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Key events
110th over: India 347-7 (Reddy 96, Washington 50) An inside edge off Boland nutmegs Reddy. Absorbed tension round the ground. Were he to get there, this would be Reddy’s first Test hundred, in just his fourth Test and at just 21 – the talented prince. Ah, here are drinks, just running to the kettle. India trail by 127 runs.
110th over: India 346-7 (Reddy 95, Washington 50) Just a single from Lyon’s over as my eyes grow tireder. Could do with them taking drinks soon so I can grab a coffee. Reddy four away from his century, Australia tempting the kitty kat with goodies.
109th over: India 345-7 (Reddy 94, Washington 50) A Boland maiden. He looks tired now.
Fifty for Reddy!
108th over: India 345-7 (Reddy 94, Washington 50) A single brings Washington’s fourth Test fifty, his second against Australia. He raises his bat briefly, but is immediately back to work as the Indian flags fly. And then a sweep by Reddy beats Konstas t0 the rope.
107th over: India 339-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 49) Boland gives them nothing, the Barat Army continue to shout.A super maiden, with Washington Sundar a breath away from edging Boland’s last ball behind.
But bad news from Jane Evans: “It is raining quite heavily now in Creswick, central Victoria, and that is likely to move over Melbourne according to the radar. Maybe only the edges of the front but still, more rain heading MCGwards I imagine.”
106th over: India 339-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 48) India really have ants in their pants between the wickets, almost every single looks an exercise in panic. The run scoring opportunities have been strangled and Lyon calmly tries to reel them in.
105th over: India 338-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 48) Can Boland make the breakthrough at his home ground?Ooof, he jags ones back into Reddy, like a heat-seeking missile into his guts. Reddy leaps and is cut in half.
104th over: India 338-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 48) Lyon resumes and almost instantly there is a runout chance as the Indians indulge in some yes-no antics. But they are able to pick six from the over fairly easily. The dog sighs at my feet.
103rd over: India 332-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 44) Another quiet over, just the single from it. Could be that the approaching milestone is quieting Ntish Kumar Reddy as much as refinding his mojo after the break.
102nd over: India 331-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 43) Having said Marsh wasn’t very threatening, he sends down a couple of tempting nibblers. A quick single, but they are quick and outfox the fielder.
Hello there Terence Andreadis ”“I am here in Melbourne and this is a link to the Bureau of Meteorology radar page: There looks like some possible showers later this evening! Also a link to the observations around Melbourne, currently sitting around 20 degrees Celsius.”
That is pretty much my perfect temperature, feeling slightly envious.
101st over: India 328-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 40) A maiden from Starc, the pressure building as India struggle to refind their momentum from before the rain.
100th over: India 328-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 40) A flashing drive from Reddy, edged, which flies in the gap, irritating Labuschagne. Just a single from the over but not huge amounts of threat either.
“Afternoon/Morning Tanya, Gervase Greene here, in the not-even-slightly chilly Clovelly in Sydney.” Hello Gervase!
“I stand with Geoff Lemon (OBO 63rd over) in defence of Mohammed Siraj. Got to give credit to any quick who can so thump a ball into the pitch that it sails way above even the keeper’s head. In 40deg+ misery, when trailing by plenty – you can’t doubt the total commitment behind such effort.
“Also, he seems intelligently aware of what you Brits might call the “panto villain” requirement, and good on him for that too. I just think he’s fantastic, and I bet his skipper does too.”
Very true. He has high-class pantomime villain potential, brilliant eyeballing, and can back it up on the field too.
99th over: India 327-7 (Reddy 86, Washington 40) Starc resumes his work. Still seems to be having a few problems with that left side of his back and stretches between balls. Starts with a wayward delivery but a neat over with just a single from it.
98th over: India 326-7 (Reddy 85, Washington 40) A maiden from Mitch Marsh to start the session, a bowler with the classic Steve Waugh semi-mullet, designed to perfectly hold the baggy green.
And a nice update from Karan Garg out in the stands. “The atmosphere inside is electric & apart from the heat induced by this Reddy-Washington partnership, there ain’t much – pleasant all-round! A good day to be out here at MCG as an Indian supporter after two days of drubbing.”
Evening session
We’re back! Reddy plays a series of shadow shots at the non-striker’s end, while Marsh and Boland chat at the top of the mark.
Covers off!
A sudden deluge of emails fromthe MCG – thank you Michael McDonagh, Lee Fletcher and Elli Ferriggi! Thanks to them I can report that the covers are off, the rain has stopped and play is due to restart at 4pm local time, which is 5am GMT.
Ah, hello Karan Garg!
“Long-time lurker here at MBM (for over a decade now). Even while watching it live here at MCG, can’t keep myself away from The Guardian’s coverage. Cheers for that!
“Good news is that the rain has stopped & play should be back soon.
“Rooting for India & hoping Reddy gets his hundred.”
Thank you! Is it sweltering out there? The atmosphere looks amazing.
I don’t have any updates for you I’m afraid as the TV is showing highlights from earlier Tests. We’re about three hours from dawn here in the UK, and not a bird is yet calling hello.
Looks like the rain is continuing for a while…updates as we have them. If you’re at the MCG, do drop us a line with your inside weather knowledge, I’m at tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com.
Rain and Tea – India 326-7, trail by 148
97th over: India 326-7 (Reddy 85, Washington 40) A quieter over, and Starc seems to manages without too much bother. Ah, what’s this? The groundsman’s truck comes racing on and light drizzle has driven the players off for an early tea. India’s session, with a fabulous partnership between the two young blades now 105 and counting. I’m going to grab a cup of tea, back shortly.
96th over: India 324-7 (Reddy 85, Washington 39) A double change with Mitch Marsh taking over from Lyon, for what will be only his fourth over of the day. On the field, the physio presses and pushes Starc’s back, and puts him through his paces. And he is soon in the action as Washington flicks Marsh off his ankles and Starc runs forward and dives flat to attempt the catch, which bounces just infront of him and runs away for four. The hundred partnership comes up when Lyon slips on the rope fielding a handsome smart through the covers – the MCG roars in appreciation.
95th over: India 315-7 (Reddy 77, Washington 39) Cumins switches things up, replacing Boland with Starc – whose cropped hair is now salt and peppered. Washington greets his first ball, a fat wide one, by thrashing it through cover point. Within three balls he is grimacing and massaging his left lower back.
94th over: India 311-7 (Reddy 77, Washington 35) Lyon, white towel in his back pocket, war paint smeared in a downwards smile across his nose. A frisky single adds a frisson, but then – wow! – Reddy eyes up one tossed up and fair flays it to the fence.
93rd over: India 303-7 (Reddy 70, Washington 34) On comms, Michael Vaughan calls for Australia to pepper the batters with bouncers. Boland doesn’t agree – yet. A fairly full-throated appeal for lbw but the umpire is unmoved, as is Pat Cummins behind his shades.
92nd over: India 302-7 (Reddy 69, Washington 34) Not a great deal for Lyon to work with and India pick up a handful of singles.
91st over: India 299-7 (Reddy 67, Washington 33) . Boland again, finding energy in the heat. Some late seam movement has Washington prodding at air like a man weary of his work. In the field, the fresh faced Konstas conducts the crowd with his curled lip grin.
90th over: India 298-7 (Reddy 66, Washington 33) Time for some spin to try to break this partnership. Nathan Lyon, who I last saw wheeling away for Lancashire at Blackpool, dances in. A maiden. Thousands of faces in the crowd – just a thousand short of the record for day three of a Test at the MCG.
Tanya Aldred
89th over: India 298-7 (Reddy 66, Washington 33) Thanks Geoff! Hello from a chilly Surrey where my parents’ Christmas tree twinkles on with merry enthusiasm. Scott Boland continues after the drinks break and sends down one that spits off the pitch and stings Reddy on the elbow ,who walks away shaking his arm. Reddy tries to reverse ramp him in retort, without success. Gets his boundary off the last ball with an immaculate, peachy, drive down the ground.
Geoff Lemon
88th over: India 294-7 (Reddy 62, Washington 33) Still menacing from Cummins, up at the bat handle for Reddy, who steals a run, then past the edge of Washington, before a thick edge goes groundward through the cordon for three.
That is the drinks break, and that is me done. Tanya Aldred is coming in for the second half of the day. See you tomorrow.
87th over: India 290-7 (Reddy 61, Washington 30) Boland comes back on, the crowd fave with the still-new ball. Reddy drives him on the up for three! First ball of the spell. Got to be careful with Boland though, and his seam movement. Knows the MCG better than anyone. Washington nearly runs himself out, too, taking a single on a misfield at mid off. Dives at the non-striker’s end. One ball to come in the over and Carey asks for his helmet, he’s going to keep up to the stumps. Boland is bowling low 130s, that’s not easy to do. It tells you he won’t be bowling any short balls too. Reddy has been shuffling out of his crease a lot, so Carey wants to stop that. But Boland might be put off by the change, he bowls straight and Reddy slots him through mid on for a couple.
86th over: India 284-7 (Reddy 56, Washington 29) Cummins tapped away for a run, Reddy has made this a feature. Washington gets a couple of short ones. Ball-tracking data says he has barely bowled at the stumps with this new ball.
85th over: India 283-7 (Reddy 55, Washington 29) More strange areas from Washington. Tries to clip Starc through square leg and gets a leading edge to point. The next ball, gets the ball through point deliberately for three, beating Lyon’s dive. Reddy pinches a single just by dead-batting the ball to the off. He’s calling very loudly and clearly, “One, one, one!” Then more hard running as Washington clips it out through deep midwicket and they get back for four. That’s top notch. They picked early that the ball wouldn’t reach the long boundary but was timed well enough to go deep, and they motored. Reddy urged Washington back for the fourth.
India avoid the follow on
84th over: India 275-7 (Reddy 54, Washington 22) Three for Washington from Cummins, a back-foot punch with economical movement. “Yah, one!” yelps Reddy as he blunts a ball towards point. That gets them 200 behind Australia’s score, before Washington’s glanced single gets that number into the 190s. Australia will have to bat a second time, not that they would have done anything else anyway.
(Your regular reminder, if required, that the Kolkata Test of 2001 was not the end of the follow on, as I have heard on commentary again this week. That was Steve Waugh’s first follow on chance as captain, and he went on to enforce it at every other opportunity for the rest of his career. And won all those matches.)
Half century! Nitish Kumar Reddy 51 from 61 balls
83rd over: India 270-7 (Reddy 53, Washington 18) Width from Starc, and Reddy carves his drive over point for four! A first Test fifty for him, and he gets to raise the bat at the MCG. He’s had a few little bits of luck, he’s played the short stuff well, he’s been enterprising and brave. Follows up with two runs through cover.
Sankar emailed a little while ago. “Watching sleeplessly from Washington DC but from an India fan’s perspective wondering if I should just go to bed early. Senior players not behaving or playing responsibly (except for Rahul) , bowling without a plan… Even Pant who has been the hero many times, I wish he hadn’t played that shot at that time no matter how good he is at it. Contrast with Australia: Smith and Khawaja in their batting and their conduct, Cummins putting it all out on the field with an intelligent plan behind it. Wonder if IPL has made Test matches secondary for our players.”
I don’t think the latter is the case – if anything, Kohli and Rohit want to win these Tests so badly that it’s affecting their judgement. But there have been a lot of scrambled decisions since Perth, especially via the new coach with selection and the handling of Ashwin.
But I hope you did stay up, because there are bright spots right here, with your city’s namesake and with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been so impressive.
82nd over: India 264-7 (Reddy 47, Washington 18) Cummins is back with the new ball. Beats Reddy with a good one, then gets driven uppishly through mid off for three. Not a safe stroke, too early on it. Washington edges one down and then into the cordon, good stop from Labuschagne. Only 11 runs from the follow on.
81st over: India 261-7 (Reddy 44, Washington 18) This a new high score in Tests for Reddy, too. More 40s than a West Coast hip-hop clip. He’s at the non-striker’s end. Starc with the shiny red Kooka, a leave and a block, and then… dropped! But the most extraordinary shot you’re likely to see. Entirely inadvertent. Washington gets a ball a foot outside leg stump and is dropped at second slip.
How?
He’s tried to glance that, and somehow it has taken the inside edge of the bat, but off the angled back corner. It has deflected back towards the stumps. For a minute I thought it was heading to the keeper, but somehow the angle on that is even more acute, and it goes across the cordon to second slip! On the full. Smith wouldn’t have been expecting a catch when he saw a leg glance being played. He does pretty well actually, a reflex throw of the palm to his right and low, but the bizarre trajectory of that ball is too hard to track. Safe to say he would never have had a catch come at him from that angle before. He palms the ball down.
80th over: India 261-7 (Reddy 44, Washington 18) And the last over with the old ball, presumably. Head bowls it, Reddy plays a lovely cover drive but only gets one. Sundar knocks one to midwicket. Reddy middles a reverse sweep, but straight at backward point, no run. The new ball is delivered by Australia’s sub fielder, after the fourth umpire handed it to him on the boundary line. Odd, usually that’s the official’s job.
It’s new ball time!
79th over: India 259-7 (Reddy 43, Washington 17) No run from the next Lyon over, Washington batting.
78th over: India 259-7 (Reddy 43, Washington 17) Not sure why Cummins is taking himself off after that outstanding couple of overs. Maybe it’s over rate? They’re lagging. Oh, and the new ball is around the corner, so he’ll want that.
77th over: India 256-7 (Reddy 42, Washington 15) Some vaudeville stuff there from Head. They’ve got two bat-pad catchers on the off side now for Washington, the left-hander. Head is the straighter, maybe you’d call him a silly mid off, but he’s a few paces from the bat. Washington smokes a drive straight into his foot, the instep, and it hurts. Head hobbles off, then hurls himself to the ground with a theatrical flourish. I think he’s mimicking a footballer in the penalty box. And he lets out a yell of pain for good measure. A bit of hamming about.
And now Cummins is asking him to bowl!
76th over: India 253-7 (Reddy 41, Washington 13) The unsociable spell from Cummins continues. Beats the edge when it’s fuller, forces a dodge when it’s shorter. Decent straight drive to close the over but Cummins plucks it off the pitch in his follow through. Screws turning.
75th over: India 253-7 (Reddy 41, Washington 13) The left-hander is trying to stay busy against Lyon, who is a threat. Cuts a couple, drives one, then edges through a vacant second slip for more runs.
74th over: India 247-7 (Reddy 40, Washington 8) We’re back, and Cummins is back bowling short. Not bombing them, but a couple per over to test them out. Washington plays one rising ball quite nicely to keep it down, it was a sharp one. Reddy wears another one in the armpit. I know that cricketers talk about bowling at the armpit sometimes, to mean a certain line and angle on the short ball, but I’ve never seen one literally in the armpit. Cummins stuck it in there like a roll-on deodorant.
Lunch – India 244 for 7
Australia’s session, they dismissed Pant and Jadeja and still have a huge lead, but there’s one more genuine batting partnership to break given India’s long batting. The gap is 230 between the teams, with Reddy and Washington to resume after lunch. Boland and Lyon are today’s wicket-takers.
73rd over: India 244-7 (Reddy 40, Washington 5) Lyon does get another over before lunch, and even last ball before the break Reddy is advancing before deciding to defend. Love the way he approaches his game, full of confidence. He gets to the break, after scores of 41, 38 not out, 42, 42, and 16 in the series.
72nd over: India 243-7 (Reddy 40, Washington 4) Travis Head on for a bowl, perhaps to squeak in another over after this before lunch. Lots of loop on his off breaks, as always. But misses his length once, and Reddy comes down to smash four over mid off. Low full toss by the time he hit it. India are 237 behind, 38 from the follow on.
71st over: India 237-7 (Reddy 35, Washington 3) Cracks a cut shot! Reddy gets a short one from Lyon and hits it nicely, but it pulls up short of the rope going to the longest boundary.