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          As it happened: Australia vs India, 1st Test, Adelaide, 3rd day

          • Andrew McGlashan, Deputy editor, ESPNcricinfoDec 19, 2020, 08:32 AM
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              Deputy Editor Andrew arrived at ESPNcricinfo via Manchester and Cape Town, after finding the assistant editor at a weak moment as he watched England's batting collapse in the Newlands Test. Andrew began his cricket writing as a freelance covering Lancashire during 2004 when they were relegated in the County Championship. In fact, they were top of the table when he began reporting on them but things went dramatically downhill. He likes to let people know that he is a supporter of county cricket, a fact his colleagues will testify to and bemoan in equal quantities.

          Welcome to our live report of the third day of the Australia verses India Test series from Adelaide. Join us for updates, analysis and colour. You can find our traditional ball-by-ball commentary here

          *Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local.

          6.00pm: Questions for India

          Here's some thoughts from Nagraj:

          India now have six days to figure several questions that will confront them ahead of the Boxing Day Test. And they will have to do it without Virat Kohli, who will be back in India from next week on paternity leave. Here are the key questions in no particular order:

          Do they retain Prthivi Shaw?

          From his backlift to his footwork, experts have picked holes in Shaw's technique after the opener, playing his first Test in Australia, was bowled twice in Adelaide. Ideally Shaw would want him to be judge after getting a longer rope.

          Is there a place for Shubman Gill?

          Gill has been sitting restlessly in the dugout ever since he got a maiden call-up to the Test squad about a year ago. He has tall first-class scores playing for India A overseas and got good starts in the second warm-up match in Sydney against Australia A, scoring 43 and 65. But who does Gill replace? One option is take Shaw's spot. The other can be play in the middle order as a replacement for Kohli.

          What about KL Rahul?

          Rahul's last Test was in West Indies last year. He was dropped from the home Test series against South Africa and not included for the two-Test series in New Zealand in February. But based on a strong IPL form, the selectors named Rahul in the squad. In terms of experience, Rahul would fancy getting Kohli's spot.

          Will Navdeep Saini or Mohammad Siraj get a Test debut?

          In case Mohammed Shami is declared unfit then one between Saini and Siraj will play their maiden Test. Both have speed and recognised for their red-ball skills and have got enough mileage being part of India A tours.

          5.45pm: Strong opening

          On what can be considered a perfect day for Australia, there is another box being ticked as Matthew Wade and Joe Burns add a fifty-run opening stand. The pressure is not huge, but it could be significant especially if David Warner doesn't recover for Boxing Day. Wade has been fluent, Burns hasn't but he has shown signs of more confidence after that painful blow on the arm.

          4.35pm: Interval - Australia 15 for 0, target 90

          Phew, time to catch your breath. Unbelievably, Australia are already chasing their target after a morning session of magnificent pace bowling reduced India to rubble. Matthew Wade has played positively so far, but Joe Burns has grimly hung on and has taken a nasty blow on the arm from Jasprit Bumrah which has caused significant pain.

          Here's Sid Monga trying to make sense of it:

          Just a quick no-hindsight comment on India's batting. There will be a lot of criticism and even insult thrown their way but this is one of those perfect storms of excellent bowling, pitch doing just enough, all the nicks carrying, all mistakes resulting in edges. This is what tends to magnify technical flaws and there are replays played over and over again. It is one of those things that happened against a ruthless excellent attack. People will question Virat Kohli's shot but there wasn't anything wrong with it. On a flat pitch it was a bad shot; on this you had to go after any width you got. Someone had to score runs.

          Just a stat that will tell you what a perfect storm it was: India were not in control of 32 balls they played. Usually you need around 10 such balls to get a wicket in Test cricket. Here they got nine with 32. That is how perfectly it went for Australia.

          4.00pm: India 36 all out!

          India have recorded their lowest ever total in Test cricket as they startling second innings ended on 36 when Mohammed Shami was forced to retire hurt following a crunching blow on the arm from Pat Cummins. Their previous lowest was 42 against England at Lord's in 1974. What a session that was. Australia need 90 to win.

          "Everything went to plan," Josh Hazlewood says modestly on Channel Seven. "Patty set the tone and I just followed suit. To join the 200th club is pretty special."

          3.50pm: Magnificent Hazlewood

          Josh Hazlewood has taken his 200th Test wicket and completed one of the best five-wicket hauls you will see. He was on a hat-trick when he removed Wriddhiman Saha and R Ashwin (the second his milestone wicket) and though he couldn't make the three-in-three his fifth wicket wasn't long in coming. It's hard to keep up!

          3.20pm: And now Kohli goes!

          Virat Kohli's tour is over. Pat Cummins drew edge which flew quickly into the gully where it bobbled out of Cameron Green's hands but he held on as it rolled up his chest and back into his grip. This has been sensational bowling from Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Can India set a target of 100?

          This is India's lowest score at the loss of their sixth wicket.

          And here are India's lowest Test totals...

          3.10pm: Hazlewood's first over

          Blimey, this game is moving...

          12.1 Hazlewood to Agarwal, OUT, and he strikes first ball. Wow. The most Josh Hazlewood dismissal you'll see. Extra bounce from a length, and the initial angle - much like the Pujara dismissal - isn't even attacking off stump but going slightly inside the line of the stumps. Then it straightens to take the edge, with Agarwal squared up in defence

          12.2 Hazlewood to Rahane, no run, length ball on off stump, defended into the covers

          12.3 Hazlewood to Rahane, no run, length ball outside off, a bit of seam movement away, left alone

          12.4 Hazlewood to Rahane, no run, phew. What a great line this is, so tight on off stump, and Rahane has no option but to play. Straightens and zips past the edge. The length is more or less perfect too

          12.5 Hazlewood to Rahane, OUT, I said the length was more or less perfect the previous ball. This one was a few inches fuller, along the same line, and the ball straightened again to take the edge. India are effectively 68 for 5. Rahane doesn't get a stride forward, just pushes at the ball, in front of his body, and pays the price

          12.6 Hazlewood to Vihari, no run, back of a length in the corridor, left alone

          3.00pm: A Cummins special

          Australia are back in this. It did not take long for Pat Cummins to remove nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah, but then he struck a huge blow - producing a beauty to take Cheteshwar Pujara's outside edge which carried low to Tim Paine. His figures at that moment: 5.2-3-8-3. This game is on a knife-edge.

          2.40pm: Agarwal's early landmark

          Mayank Agarwal's opening-over boundary off Mitchell Starc brought up 1000 Test runs...

          2.20pm: Have your say

          2.10pm: Nervousness over Sydney Covid outbreak

          2.00pm: Shaw's series could be done

          The late blow Australia struck last night could be significant for Prithvi Shaw's series as he has been bowled through the gate twice in this match. It was a tight call between him and Shubham Gill for this match and Shaw hasn't done anything to back up the faith. It will be a big decision for Boxing Day.

          1.30pm: What's a matchwinning lead?

          What a day for India yesterday. They secured a vital first-innings advantage that they will look to swell today, especially during the first two sessions before the lights come on. Australia may need to have bowled them out by then otherwise the game could be too far away. There has been help in this pitch and just a sign that it may start to go up-and-down a bit, so anything around 250 would seem to be a tough chase. Still, Australia have the bowler attack to keep them in the game. It should be great viewing.