The third Test between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) saw a lot of drama both on and off the field, including dirty sledging and cheap tactics from the home side, but the tourists have shown their game and gentleness to brilliantly draw the game in Sydney on Monday (January 11).
In the third Test Australia was strongly in the game and no one can imagine that the tourists could escape from the defeat but Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin managed to turn the fortune after Rishabh Pant’s heroics with the bat and of course, thanks to three dropped catches by Australia captain Tim Paine.
Australia was desperate for the last five Indian wickets in the final session of the Pink Test, but Ashwin and Vihari didn’t give them any chance, despite Paine's unsportsmanlike behavior and dirty sledging towards veteran India off-spinner.
And managed to pull off a draw to have their chance to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the Australian soil with the final game scheduled on January 15 at The Gabba, Brisbane.
After the third Test ended in a draw, Paine said the result was a tough one to swallow while admitting the dropped catches cost him team as the SCG Test win would have given the hosts chance to win the Test series against the Indian Cricket Team considering their winning record in Brisbane.
Paine said during the post-match presentation on Monday: “I thought we created enough chances to win the game, this one's a tough one to swallow. Our bowlers were superb, (Nathan) Lyon bowled well. Just that we didn't hold onto our catches. Looking forward to Brisbane. We didn't play our best in the last two games, but we were somewhat good with the bat in this Test. There were a few positives for us, our bowlers created plenty of chances.”
He signed off by saying, “Today was a whole-hearted effort from the boys, just that things didn't go our way. I think having two young kids (Pucovski and Green) playing Test cricket, it's a great thing as they were sensational. I thought Green was fantastic yesterday.”
(With ANI Inputs)
