And a great Test, gets a great crowd – an astonishing 83,073 at the MCG today. They saw a brilliant day’s cricket as well.

I don’t think we are going to be shown any post-match interviews on TV so I’m going to call it a day now and crawl temporarily back to bed.

Congratulations to young Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar, who took India from a position of fragility to one of competitiveness with that 8th-wicket partnership of 127. Mature, controlled and stylish batting from the future of India’s team. Australia must go again in the morning, though that lead of 116 still gives them the upper hand.

Thanks for your company through the night. We’ll be back tomorrow to see what occurs on day four, with the start of play pushed forward to 10am local time (11pm GMT, 4.30am in Mumbai). Have a lovely day, wherever you are. Bye!

“Fascinating Test, with some admirable stubbornness from India,” writes Phil Withall. “Once again the drinks break disrupts the concentration of the batter. I was, however, disappointed to see that you are fetching your own teas, surely a 12th man type can be supplied to oversee drinks, cables, blankets etc. You need to have a word...”

Too right! Unfortunately my husband has the cough of doom which someone told me lasts for 100 days (please god no). And the children sleep the sleep of teenagers. It might be a bit much to call on my dad and his arthritic knees.

And I agree, fabulous Test. Got to love Test cricket at Christmas, adds some extra sparkle/is a bright light in the gloom.

I’m afraid I am no wiser as to what sort of rain is happening at the G. Any help gratefully received.

“Morning Tanya,” Brian Withington, hello!

”Sorry to read that your eyes are getting tireder. I assume you’ve already got the windows open and the music blaring so what’s the OBO equivalent of the adrenalin inducing shot of straying onto the hard shoulder?

”Is a Reddy century sufficient or will it take two quick wickets and a double espresso? The fate of the Indian innings is in your hands .., (and a wicket falls literally as a type the ellipses).”

The century, a coffee and a few chocolate buttons I found in my laptop case have done the trick for now. But the dog has abandoned me for a darker room.

“Reddy may have impressed with his maiden century,” types Pam, “but surely he has to take backseat for Siraj, who, miraculously, appears to have scored 103 in two overs (114th over).” Ah yes, I got rather excited there. apologies. Would be great to see a Siraj century take India to parity though.

Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan have tracked down Nitish Kumar Reddy’s dad in the front row of a stand. He’s proud as punch, as he should be.

Samir Chopra is feeling for Father Nitish Kumar Reddy too. “Greetings from Gila, NM, where I’m up late, watching the live telecast, and following the Guardian too. Watching Reddy’s father in the stands brought tears to this parent’s eyes too. A parental dream, really. What a moment for the family; and what a brilliant innings by this level-headed youngster.”

114th over: India 350-9 (Reddy 99, Siraj 0) He’s beaten, he ducks, he defends: Siraj survives three balls! Massive roar from the crowd.

113th over: India 350-8 (Reddy 99, Bumrah 0) Reddy turns down a single off the first ball to protect that ingenue Bumrah. But goes for glory with the last, driving with foolhardiness uppishly through the covers – panic! – it falls short but in the confusion he comes back for the second and loses the strike. What drama!

112th over: India 348-8 (Reddy 97, Bumrah 0) Coffee located, one day I’ll have kitchen cupboards as neat and tidy as my parents’. Lyon with the breakthrough, something else to play on Reddy’s mind.

111th over: India 347-7 (Reddy 96, Washington 50) An inside edge off Boland nutmegs Reddy. Absorbed tension round the ground. Were he to get there, this would be Reddy’s first Test hundred, in just his fourth Test and at just 21 – the talented prince. Ah, here are drinks, just running to the kettle. India trail by 127 runs.

110th over: India 346-7 (Reddy 95, Washington 50) Just a single from Lyon’s over as my eyes grow tireder. Could do with them taking drinks soon so I can grab a coffee. Reddy four away from his century, Australia tempting the kitty kat with goodies.

109th over: India 345-7 (Reddy 94, Washington 50) A Boland maiden. He looks tired now.

107th over: India 339-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 49) Boland gives them nothing, the Barat Army continue to shout.A super maiden, with Washington Sundar a breath away from edging Boland’s last ball behind.

But bad news from Jane Evans: “It is raining quite heavily now in Creswick, central Victoria, and that is likely to move over Melbourne according to the radar. Maybe only the edges of the front but still, more rain heading MCGwards I imagine.”

106th over: India 339-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 48) India really have ants in their pants between the wickets, almost every single looks an exercise in panic. The run scoring opportunities have been strangled and Lyon calmly tries to reel them in.

105th over: India 338-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 48) Can Boland make the breakthrough at his home ground?Ooof, he jags ones back into Reddy, like a heat-seeking missile into his guts. Reddy leaps and is cut in half.

104th over: India 338-7 (Reddy 89, Washington 48) Lyon resumes and almost instantly there is a runout chance as the Indians indulge in some yes-no antics. But they are able to pick six from the over fairly easily. The dog sighs at my feet.

103rd over: India 332-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 44) Another quiet over, just the single from it. Could be that the approaching milestone is quieting Nitish Kumar Reddy as much as refinding his mojo after the break.

102nd over: India 331-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 43) Having said Marsh wasn’t very threatening, he sends down a couple of tempting nibblers. A quick single, but they are quick and outfox the fielder.

Hello there Terence Andreadis ”“I am here in Melbourne and this is a link to the Bureau of Meteorology radar page: There looks like some possible showers later this evening! Also a link to the observations around Melbourne, currently sitting around 20 degrees Celsius.”

That is pretty much my perfect temperature, feeling slightly envious.

101st over: India 328-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 40) A maiden from Starc, the pressure building as India struggle to refind their momentum from before the rain.

100th over: India 328-7 (Reddy 87, Washington 40) A flashing drive from Reddy, edged, which flies in the gap, irritating Labuschagne. Just a single from the over but not huge amounts of threat either.

“Afternoon/Morning Tanya, Gervase Greene here, in the not-even-slightly chilly Clovelly in Sydney.” Hello Gervase!

“I stand with Geoff Lemon (OBO 63rd over) in defence of Mohammed Siraj. Got to give credit to any quick who can so thump a ball into the pitch that it sails way above even the keeper’s head. In 40deg+ misery, when trailing by plenty - you can’t doubt the total commitment behind such effort.

“Also, he seems intelligently aware of what you Brits might call the “panto villain” requirement, and good on him for that too. I just think he’s fantastic, and I bet his skipper does too.”

Very true. He has high-class pantomime villain potential, brilliant eyeballing, and can back it up on the field too.

99th over: India 327-7 (Reddy 86, Washington 40) Starc resumes his work. Still seems to be having a few problems with that left side of his back and stretches between balls. Starts with a wayward delivery but a neat over with just a single from it.

98th over: India 326-7 (Reddy 85, Washington 40) A maiden from Mitch Marsh to start the session, a bowler with the classic Steve Waugh semi-mullet, designed to perfectly hold the baggy green.

And a nice update from Karan Garg out in the stands. “The atmosphere inside is electric & apart from the heat induced by this Reddy-Washington partnership, there ain’t much - pleasant all-round! A good day to be out here at MCG as an Indian supporter after two days of drubbing.”

Ah, hello Karan Garg!

“Long-time lurker here at MBM (for over a decade now). Even while watching it live here at MCG, can’t keep myself away from The Guardian’s coverage. Cheers for that!

“Good news is that the rain has stopped & play should be back soon.

“Rooting for India & hoping Reddy gets his hundred.”

Thank you! Is it sweltering out there? The atmosphere looks amazing.

I don’t have any updates for you I’m afraid as the TV is showing highlights from earlier Tests. We’re about three hours from dawn here in the UK, and not a bird is yet calling hello.

Looks like the rain is continuing for a while…updates as we have them. If you’re at the MCG, do drop us a line with your inside weather knowledge, I’m at tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com.

96th over: India 324-7 (Reddy 85, Washington 39) A double change with Mitch Marsh taking over from Lyon, for what will be only his fourth over of the day. On the field, the physio presses and pushes Starc’s back, and puts him through his paces. And he is soon in the action as Washington flicks Marsh off his ankles and Starc runs forward and dives flat to attempt the catch, which bounces just infront of him and runs away for four. The hundred partnership comes up when Lyon slips on the rope fielding a handsome smart through the covers – the MCG roars in appreciation.

95th over: India 315-7 (Reddy 77, Washington 39) Cumins switches things up, replacing Boland with Starc – whose cropped hair is now salt and peppered. Washington greets his first ball, a fat wide one, by thrashing it through cover point. Within three balls he is grimacing and massaging his left lower back.

94th over: India 311-7 (Reddy 77, Washington 35) Lyon, white towel in his back pocket, war paint smeared in a downwards smile across his nose. A frisky single adds a frisson, but then – wow! – Reddy eyes up one tossed up and fair flays it to the fence.

93rd over: India 303-7 (Reddy 70, Washington 34) On comms, Michael Vaughan calls for Australia to pepper the batters with bouncers. Boland doesn’t agree – yet. A fairly full-throated appeal for lbw but the umpire is unmoved, as is Pat Cummins behind his shades.

92nd over: India 302-7 (Reddy 69, Washington 34) Not a great deal for Lyon to work with and India pick up a handful of singles.

91st over: India 299-7 (Reddy 67, Washington 33) . Boland again, finding energy in the heat. Some late seam movement has Washington prodding at air like a man weary of his work. In the field, the fresh faced Konstas conducts the crowd with his curled lip grin.

90th over: India 298-7 (Reddy 66, Washington 33) Time for some spin to try to break this partnership. Nathan Lyon, who I last saw wheeling away for Lancashire at Blackpool, dances in. A maiden. Thousands of faces in the crowd – just a thousand short of the record for day three of a Test at the MCG.

89th over: India 298-7 (Reddy 66, Washington 33) Thanks Geoff! Hello from a chilly Surrey where my parents’ Christmas tree twinkles on with merry enthusiasm. Scott Boland continues after the drinks break and sends down one that spits off the pitch and stings Reddy on the elbow. He walks away shaking his arm. Reddy tries to reverse ramp in retort, without success. Gets his boundary off the last ball with an immaculate, peachy, drive down the ground.

88th over: India 294-7 (Reddy 62, Washington 33) Still menacing from Cummins, up at the bat handle for Reddy, who steals a run, then past the edge of Washington, before a thick edge goes groundward through the cordon for three.

That is the drinks break, and that is me done. Tanya Aldred is coming in for the second half of the day. See you tomorrow.

87th over: India 290-7 (Reddy 61, Washington 30) Boland comes back on, the crowd fave with the still-new ball. Reddy drives him on the up for three! First ball of the spell. Got to be careful with Boland though, and his seam movement. Knows the MCG better than anyone. Washington nearly runs himself out, too, taking a single on a misfield at mid off. Dives at the non-striker’s end. One ball to come in the over and Carey asks for his helmet, he’s going to keep up to the stumps. Boland is bowling low 130s, that’s not easy to do. It tells you he won’t be bowling any short balls too. Reddy has been shuffling out of his crease a lot, so Carey wants to stop that. But Boland might be put off by the change, he bowls straight and Reddy slots him through mid on for a couple.

86th over: India 284-7 (Reddy 56, Washington 29) Cummins tapped away for a run, Reddy has made this a feature. Washington gets a couple of short ones. Ball-tracking data says he has barely bowled at the stumps with this new ball.

85th over: India 283-7 (Reddy 55, Washington 29) More strange areas from Washington. Tries to clip Starc through square leg and gets a leading edge to point. The next ball, gets the ball through point deliberately for three, beating Lyon’s dive. Reddy pinches a single just by dead-batting the ball to the off. He’s calling very loudly and clearly, “One, one, one!” Then more hard running as Washington clips it out through deep midwicket and they get back for four. That’s top notch. They picked early that the ball wouldn’t reach the long boundary but was timed well enough to go deep, and they motored. Reddy urged Washington back for the fourth.

82nd over: India 264-7 (Reddy 47, Washington 18) Cummins is back with the new ball. Beats Reddy with a good one, then gets driven uppishly through mid off for three. Not a safe stroke, too early on it. Washington edges one down and then into the cordon, good stop from Labuschagne. Only 11 runs from the follow on.

81st over: India 261-7 (Reddy 44, Washington 18) This a new high score in Tests for Reddy, too. More 40s than a West Coast hip-hop clip. He’s at the non-striker’s end. Starc with the shiny red Kooka, a leave and a block, and then… dropped! But the most extraordinary shot you’re likely to see. Entirely inadvertent. Washington gets a ball a foot outside leg stump and is dropped at second slip.

How?

He’s tried to glance that, and somehow it has taken the inside edge of the bat, but off the angled back corner. It has deflected back towards the stumps. For a minute I thought it was heading to the keeper, but somehow the angle on that is even more acute, and it goes across the cordon to second slip! On the full. Smith wouldn’t have been expecting a catch when he saw a leg glance being played. He does pretty well actually, a reflex throw of the palm to his right and low, but the bizarre trajectory of that ball is too hard to track. Safe to say he would never have had a catch come at him from that angle before. He palms the ball down.

80th over: India 261-7 (Reddy 44, Washington 18) And the last over with the old ball, presumably. Head bowls it, Reddy plays a lovely cover drive but only gets one. Sundar knocks one to midwicket. Reddy middles a reverse sweep, but straight at backward point, no run. The new ball is delivered by Australia’s sub fielder, after the fourth umpire handed it to him on the boundary line. Odd, usually that’s the official’s job.

It’s new ball time!

79th over: India 259-7 (Reddy 43, Washington 17) No run from the next Lyon over, Washington batting.

78th over: India 259-7 (Reddy 43, Washington 17) Not sure why Cummins is taking himself off after that outstanding couple of overs. Maybe it’s over rate? They’re lagging. Oh, and the new ball is around the corner, so he’ll want that.

77th over: India 256-7 (Reddy 42, Washington 15) Some vaudeville stuff there from Head. They’ve got two bat-pad catchers on the off side now for Washington, the left-hander. Head is the straighter, maybe you’d call him a silly mid off, but he’s a few paces from the bat. Washington smokes a drive straight into his foot, the instep, and it hurts. Head hobbles off, then hurls himself to the ground with a theatrical flourish. I think he’s mimicking a footballer in the penalty box. And he lets out a yell of pain for good measure. A bit of hamming about.

And now Cummins is asking him to bowl!

76th over: India 253-7 (Reddy 41, Washington 13) The unsociable spell from Cummins continues. Beats the edge when it’s fuller, forces a dodge when it’s shorter. Decent straight drive to close the over but Cummins plucks it off the pitch in his follow through. Screws turning.

75th over: India 253-7 (Reddy 41, Washington 13) The left-hander is trying to stay busy against Lyon, who is a threat. Cuts a couple, drives one, then edges through a vacant second slip for more runs.

74th over: India 247-7 (Reddy 40, Washington 8) We’re back, and Cummins is back bowling short. Not bombing them, but a couple per over to test them out. Washington plays one rising ball quite nicely to keep it down, it was a sharp one. Reddy wears another one in the armpit. I know that cricketers talk about bowling at the armpit sometimes, to mean a certain line and angle on the short ball, but I’ve never seen one literally in the armpit. Cummins stuck it in there like a roll-on deodorant.

73rd over: India 244-7 (Reddy 40, Washington 5) Lyon does get another over before lunch, and even last ball before the break Reddy is advancing before deciding to defend. Love the way he approaches his game, full of confidence. He gets to the break, after scores of 41, 38 not out, 42, 42, and 16 in the series.

72nd over: India 243-7 (Reddy 40, Washington 4) Travis Head on for a bowl, perhaps to squeak in another over after this before lunch. Lots of loop on his off breaks, as always. But misses his length once, and Reddy comes down to smash four over mid off. Low full toss by the time he hit it. India are 237 behind, 38 from the follow on.

71st over: India 237-7 (Reddy 35, Washington 3) Cracks a cut shot! Reddy gets a short one from Lyon and hits it nicely, but it pulls up short of the rope going to the longest boundary.

70th over: India 232-7 (Reddy 31, Washington 2) Reddy keeps moving, getting off strike first ball of the over. Washington gets stuck there, and nearly dismissed by the Cummins short-ball approach, gloving a rising ball that lands just in front of Carey behind the stumps.

69th over: India 231-7 (Reddy 30, Washington 2) Lyon to Washington, who is contentedly defending before driving a late single.

68th over: India 229-7 (Reddy 29, Washington 1) Good bouncer from Cummins, Reddy is flinching away from it as he leans back. Keeps his gloves low, which is great presence of mind, and turns his head away from the ball as it follows him. So what’s his response? Charge the next one! Which is a bouncer as well, but his movement puts off Cummins a bit, and the angle goes harmlessly down the leg side. No run from the over.

67th over: India 229-7 (Reddy 29, Washington 1) Reddy wants to stay positive, and he’s been that way with his footwork to Lyon since his first knock in Perth. Steps down and lofts him over long on for six. Then gets off strike. Easy game.

66th over: India 222-7 (Reddy 22, Washington 1) One left-hander for another, as Washington replaces Jadeja. Cummins returns for Starc and is greeted defensively.

65th over: India 222-7 (Reddy 22, Washington 1) It must be nice, it must be nice, to have Washington in your side. Proper bat but coming in at No9 thanks to his spin bowling.

64th over: India 220-6 (Jadeja 17, Reddy 21) Positive shot from Jadeja. Gets a ball full enough from Starc to flick through midwicket, and times it well for four. Plays in a similar direction for one run to follow. Reddy does the same. They’re 55 short of the follow on. Australia won’t enforce it, but it’s a marker.

63rd over: India 214-6 (Jadeja 12, Reddy 20) No run from Lyon’s over, Reddy facing.

Richard Edwards emails. “Settling in for a tough day on the couch, when who should pop up on the tube but the smiling assassin, Mr Jasprit Bumrah. India have produced some if the greatest players to put on the whites, but none have quite captured my heart as much as Bumrah. A ray of positivity, and an effective antidote to the bitter invective of Kohli and Siraj. It is a privilege to watch him this series. While I’m sharing the love, how refreshing is it to see a young fella not only do well, but do it with a joie de vivre that is both infectious and badly needed in these dark times. Onya, Sam. In the often too-serious world of Test cricket, it is great to watch players on each side who remember that joy is as much an energy as anger.”

I will say a word for Siraj, who does carry on a bit and gets emotional easily, but I don’t think there’s much anger in it, nor any malice. He’s thrown some chat around this series but not a lot, and the crowd gets on his back the second he comes up on screen. He’s a sweet natured guy himself, usually. I think his moments have been a different category to the white-line fever we’ve seen from Kohli.

62nd over: India 214-6 (Jadeja 12, Reddy 20) Starc around the wicket, hasn’t threatened yet today but he’s being clocked above 144 kph, which is hefty. Reddy takes on the pull but misses. Drops a single to point instead.

61st over: India 213-6 (Jadeja 12, Reddy 19) More positive strokeplay from Reddy against Lyon, though he nicks a ball after charging and looking to drive. Two runs from that shot, with some luck.

60th over: India 210-6 (Jadeja 12, Reddy 16) Very positive from Reddy, as he has been since debut. Drives another three runs from Starc, in between more singles. They’re a huge 264 runs behind but he’s at least drawing them closer.

59th over: India 205-6 (Jadeja 11, Reddy 12) Drinks break, then a Lyon over with a couple of singles.

58th over: India 203-6 (Jadeja 10, Reddy 11) Boland gets the wicket and gets yanked. Starc will bowl for the first time today. Left arm around the wicket, angling it in at the right-handed Reddy. And after a few deliveries leaving the ball, Reddy can’t help going after the sixth and flashes four through gully. He’s past Jadeja’s score already.

“Watching from bed with flu on the other side of the world,” writes Rob K – sorry to hear that. “With my disturbed sleep, I’m hopeful of seeing Konstas again later, and of Pant thrashing around a bit in the meantime. Surely he was the prototype for Brook, Konstas, etc. - the upstart’s upstart. (There he goes as I type this.)”

Well, quite. I did find the coverage a bit much that suggested Konstas had changed the rules. It’s been happening for a while now and the contemporary forerunner is Pant.

57th over: India 199-6 (Jadeja 10, Reddy 7) Lyon now, but Reddy doesn’t mind facing him on the evidence from the previous Tests. After a couple of singles, drills a straight drive for four.

Jane Evans has been doing the archival work. “Couldn’t find a single comment in the threads attached to your enjoyable article on yesterday’s play and Cummins’ delivery that thought Kohli did the right thing in turning his back, literally and figuratively, on the younger batsman.”

56th over: India 192-6 (Jadeja 9, Reddy 1) Big trouble becomes bigger trouble for India, still 83 short of the follow on. Nitish Kumar Reddy in next.

55th over: India 191-5 (Pant 23, Jadeja 9) Lyon comes on for spin and immediately looks a threat, getting some purchase with a slip and a silly point waiting for scraps from the left-handers’ table. Jadeja nearly obliges with an edge into his boot, then an lbw appeal that is given not out, umpire’s call on leg stump.

54th over: India 186-5 (Pant 23, Jadeja 9) Boland carries on, still drawing defensive shots from Jadeja through the over, but the sixth ball strays enough in line, and he can wait for a leg glance fine for four.

“Amongst many players who came across as decent blokes in The Test - Season Two (Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green for example), Scott Boland was the most fascinating,” writes in Gary Naylor. “Shy, and as far from an alpha male as one could imagine, he blossomed in a segment in which he embraced his Indigenous roots with a visit to a community somewhere in the interior of your vast country. What is cricket doing to reach such peoples and (slightly fearfully) how are their environments standing up to climate change?”

The reach part is improving, gradually, after a shameful temporal desert of 150 years of almost no Indigenous representation even at first-class level after a couple of players from the 1868 team were picked for state matches. But we’re still living in denial about climate effects in a country where drought will become extreme in many parts, and where intense storms cause flooding elsewhere.

53rd over: India 182-5 (Pant 23, Jadeja 5) Pant keeps going, pulling a single from Cummins. Jadeja finally gets a run! Rides the bounce and drops it off his hip to square leg. Then another false start with a quick run. Pant goes and is sent back by a yelping Jadeja. Jadeja tried that himself earlier.

Marcus Galanos on the email is after my heart. “The ball was struck forward of the stumps. The batsman on strike was running to the danger end. It was his call. Kohli clearly at fault. Why is no-one saying so?”

I assumed that plenty did. Not sure about the TV comms though, I didn’t hear any.

52nd over: India 180-5 (Pant 22, Jadeja 4) Smokes a pull shot! Pant moves along to the 20s by clattering Boland, then takes a single. Jadeja keeps blocking.

Guy Hornsby winds up the crank handle on the email machine. “Morning/evening Geoff. I’m somehow still up in darkest Sale in Manchester, full of port and cheese and wondering if Pant and Jadeja can actually save anything here. Their records suggest there’s a chance, but Pant is Cummins’ bunny of late and India must have felt an absolute gut punch after getting to 153-2 before the calamitous run-out. I’m not going to even attempt to apportion individual blame, just say it was a proper horlicks that took the wind out of India’s sails. Now it’s down to these two and a longish but bullish tail to see how much of a dent they can put into this huge Australian total. Perhaps Bumrah has made clear just how much of a rest he’d like after a mammoth series so far. We’ll find out soon enough!”

I can’t see anything about the run out except that Kohli had no business to be looking at the ball, and should have been looking at his partner. If there had been a direct hit at the non-striker’s, Jaiswal would have been the one run out. Kohli just turned that from a risk into a certainty.

51st over: India 175-5 (Pant 17, Jadeja 4) Quickly off strike, Pant, dropping and running. Jadeja gets a couple of short balls from Cummins from around the wicket, ducking one and Calypso swaying away from another. The bowler goes back over the wicket, keeping him thinking. No run still for Jadeja this morning.

50th over: India 174-5 (Pant 16, Jadeja 4) Pant kept strike with a single last over, and this time gets another chancy shot through the cordon. Couldn’t help reaching for width. They have deep third back though looking for a Pant miscue, so that stops the boundary. Jadeja gets sent back looking for a sharp single, then bails out of the next delivery as Boland delivers. “What’s up?” asks an annoyed Boland. Jadeja was late looking up from his feet.

49th over: India 173-5 (Pant 15, Jadeja 4) Whoooomph! Rishabh Pant does that thing he likes to do, from Cummins’ seventh ball of the day. Skips down the pitch and uses the momentum of the charge to flat-bat the ball over long on. Gets a lot of it, that nearly carries for six. Bounces just short. Then there’s a pause for a DRS replay as Cummins thinks that Pant might have gloved a rising ball while trying to get his hands out of the way. The forensic result is that it clipped Pant’s clothing.

48th over: India 168-5 (Pant 10, Jadeja 4) Huge crowd response as Scott Boland gets asked to open the day at the other end. Two left-handers to bowl to, and he too chooses to go over the wicket and with the angle. Jadeja is watchful to start. Boland comes around the wicket by the end of the over.

47th over: India 168-5 (Pant 10, Jadeja 4) A nice start from Cummins, hitting a good length as he angles the ball across Pant. One goes past the edge, another ball takes the thick deflection but rolls along the ground through the cordon for four.

It’s a blustery, moody sort of morning in Melbourne. Quite cool but windy in a way that hints at thunderstorms. There’s rain in the forecast, we’ll see.

Feel free to drop us an email, as usual. Let us know where you are and what you’re up to during the Christmas quiet week.

The story of yesterday for me was one delivery from Cummins to bowl KL Rahul, India’s best bat of the series. So here’s a whole piece about one ball.