Australia and India tied at 1-1 heading into final Test after tourists pull of superb draw in Sydney; Rishabh Pant hits 97 and Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari also foil Australia; Tim Paine says he let his bowlers down with dropped catches
Monday 11 January 2021 16:58, UK
A battered and bruised India lost only three wickets on the final day as they pulled off a stunning draw against Australia in the third Test in Sydney.
India, resuming on 98-2 and needing a further 309 runs to reach their victory target of 407, were eyeing a win when Rishabh Pant (97 off 118) and Cheteshwar Pujara (77 off 205) shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 148.
Australia regained the advantage after Pant and Pujara were dismissed by Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood respectively to leave India on 272-5.
But Hanuma Vihari (23no off 161) - who was constrained by a hamstring strain he picked up while running - and Ravichandran Ashwin (39no off 128) thwarted Australia for 258 deliveries in a courageous partnership of 62 as the tourists achieved the draw, ending on 334-5.
Vihari was handed a late reprieve when Australia captain Tim Paine put down a chance behind the stumps, one of three drops for Paine on the day, with the wicketkeeper also spilling Pant on three and 56.
Ravindra Jadeja was next on the list to bat, waiting in his protective kit in the pavilion despite his fractured thumb, but was not needed as India ensured the series remained all square heading into the final Test in Brisbane from January 15 - all-rounder Jadeja will miss the Brisbane Test with his injury, which he sustained batting in Sydney.
At one stage during Ashwin and Vihari's stand, 41 deliveries passed without a run being scored - in stark contrast to when Pant was at the wicket, with the India wicketkeeper nailing 12 fours and three sixes.
The left-hander, who was a serious injury doubt on Saturday after taking a nasty blow to his elbow, fell three runs short of a third Test hundred when he was caught at backward point off-spinner Lyon.
Australia had taken the upper hand in the match after scoring 338 in their first innings and then dismissing India for 244.
Paine's hosts extended the lead to 406 before declaring on 312-6 in their second innings but their hopes of ripping through India were thwarted.
The tourists will now head to The Gabba with a chance of repeating their 2-1 Test series triumph in Australia in 2018-2019 - although the hosts have not lost a Test at the Brisbane ground since 1988.
Australia skipper Tim Paine: "I thought it was an awesome game of Test match cricket. I thought India fought really hard, as we knew they would.
"It's a tough one to swallow. We certainly created chances to win the game. We just did not hold our catches, myself in particular. We have to cop the blame for that, wear it, move on and look forward to Brisbane.
We're certainly back closer to where we want to be as a batting group, although we still probably left a few out there in the first innings. I think there are some positive signs.
"I'm bitterly disappointed, I pride myself on my wicketkeeping and I probably haven't had many worse days than that.
"It's a horrible feeling knowing that our fast bowlers and our spinner bowled their hearts out and gave everything to the team. I let them down and I've got to wear that. But I'm a big boy and I get another chance next week."
India captain Ajinkya Rahane: "Our talk this morning was all about showing character, fight till the end and not think of the result. When you come abroad and play a match like this, it's special, it's as good as victory.
"Everyone has chipped in but a special mention to Vihari and Ashwin for the way they batted and showed their character. We were actually counting down deliveries in the last five or six overs.
"Credit to [Pant]. We made the strategy but in the end it's all about that player showing the character. Credit to him for the way he batted - an attacking innings and he backed himself really well."
Earlier on day five in Sydney, it was announced India had agreed to travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test, ending a week of uncertainty around the match.
Reports the tourists were reluctant to travel to Queensland because of the level of quarantine they might have to endure had persisted throughout the third Test.
"The fourth Test will be at the Gabba, as planned," Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley Hockley told SEN Radio. "I had a call last night from the BCCI secretary and he confirmed we are good to travel to Brisbane on Tuesday. We are full steam ahead to play the fourth Test at the Gabba."
The crowd at the 42,000-capacity Gabba will be capped at 50 per cent for the final match of the Test series.
