Pant, Boland keep SCG Test on an even keel

India 185 and 141/6 (Rishabh Pant 61; Scott Boland 4-42) lead Australia 181 (Beau Webster 57, Steve Smith 33; Prasidh Krishna 3-42) by 145 runs

On a day where 314 runs were scored and 15 wickets fell, India finished with a lead of 145 runs at stumps.

India's lead would feel lesser with Jasprit Bumrah suspected to have picked up an injury. Bumrah was absent throughout the second session after bowling in the first. India still managed to eke out a four-run first innings lead in his absence.

Yashasvi Jaiswal got going with four boundaries off Mitchell Starc's first over. India's attacking opening stand was cut short by Scott Boland who rattled the timber of both KL Rahul and Jaiswal in quick succession.

Pant countered Boland with an attacking innings, dancing down the track first ball to slap the pacer for a boundary. Pant's counter-attack led him to get a 29-ball fifty, the second quickest in India's Test history. He put on a 44-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja.

Pant fell soon after the final drinks break when Pat Cummins slanted one across him and saw the slash getting an edge through to the 'keeper. This was the fourth time Cummins had managed to get Pant through the series.

Australia brought the scoring down to minimum before Nitish Reddy hit Boland straight to mid-off.

India's pace attack had managed to restrict Australia to 181 and earn a minor four-run first innings lead. In the absence of Bumrah, Nitish had two wickets in two balls, dismissing Cummins and Starc. Prasidh Krishna had Webster caught at gully for 57.

Webster was the lone batter that kept hitting back, playing percentage cricket right through and holding the Australian innings together. He had initially helped them recover from a top-order stutter alongside Steve Smith in the first session.

Bumrah was at it again early on the second day when he had Marnus Labuschagne nicking behind, adjudged on review. Sam Konstas took the adventurous route out against Bumrah, reverse-lapping him for boundary or walking out to drive him down the ground. It enabled Australia to punch back but the counter did not last long. Siraj too found his rhythm outside off, moving the ball away from a good length. It eventually got the better of Konstas who edged to gully. Siraj's attacking lengths allowed Travis Head to clip one off his pads but in the same over he had him nicking to the slip cordon.

On his home ground, Smith managed to survive a few plays and misses while also leaving the ball well. He had some release shots on offer when Prasidh came on to bowl. India's third frontline pacer was not consistent with his lengths like Bumrah or Siraj, and that enabled Smith to both pull and drive crucial boundaries. In Webster, he also found a more than adequate partner to counter India's change-up bowling options as the runs began to trickle in. The duo added 57 runs for the fifth wicket as the wicket started to ease out a little more as the sun shone.

But against the run of play, as Smith was approaching the milestone of 10000 Test runs he fell for 33, edging Prasidh Krishna to second slip. It gave India a much-needed fillip which they carried on into the next session with the ball before Australia roared back into the game through the relentless Boland.