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Rahkeem Cornwall makes it to West Indies Test squad
He is an all-rounder from the islands of Antigua and is perhaps the heaviest cricketer ever. He stands at a towering height of 6’6” and weighs around 140 kg.

Cornwall made his first-class debut in 2014 and has since become a regular for Leewards Islands, even captaining them earlier this year. He has 260 wickets from 55 first-class matches and finished as the leading bowler in the most recent regional four-day tournament.

Good fifty for Gill

Really like what I've seen of this lad. Think we will see a lot more of him over the next few years.

Ha ...I hexed him

Gone to great catch by Green off Cummins at gully

Australia coming back at 85/2.

Vital last mini-session.

Deserved wicket for Cummins and what a grab by Green. No team allowed to control this test for long! Australia now have two new batsmen to attack.

India being strangled here in much the same way as they've done to Australia throughout much of this series...88/2 off 39.

Big fuss then over an lbw no shot off Lyon...but as I expected it was umpires call on hitting...in fact it looked very marginal even on the ball tracking. I think he'd have been very unlucky to have been given out on that though the home commentators don't seem to agree

Think he would be well advised not to go leaving too many like that though.

Slow late session ends with India on 96/2 from 45. Pujara and Rahane have been playing resolutely for tomorrow and made it to the end , if without much nudging the scorecard. Aussie bowling has been generally admirable as you'd expect.

India's day...but the match is nicely poised. This partnership crucial ...roll on Saturday.

Hard to stay awake 2 nights in a row during a working week.
woke up at stroke of tea to find , Ind bowlers delivered my dream scenario....last 8 gone for 170 odd today....and given that Smith, Pucvoski & Labuschagne scored 290ish between them...rest fell for nothing

Gill has a flaw talked about before....i.e he stays legsidish of the ball....but scores while out there and delivers some peach strokes...Rohit didn't get beaten, but looked restless.....and Rahane+Pujara played in test match style & soaked up a 100 deliveries for peanuts in terms of runs.

The game will be decided on who gets a 50 to 70 odd run first inning lead....as in my read, with deterioration & spin , Aus will get 200ish in their 2nd inning.

so depending on who has the lead...Ind could be chasing 140 ( winnable) to 240 ( beyond reach) IMO.
Off-course...all the above if weather doesn't take out too much time

And for India to deliver a lead they need some counterattacking cricket from Pant & Jadeja after Pujara, Rahane & Vihari have played their classic test cricket.
Pant owes a BIG 50 and is due for one....he did a 150' n.o last when Ind palyed in Sydney

So India end the day at 96-2. Pujara and Rahane just decided in the last hour or so that they are going to just stay out there and forget scoring. Don't think the pitch really demanded such an approach though the bowling was pretty good. But the important thing for India is that their 2 best batsmen in the side, are still unseparated heading into day 3. I just hope this hyper-passivity wouldn't end up hurting them.
Full credit to the bowling unit, particularly Jadeja and Bumrah, for stopping Australia well short of a 400+ total that seemed on cards when Smith and Labuschagne were together. Bumrah bowled pretty well and would have more than the 2 wickets he got on another day. Jadeja was brilliant to get 4 on that track that offered him nothing much. He got those 4 wickets with his typical discipline and accuracy more than anything else. Saini was expensive and didn't quite generate the pace I was hoping for though he still was sharp. And glad to see Starc getting a bit of that medicine that he kept dishing out to the Indian lower order in the last 2 games and will continue to do so through the series.

I am beginning to worry a bit about Pujara. He seemed more like the Pujara in England 2014 than the Pujara in Australia and England in 2018. He has always been willing to play out deliveries, play for time and not scoring runs can't usually make him play shots that are not in order. He outwaited the Australians last time with great success. But in this series, he seemed more like in England in 2014 where also he played out ball after ball, without ever getting a substantive score as he completely took out scoring runs as the purpose of batting. The first innings of the series where he made 43 was more in the 2018 mode, but subsequently, he seems to be overthinking, and is gone hyper-survivalist as Cummins has imposed himself on him a bit. He was defending over-pitched, inviting balls today. Has become a bit oblivious to scoring runs and is not maximizing scoring opportunities even when they present themselves. Lyon with that extra fielder close in right in front of him, has made him alter his approach to the Australian spinner, not stepping out with the same level of confidence.
Hope he has spend enough time on the wicket today to get his confidence fully restored, and would be more proactive and positive tomorrow.

Duty281 wrote:Deserved wicket for Cummins and what a grab by Green. No team allowed to control this test for long! Australia now have two new batsmen to attack.

Could it be his fielding that buys Green some more time to establish himself in the much needed all rounder role for Australia? His first class stats really suggest theres a lot more to him than we've seen in tests so far. As it stands the lower middle order really is a bit limp, although its somewhat ironic that Wade failed when given protection hidden down the order!

With Paine being one of weaker test keepers in terms of batting 5-7 (still never had a test century into his 11th year of trying!) seems to be the difference between Aus being a good side and a great one.

Still looks like they are in a decent position now after taking the openers.

Cant fault Sharma too much, he survived longer than most do against Australia's trio and has come in pretty cold. Gills living up to the hype to come extent so far, certainly made his point in regard to deserving the spot ahead of the other two kids. Jadejas also underlined what KPF was saying with his contributions in the last two tests (although Ashwin has proved he equally deserves a spot this series, and two spinners is working for them)

Draws almost certainly off the table now, Aus should win but as we have seen form this series so far theres plenty of scope for twists yet.

On another note 1 Jadeja wicket off that being a crackerjack 2 days for me on the tipping contest. As with India I need the two India senior bats to do a Smith/Labuschagne

Fancy the Aussies to make best use of “moving day” today, while these two at the crease are clearly key, get one early and you suddenly exposed the out of form Vihari, and they’re still quite a way behind. India are gonna need one of these two to produce a Smith-esque knock with able support from the rest, to make a worthwhile lead

Agree with that. I think Australia will have a first innings lead, and they'll likely keep India below 300. We started to see some inconsistent bounce yesterday, Cummins and Hazlewood bowled well, plus there's a second new ball early in the afternoon and India's lower order, with Jadeja at 7, doesn't inspire much confidence.

Edged chance missed, 6 off the next ball. Bit of a change of pace this "morning" from Rahane


..and out his next ball. Its all happening now, Aus on top.

Good first half-session for the home team...excellent disciplined bowling kept the batsmen nearly scoreless for most of it and Rahane succumbed to the pressure (somewhat surprisingly : I'd thought him the more secure of the bats but his attempt to play the wrong ball with an angled bat was a bit of a brain fade)

Burst of scoring from Pujara late on but really they've hardly been moving the scorecard and you have to feel wickets are coming for Lyon sooner or later.

I guess if this pair can bat long enough the bowlers will tire and scoring will be easier...but that looks a long way off at the moment. Today might be the one where India really do feel the absence of Kohli...

And just as Pujara seemed to have set the score ticking over again a run out has done for Vihari...

Was a great bit of fielding from Hazlewood ; but I thought it was a daft piece of running - even as they took off I thought he'd be in trouble. I don't rate Vihari in any case ; but he's left Pujara with even more responsibility to hold up this innings.

Australian pressure this morning has been relentless

Er...that was out. Dreadful decision.

Tim Paine should be banned from making drs appeals... OK that was close to the glove but his apparent certainty that it was out in the face of short leg Wade's lack of interest is yet another in his record of wasted reviews. Hope this one doesn't come back to bite Australia - only one left now.

Anyway it was a rotten ball from Labuschagne and really didn't deserve a wicket

Duty281 wrote:Er...that was out. Dreadful decision.

Clearly we saw that differently

So : new ball due after one more over when they resume. Lunch at 180/4.
Australia's session but Pant has managed to inject a bit of pep into the scoring - albeit he's had a bit of luck. Use of Green and Labuschagne in the dead overs leading up to the new ball took a bit of pressure off - though I guess Marnus might have had a wicket if Duty had been 3rd umpire. (Depends what you think of ambiguous squiggly lines on Snicko versus visual evidence I suppose. Certainly Paine seemed to think he should have had it ...but I feel he has a little tendency to get overexcited)
For the most part , I reckon most of us would be happy to face Marnus armed with a stick of rhubarb

Once again , an "interesting" period looms after the interval.

First two hours were emphatically Australia's. Relentless pressure created through tight bowling and sharp fielding. Cruel on Lyon that he has unreflective figures of 0/76. Last half hour Pant led a mini counter-attack to get something on the scoreboard. Very nicely poised, as it has been through the series.

New ball coming almost immediately in the next session. In Australia's innings they were four down when the second new ball arrived, and it took India 25.4 overs to take the remaining six wickets. Similar outcome today will leave Paine delighted.

Two wickets in five balls secures Australia's advantage. Exceptional ball to get Pujara from Cummins; loose drive did for Pant against Hazlewood.

Home side now looking to clean up swiftly.

Well the excellent Hazlewood has delivered the first break after just seven overs with the new ball....Pant , perhaps a bit softened up by the nasty whack he took to the arm , edging to slip.

And now Cummins has Pujara after his long vigil !

India 195/6 and with only their wobbly tail to come I reckon Australia have one hand on a win here in Sydney. Rewarded today for some really fine , tight bowling. India might regret a bit of lack of urgency yesterday.

Wonder if Jadeja and Ashwin can muster a few runs ? Certainly can't see them getting anywhere near enough .

Cummins and Hazlewood really have bowled splendidly today. There is nothing much there for the pace bowlers on this pitch , but they have kept control all through - and produced the wickets Australia needed.
If India had got through that hour unscathed they might well have been set up to cash in as the ball and bowlers were worn down. But those wickets have surely cooked the Indian Goose.

Suppose I should beware of predicting anything in this series. But hard to see a way back for the tourists from here.

Dreadfully lazy running from Ashwin gifts another wicket

Perfectly sound run...should have got there with yards to spare. Awful cricket.

Think India are toast now.

Another run-out befalls this ultra-quick Indian team. Credit to the sharp fielding, but it's dozy as you like from India.

Looks like Australia will take the final six wickets with the second new ball quicker than the Indians did, in a session that's surely decided the test.

Indian tail disintegrating as expected...much by their own hand as we see a third run out !
Some fine throwing from the Aussie fielders ; but the running has been absolutely village.

Poor Jadeja is going to be left high and dry ...understandably having a swing now . 225/9

Yeah I think this match is essentially over. Wary as I am of predictions , I reckon a few things are likely from here :

1/ Australia with a lead of 100 at least will resume in a very positive mood...and Warner will produce a punchy second innings hundred as they amass three hundred before sending the Indians back with four sessions to survive.
2/ Lyon will get the wickets he threatened to take in the first innings and despite more patient stonewalling from Rahane and Pujara it will be all over by tea on Monday.

Actually hope I'm wrong and the match has a few more twists but not really expecting much.

Although I see prediction one is already gone as Jadeja gets the deficit under 100

He is a fighter. But he's just copped a nasty knock to his left hand ...hopefully he is OK. 239/9.

244 all out. Cummins gets four

Lead of 94 so India need to bowl Australia out for ...36 ? Or something like that.

Don't fancy their chances. Today belongs to Cummins and Hazlewood...and the Aussie fielders , who have been outstanding today. India should not have lost 8 for 148 on this.

Spirited cameo from Jadeja, but a 94 lead is more than enough for Australia. Great bowling as a unit from them in this innings.

Now for the procession of runs before the declaration, hopefully with some Warner fireworks.

Thee second new ball was "spitting" as the unevenness in pitch startied playing up.....and then chaos set in...starting with Ashwin's run out.....jadeja letting Saini take single off the last ball.
Intense, commonsensical cricket...this is probably what's missed in the absence of Kohli by India.

The lead under 100 is a mountain...and india need a magical display....like bowling Aus out for a 100...to stay in the game

Yeah I think India probably committed too firmly to a "grind it out" strategy instead of putting the Australian bowlers under pressure (especially after they lost Gill).
Might have worked , had either Rahane or Pujara managed to bed in and get a hundred...but , a bit like Australia with their reliance on Smith/Labuschagne , India are too dependant on those two to get serious scores. Six players over twenty...no one over fifty.

Can't do that and win a Test in Australia.

3 Run outs is poor fielding or not

Rain Rain Come Again....Don't Go Away
We want no play

KP_fan wrote:Rain Rain Come Again....Don't Go Away
We want no play

Blue skies... nothing but blue skies...:

Tomorrow should be a little better than today... slightly warmer as well.

The grind it out strategy ... that was partly Pujara just being Pujara, he would've played like that if they needed 100 off 10 overs to win coupled with a clear target not to lose another wicket on day 2. With only 3 seamers looking much of a threat it wasnt a bad idea to try and tire out the quicks. Rahane was trying to pick up the pace and was showing some real intent yesterday when he got out, his previous ball went for 6. Shutting up shop with Vihari in again was probably a fair bit of a sign of his struggles for form as much as a deliberate policy.


Either way Australia are firmly in control now and will struggle not to win from this position. Seems like neither side is much cop with the bat, but the ball is definitely doing more now than it was day one so any chance of a heroic grind to bat out a day and a half is very remote.

Injuries hitting their bowling too. Arguably their fielding benefitted from Pants broken thumb, but if his second innings batting is affected thats yet another blow. Still waiting on morning assessments on Jadeja to see if he can return to the field (tipping competition prayers), chance both could miss the last test. There was a third player off the field at one point too, not quite Sri Lanka but certainly affected any hope India had of keeping pressure on Australia.

Selections for the last test could well come down to who's fit for India. Shame its gone this way, should be 3-1 Aus. Good thats its been more competitive than it looked like it would be after the first test collapse.

Three run outs in a test match innings is just embarrassing batting

My worst fears came through after that no-scoring approach on day 2. With more than 50 overs eaten up on a better day for batting where the track was probably on its flattest, India ended up being sitting ducks to the 2nd new ball. Had it not been for Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, they would have given away a mich bigger lead... I have been a big supporter of Pujara throughout, but I was concerned about his approach on day 2 itself, and though he defended himself strongly in the presser, I think Cheteshwar wouldn't be looking back at this innings with any fondness. Not only did he not score enough when the ball was old despite coming in at 70-1 and the first new ball dealt with, he also failed to then deal with the 2nd new ball and became part of a collapse that has lost India the test.

And then to top it all, both Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant got injured facing up to nasty short bowling. The Indians were rather nice to Pucovski, but the Australians were just bowling nothing else to the last 3 batsmen besides knocking over Pant and Jadeja. And the Indian lower order can't even hold a bat properly, even Ashwin forgetting to bat these days. He was actually looking good, and then his usually silly, lazy running got him done in.
Kumble, Harbhajan, Srinath, Zaheer, those guys were far more decent lower order bats. All that we are left with now are varying versions of Chris Fantom Martins!

Australia where something like 251-6, and then ended up scoring 338. India were 195-6, and though Jadeja's efforts still made something out of it eventually, they lost another 3 for 20 in between.

And 3 run-outs in a test innings? Just ridiculous and totally unacceptable. Can understand the Bumrah run-out a bit, even credit to the fielder too, rather than going for Jadeja's end, it was clever to go for the non-striker end there.
But Vihari? Stupid, pathetic! Ashwin, Lazy irresponsible!

msp...you are being too harsh.....Pujara batted like he always does...and has won us many a tests with this approach.
We can't take the wins he delivers...and fault him on bad days.

problem is not Pujara but that Rahane, Vihari, Rohit did not convert.

Problem is not that Indian's were nice when bowling...but that with second new ball in Indian inning..the pitch started spitting unevenly to pacers.

problem was also that Kohli isn't around to kick-ass & push with passion & anger and emotion....when things aren't going the way & be tough and change the script on the feet

Problems is also that Aussies played better all round cricket in this game.

can India get out of this hole?
Logically not...but miracles do happen 1 in 100 tests....like shown by Perrera vs SA couple of seasons back

KPF,
You would remember we both were pretty harsh on Virat when his whimsical selections at times left Pujara out in the cold and I guess we both have been pretty supportive of Pujara in general. As such, you would know that what I am not saying is that Pujara should suddenly turn into Sehwag. Pujara's methods have worked for him, he has won us tests with his approach of outwaiting the bowlers.
Said that, the passage of play on day 2 in particular, was completely unacceptable, the way he and Rahane went about things.He had a platform to come into unlike in the previous 3 innings. The pitch was doing nothing. He wasn't even able to rotate the strike, and go at 2 an over at least.
That's where I have issues with the way he went about things. His approach pretty much set India up for a calamity with the 2nd new ball, and when it came, he became part of it rather than withstanding it. The best time to score some runs was utterly wasted.
Another thing is that the Australians have changed their approach to Pujara after what he did to them last time round. But Cheteshwar has not been able to come up with a readjustment to his approach when Lyon brought that fielder in his eyeline right in front of him, in stead got bogged down against the spinner as well, someone whom he had dominated last time. Pujara's been a bit inflexible with his ways basically.
None of it means that Pujara is our second best test batsman in the current era. But just like the issue that he seems to have worked around regarding the in-coming deliveries, he needs to find a way, a slightly different way to what he did in 2018 as bowlers have caught on and changed their ways against him.

KP_fan wrote:msp...you are being too harsh.....Pujara batted like he always does...and has won us many a tests with this approach.
We can't take the wins he delivers...and fault him on bad days.

problem is not Pujara but that Rahane, Vihari, Rohit  did not convert.

Problem is not that Indian's were nice when bowling...but that with second new ball in Indian inning..the pitch started spitting unevenly to pacers.

problem was  also that Kohli isn't around to kick-ass & push with passion & anger and emotion....when things aren't going the way & be tough and change the script on the feet

Problems is also that Aussies played better all round cricket in this game.

can India get out of this hole?
Logically not...but miracles do happen 1 in 100 tests....like shown by Perrera vs SA couple of seasons back

And I wouldn't want to take anything away from the Australian bowlers. They did an outstanding job. Cummins yet again showed why he's the best in the world currently. Hazelwood was relentless over after over, and Starc supplied the short sharp nasty bits that intimidated the lower order who didn't even want to be out there in the middle when he was bowling! As for Lyon, he bowled better than his figures suggest.
Still, the Indians allowed the Australians to be at their best without being challenged enough.

As for the short ball tactics, its clear that batsmen do not like it on either side. Unlike the days of Vinay Kumar/Pankaj Singh/RP Singh and even mature Zaheer times, we have bowlers who can bowl 140 plus. Yet, on a pitch that didn't offer as much seam movement or swing, they just didn't bowl enough short balls either to Pucovski who clearly has a well documented issue against the short ball, nor to the lower order. Saini did try a few against Starc, and it clearly unsettled him at that time though him throwing the bat around did add a few runs.
Someone like a Jusprit Bumrah, was rather sparing with the short ball I felt. Of course Jasprit is pretty skilled to keep bowling short regularly, but perhaps having got a brilliant bouncer in his armory, he should use it a bit more, as a tactic, and as a messaging tool to the Australian lower order...

msp...maybe I am repeating myself, & would state the following:

-Pujara has a role, some skills and some limitations....he did what his role & skills are.....hold an end, see off many many balls and score 40s, 50s 70s and 100s.....he did his part.
It's others like Rohit, Rahane, Vihari, Kohli (absent) whose job is to score more freely .... did not convert.  Pujara cannot be expected to change his stripes on those days when others' failed.....that's why he plays just one format.

-Re: Bouncers ....Aus was more effective only on the second half of day 3 with second new ball when the pitch started "spitting" with uneven bounce and suddenly the bouncer was a far more lethal delivery as some would not rise and some were climbing off a length

-Re: Tactics/ aggression, changing script on your feet and on the fly......well Kohli was missed....Rahane has his strength but he ain't no kohli

India can be forgiven struggling with the bowling missing 3 of their senior seamers and now their second choice spinner.

Going to be hard to ballance a side for the next test now. Either take a risk on just 4 bowlers and have an absurd tail. Quite surprised to see just how bad Ashwins batting has become in tests, seems like a long term decline.

Still can't completely write them off bit this test seems lost and they will be weaker for the next.

Claims from Bumrah and Siraj that they got racially abused by the crowd yesterday

Gooseberry wrote:Claims from Bumrah and Siraj that they got racially abused by the crowd yesterday

That would be unfortunate....BUT neither an excuse for defeat nor allowance for self pity
shrug it off and move on

Gooseberry wrote:India can be forgiven struggling with the bowling missing 3 of their senior seamers and now their second choice spinner.

Going to be hard to ballance a side for the next test now. Either take a risk on just 4 bowlers and have an absurd tail. Quite surprised to see just how bad Ashwins batting has become in tests, seems like a long term decline.

Still can't completely write them off bit this test seems lost and they will be weaker for the next.

Unfortunately for what has up until now been an excellent contest of a series , I reckon India are now completely gone.

Not that they aren't still battling - the bowling this morning has been generally tight and has not allowed Australia to run away  - but that their best from now on is unlikely to unduly test the home team. Australia are in no hurry ; plenty of time to push the lead over 350 and leave India an eternity to bat out - which is a tall order for an injury ravaged lineup on a gradually deteriorating pitch. Suppose if Pujara does his thing and bats for a day a draw is technically possible but I'd be astonished if they can hold this Australian attack at bay for anything like the four sessions they'll need.

But the most unfortunate thing is that the injury list means the team for Brisbane will be a case of last man standing. No Jadeja on top of all the injured absent seamers (and Bumrah and Ashwin understandably starting to   display some signs of overuse) leaves a very weakened attack . And the batting just looks a bit flimsy now , with no viable replacement available for Vihari , Pant probably having to give way to Saha...no one's idea of a number six....plus of course , again , the loss of Jadeja ensuring a very long tail. I honestly can't see them competing against an Australian side with its tail up.

Think India have displayed a lot of heart as well as skill on this trip . Full credit to Australia for bouncing back from Melbourne to boss this Test (and given their wonderful record at the Gabba I'd have fancied them anyway up there ) ; but I think it is a real pity that an extraordinary sequence of injury issues is probably going to deprive us of the hard fought finale an excellent series deserved.

Still going to script since lunch... Smith fell via drs to Ashwin (not sure why he walked off exaggeratedly shaking his head : looked good live and was pretty clear three reds) but Green and Paine have upped the run rate despite some fine bowling from Bumrah , sadly let down by his fielders today.
Lead at 350 so it's a question of timing the declaration. Reckon they already have enough but imagine they'll want the security of 400 - which should arrive comfortably by teatime. They might want a few overs at India before tea which would require some very quick runs ; or perhaps annoy the opposition by batting a couple of overs after tea...whenever Paine closes no doubt Warne will reckon he left it later than he should

Could have done without that bit...

Siraj apparently abused by a few spectators and a delay while the culprits are eventually removed by the police. Not quite John Snow getting assaulted on the boundary but not a nice thing to happen.

Green hitting some massive sixes but gone now for 84. Tea taken with the lead at 406. The young fellow certainly entertained the crowd with that burst of hitting after he passed fifty...and the perspiring Bumrah at least got a wicket at last...