The third Test between Australia and India started with Tim Paine winning the toss and deciding to bat first on a batting beauty at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 7, 2021. 

The home team opened with debutant Will Pucovski and veteran David Warner. However, Mohammed Siraj sent back Warner for 5 runs, caught by Pujara. But then, rains intervened after 7 overs were bowled and some time was lost in that.  

Meanwhile, when the play started, Australia started to gain an advantage as Pucovski and Marnus Labuschagne added 100 runs for the second wicket.

Pucovski made his maiden Test fifty, making 62 with 4 fours, before falling to India’s debutant pacer Navdeep Saini.

Labuschagne (67*) was then joined by Steve Smith (31*), who looked good in the middle, and the duo added further 60 unbeaten runs, till the end of the day’s play. This left Australia at 166/2, making it completely their day in the field.

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For India, Siraj and Saini were the wicket-takers, while Ashwin and Jadeja bowled a total of only 20 overs in between them with Jadeja bowling just 3, out of the possible 55 overs bowled in the day.

BRIEF SCORES:

Day 1: AUS 166/2 ( M LABUSCHAGNE 67*, W PUCOVSKI 62; N SAINI 1/32)