretty well this evening and if we continue to bowl really disciplined tomorrow, we will get some opportunities.”

India’s openers negotiated a tricky nine overs before tea to be 26 without loss, and they put on another 44 before Hazlewood struck, removing Sharma.

Score Board

Australia won toss

India 1st Innings

R. Sharma c&b Hazlewood 26

S. Gill c Green b Cummins 50

C. Pujara not out 9

A. Rahane not out 5

Extras (w5, nb1) 6

Total (2 wickets, 45 overs) 96

To bat: Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Navdeep Saini

Fall: 1-70 (Sharma), 2-85 (Gill)

Bowling: Starc 7-4-19-0, Hazlewood 10-5-23-1, Cummins 12-6-19-1, Lyon 16-7-35-0

Australia 1st Innings (overnight 166-2)

D. Warner c Pujara b Siraj 5

W. Pucovski lbw b Saini 62

M. Labuschagne c Rahane b Jadeja 91

S. Smith run out 131

M. Wade c Bumrah b Jadeja 13

C. Green lbw b Bumrah 0

T. Paine b Bumrah 1

P. Cummins b Jadeja 0

M. Starc c Gill b Saini 24

N. Lyon lbw b Jadeja 0

J. Hazlewood not out 1

Extras (b4, w1, nb5) 10

Total (all out, 105.4 overs) 338

Fall: 1-6 (Warner), 2-106 (Pucovski), 3-206 (Labuschagne), 4-232 (Wade), 5-249 (Green), 6-255 (Paine), 7-278 (Cummins), 8-310 (Starc), 9-315 (Lyon), 10-338 (Smith)

Bowling: Bumrah 25.4-7-66-2, Siraj 25-4-67-1, Ashwin 24-1-74-0, Saini 13-0-65-2, Jadeja 18-3-62-4

Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Bruce Oxenford (AUS). TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)