New Delhi, Feb 25: Steven Smith played a magnificent knock as he notched up his 18th Test ton and his fifth versus India as Australia’s lead neared 400 in Pune versus India. Get live cricket score of India vs Australia day 3 here. (LIVE SCORECARD | WHERE TO SEE LIVE STREAMING)
10:52 hrs IST: Steven Smith comes closer to his 100 with a late cut off Jadeja. This has been a special knock from him.
10:44 hrs IST: Good battle between Starc and Umesh. The bowler beats him twice with leg-cutters close to 90 mph but Starc holds his nerve as he drills a drive past mid-off for a boundary.
10:42 hrs IST: Smith and Starc will be hoping to add some quick runs and bat on. India will have to earn these wickets.
10:38 hrs IST: Smith enters the 90s with a boundary to deep extra cover. Mitchell Starc, who played a game-changing knock in the first innings, has come out. Will we see him go for his stokes?
10:34 hrs IST: WICKET! Umesh Yadav gets the wicket of Matthew Wade as the batsman edges a full ball to the keeper. Australia are 204/6, lead by 359 with Smith on 85*. Catch live cricket score here.
10:25 hrs IST: Good battle between Umesh Yadav and Wade. The batsman is tested with the bouncer but he holds his nerve and caresses a cover drive to the deep cover fence. The lead is past 350.
10:23 hrs IST: For all Mahi fans, MS Dhoni is back as captain. This is how!
10:20 hrs IST: KL Rahul is still troubled by that right shoulder. This may not look good as the series progresses
10:18 hrs IST: Smith and Wade are ensuring that the scorecard is moving. The lead is nearing 350. Catch live cricket score here.
10:14 hrs IST: Great delivery from Jayant Yadav as he beats Matthew Wade with a delivery that spins away sharply. However, the left-hander has the last laugh as he square-cuts a short and wide ball to deep point for a boundary.
10:11 hrs IST: While Australia make smooth progress in Pune, over in Wellington, AB de Villiers has created a special record and South Africa have ended on 271/8 against New Zealand.
10:08 hrs IST: Jayant Yadav is into the attack but Wade plays him out well. So far, not much alarms for Australia. Umesh Yadav is into the attack now. Australia 182/5, lead by 337 runs. Catch live cricket score here.
10:05 hrs IST: In the over in which Jadeja appealed for an LBW, a serious Virat Kohli was involved in a discussion with umpire Richard Kettleborough. Meanwhile, Matthew Wade is employing the sweep shot well against Jadeja.
10:00 hrs IST: In the previous over, there was an appeal for an LBW. The ball had hit pad first and then bat. Would have been out but the umpire thought that there was bat. India have no reviews so you cannot blame the umpire.
09:59 hrs IST: Smith breaks the shackles in style as he dances down the track and whips it to deep mid wicket for a boundary. The lead is nearing 350.
09:53 hrs IST: WICKET! Jadeja gets a wicket finally. A sharp spinning delivery and Marsh gets a faint edge to the keeper. He departs for 31 as Australia are 171/5, lead by 326.
09:48 hrs IST: Another missed chance! Add another in the list. Smith goes for the leg glance and gets a glove on it, Rahane at leg slip dives to his right but he cannot get to it. For international standards, that should have been taken.
09:46 hrs IST: Smith continues to bat with ease. The composure that he has shown has been remarkable. Mitchell Marsh has been edgy but he has hung in there.
09:42 hrs IST: Another loose ball from Ashwin! He drops it short and Marsh punches it hard to the deep point boundary. He is growing in confidence.
09:40 hrs IST: Superb bowling by Jadeja. He gets turn and Marsh gets an edge twice off successive deliveries, luckily he played it with soft hands.
09:37 hrs IST: Superbly played by Marsh. Ashwin errs in his length and the batsman goes on the back foot to punch the short ball to deep cover for a boundary.
09:35 hrs IST: Loud appeal for an LBW but not given! Mitchell Marsh plays slightly inside the line of the delivery and gets hit on the pad, but the ball was probably going down the leg side. Australia 147/4, lead by 302. Catch live cricket score here.
09:32 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin is opening the bowling and Steven Smith survives a run-out. He was comfortably in but he had to put in the dive to get in. Australia’s lead has gone past 300.
09:28 hrs IST: What will Australia’s approach be heading into this session? Will they attack? On this pitch, which is offering prodigious turn, it might be too difficult
09:15 hrs IST: A warm welcome to day 3 of the Pune Test between India vs Australia. Steven Smith’s knock has ensured that Australia’s lead goes past 300. For Virat Kohli, it was his first bad day in office as his batsmen collapsed to Stephen O’Keefe and the fielders dropped catches, including Smith three times.
Australia took a first innings lead of 155, a significant advantage on a spin-friendly track at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, which is making its debut as a Test centre.
The touring side, who have lost their last nine Tests in Asia and were considered underdogs before the start of the four-match series, reached 143 for four at stumps in their second innings, an overall lead of 298 runs.
Captain Steve Smith is unbeaten after a chance-filled 59, during which he was dropped three times, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh on 21 not out.
India will still back themselves having successfully chased 387 set by England in the first Test in 2008 in Chennai.
That famous win was set up by Virender Sehwag’s 68-ball 83 before Sachin Tendulkar (103 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (85 not out) raised an unbroken 163-run stand for the fifth wicket to take India home.
