Rishabh Pant shines on the fifth day
India held out for an unlikely draw on the fifth day of the third 2020/21 cricket Test in Sydney against Australia, helped by a sparkling knock of 97 by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Set 407 to win, India lost its captain Rahane early, and at 3-102 the task seemed impossible on a ground where the previous highest fourth innings score to win was 286. On paper it looks like a straightforward strategy to bat at three runs an over to win, but that doesn't take into account the wearing pitch, the turning ball hitting the cracks, or bowlers exploiting divots and worn patches in the wicket.
Sending Pant in at 5th bat to exploit the left/right hander batting combination with Pujara and keep the tempo up proved a masterstroke, preventing Australia from setting hyper-aggressive fields and building pressure. Pant hit 12 fours and three sixes in an enterprising innings of only 118 balls - quite different to the attritional defence expected. At 3-250, Pant was 97 and an India win was a possibility that had to be entertained.
With this shot we expected Pant to blast a well-deserved century but he was instead caught by Cummins off Lyon. After that Pujara was dismissed for 77 (off 205 balls) but Vihari and Ashwin put down the shutters and Australia were unable to penetrate to an expected victory.
Probably the pitch didn't wear as much as expected but only losing three wickets on the last day showed tremendous fight, leaving the series equal with one win each heading into the final Test at Brisbane next week.
Rishabh Pant shines on the fifth day
India held out for an unlikely draw on the fifth day of the third 2020/21 cricket Test in Sydney against Australia, helped by a sparkling knock of 97 by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Set 407 to win, India lost its captain Rahane early, and at 3-102 the task seemed impossible on a ground where the previous highest fourth innings score to win was 286. On paper it looks like a straightforward strategy to bat at three runs an over to win, but that doesn't take into account the wearing pitch, the turning ball hitting the cracks, or bowlers exploiting divots and worn patches in the wicket.
Sending Pant in at 5th bat to exploit the left/right hander batting combination with Pujara and keep the tempo up proved a masterstroke, preventing Australia from setting hyper-aggressive fields and building pressure. Pant hit 12 fours and three sixes in an enterprising innings of only 118 balls - quite different to the attritional defence expected. At 3-250, Pant was 97 and an India win was a possibility that had to be entertained.
With this shot we expected Pant to blast a well-deserved century but he was instead caught by Cummins off Lyon. After that Pujara was dismissed for 77 (off 205 balls) but Vihari and Ashwin put down the shutters and Australia were unable to penetrate to an expected victory.
Probably the pitch didn't wear as much as expected but only losing three wickets on the last day showed tremendous fight, leaving the series equal with one win each heading into the final Test at Brisbane next week.